by raimundo » 8 Jan 2008 11:46
bend cold as Raymond said,
heating is generally not a good idea, but after a cold bend, 30 seconds over a bic lighter on the bend will tend to erase the metal memory if you must heat. this will make the metal blue. no need to heat the entire length of the metal, its already very well tempered.
you will find sweeper bristle to have variences in temper some is better than others, if your bristle is breaking, keep snapping it off to see if its temper is better further down, sometimes parts of it are workhardened.
after some experience in cutting and shaping the picks, start to look for the least scarred bits of the bristle if you found it in the street and use that for the better picks. sand them well.
to make a rounded bend in the bristle, grip it in two small pliers, with about 3/8ths of an inch apart. by controlling both sides of the bend, you can avoid the sharp bend against the edge of the plier.
Wake up and smell the Kafka!!!