Making your own warded picks

[Scotty2690]

I want to make a set of warded picks. I have found a scaled template in the templates section but i need to know what to make them out of?

Thanks

[Eyes_Only]

You can make them out of the keys these locks come with. Just file down the parts of the key thats not needed and you would have yourself a perfect fitting warded lock pick compared to a commercially available tool.

[Shfake]

You could make them out of hacksaw blades.. You just wouldnt have the same handle, unless you fitted a one on out of wood or something, or just kept it small.. Just thought hacksaw blades might be a good idea.

[Eyes_Only]

Thats a toughy. You would have to use the thicker hacksaw blades to make warded picks because sometimes you can have a hard time turning the pick in the lock. And those things are hard to cut and grind. The regular blades just wouldn't be strong enough I think.

[Shfake]

Ahh right, what about flattening a spoon cutting and grinding the handle into a warded pick. Could be an idea.

[freakparade3]

Why not just spend $9.95 to buy a set from any lockpick supplier?

[Shfake]

Because he wants to make them.. i dont know about you, but i like to make my own picks, i can get them how i want, so im more comfortable with them.

[freakparade3]

Because he wants to make them.. i dont know about you, but i like to make my own picks, i can get them how i want, so im more comfortable with them.

I understand. I prefer homemade picks, I just suck at making them. I buy them from other members that make them.

[Shfake]

Haha, yeah i suck at making homemade tools too, but they do the job

[Scotty2690]

thanks for the help! I quite like the spoon idea and will give it a go at some point, however i am still open to suggestions. i had thought about hacksaw blades but as someone else pointed out they may not be strong enough.

thanks again

Scotty

[freakparade3]

For homemade warded picks Eyes Only gave you the best suggestion. Heres a link on how to do it. viewtopic.php?t=19453&highlight=[/quote]

[raimundo]

I would suggest that the spoon is more work than its worth, you can probably find super cheap steak knives that have a stainless thin blade that is just right for the job, and no hammering flat involved.

you can skeletonize keys for these locks, but remember that there are more than one keyway curtainwards, so you would need different keys to make a complete set. or you could pound the key flat and make one that fits the various curtain wards.

The common warded lock in the US is the laminated master and some of its knockoffs. If you are making these from flat metal stock, you can get the dimensions of the T crosses and the space between the crosses on the double cross type, (most common type) just by looking at the laminations on the outside of the lock, there are two types of double cross locks, one has two laminations between the crosses, and another has three laminations between the crosses. the cross should be no wider than the key, and no thicker than one lamination. leave the key stem as wide as it is on the key, for strength, so it dosent twist inside the lock.

I have seen warded laminated locks which have a visibly wider lamination at the place where the springcatch is installed. this may have been a knockoff of the master lock.

I dont know if anyone has done it, but its likely that these locks can be shackleshimmed, if you have a strong shim, like ones made from stainless springs inside old vhs tape cassettes, that spring that is fused to the plastic, for steading the reels.

[tommy15]

Try reciprocating saw blades, they are substantially thicker than hacksaw blades

[raimundo]

these reciprocating sawblades can also be very hard metal that cannot be worked with a file, only with a grinder, so you will be makeing the pick tips with a dremel and cutting the shaft on a grinder. they may be too thick for some keyways.

[digital_blue]

I missed this thread originally, and likely it's a bit late for the OP... however... when I first made a set, I used the thickest feeler gauges that came with a set. They've gotta be good for something.

db