best materials

[samfishers]

what are the best matérials to do the best picks, i mean for the good looking picks like ln21 or kaotiks??

do you use spring steel, stainless, hacksaw blades, does it need to be really springy or not at all?....

[Emrys]

I think the best thing to do would be to try a few materials out to see how you like it. Personally, I like allen wrenches. But, oh man, are they a pain to shape. I keep one allen wrench tensioner for my American locks because they need a lot of manipulation & some tend to need a bit more tension to open them.

I've tried brick strapping & it has worked out good. I've tried butter knives too, but that's a bit on the stiff side. I like stiffer feeling picks, but a lot of the ones that can be ordered are made of spring steel. I feel that the stiffer picks will give better feedback, IMHO.

But, the best way is to go out and try for yourself. I've actually found as much enjoyment designing new picks & trying new materials as I have with picking w/them.

-Rob

Sorry this doesn't give a definite answer to your question

[therealmuffinman]

i just made my first pick and tension wrench out of windshield wiper blade, and i like that it is simple to manipulate with a dremel tool, i made the pick in about 15 minutes and the tension wrench in even less time ( i have not polished/sanded but they are functional) i personally perfer these over hacksaw as a working material, i think i will soon get some street sweeper bristles but untill then i have no comment on them.

[jamesphilhulk2]

the best material(s) to make picks out of are hacksaw blades or spring steel, strong and flexible perfect for the job

[samfishers]

spring steel, but how large?? like 0.1 inch or less?

[samfishers]

spring steel, but how large?? like 0.1 inch or less?

in the pictures, from (exeple) LockNewbe21, they dont look very springy? anyone has some and could tell if they are springy and if they have a micrometre, measure them please?

[jimb]

Most of the commercial picks are around 20 thousandths of an inch.

[Gordon Airporte]

Most of the commercial picks are around 20 thousandths of an inch.

Which, coincidentally, is the thickness of your average hacksaw blade. LN's and Kaotik's picks look so good because they spend a lot of time polishing and smoothing with a progression of sandpaper grits.
If you work your way up to a 600 or 1000 grit you'll have a nice shiny pick that started out as a hacksaw blade.

[samfishers]

but, are you telling me kaotik's are made out of hacksaws?

[Gordon Airporte]

but, are you telling me kaotik's are made out of hacksaws?

Yep:

The entire pick is carbon steel (hacksaw blade) and the handles are cut from aluminum sheet, thickness varies from the type of handle. Normally all the pick handles come with .032 with the exception of the Ripple which has .064.

from this thread:
viewtopic.php?t=23632

[samfishers]

a fatal distabilization, rawrrr.

I thought....