A Titanium double sided pick (not fully polished yet)

[pickinboogies]

Here's a double sided pick that I cut out of titanium last night. I'm gonna finish the polishing today, It'll only take a few minutes. I really, REALLY like picks out of titanium because they are so light, it feels more like an externsion of your fingers. The tool feels like it is part of me, rather than something I am holding to pick the lock. Sorry the pic isn't perfect, but I don't have a very good camera.

[MacGnG1]

titanium?!?! sweet!

[ToolyMcgee]

I think it has been said that titanium is very rigid and britle, so it doesn't make for long lasting lock picks. That seems to be the main complaint anyway, aside from the fact it is expensive and hard to work. Britle, rigid steel makes for clear pick feedback though, so... where do you get your stock?

Nice work boogie! I don't think I've seen a titianium pick photo in here before.

-Tooly

[pickinboogies]

Well, I am a metallurgist by trade, so I know a lot of the ins and outs of quite a few metals. This type of titanium is a bit different, as it is not brittle at all. The brittleness of titanium lies along the c axis, but this stock has been rearranged to fix that factor. That's a really quick summary, but you get the jist of it , as all people aren't metallurgists (nor do they want to be lol!!) I also have some really nice tantalum that I will try as well, but it might be a bit soft, but I will try to correct that. It anodizes to even nicer colors than niobium, it's sister metal!! gorgeous colors!! I'm gonna finish the polish on this titanium one, and I will strip it in TSP and anodize it to a nice medium blue!!
If anyone ever needs help with exotic metal selections, I could help you choose, as well as finding a good inexpensive supplier if you'd like. I purchased this sheet from Miami Engineering. I have about 4 square feet of it to use! I do have some really nice shibuchi that I'm gonna make some picks out of, and I'm going to give them all african elephant ivory handles.

[pickinboogies]

Oops! something I forgot to add as well. Don't let anyone fool you, as titanium isn't that expensive if you buy from the right suppliers. I actually really like the feedback from titanium, as it is so light that any little movement inside the lock can be felt quite well in your fingers.

[ToolyMcgee]

I do have some really nice shibuchi that I'm gonna make some picks out of, and I'm going to give them all african elephant ivory handles.

Why not just skip to the chase and make a solid gold set that's totally useless. I'll do the scroll work for the walrus tusk Willy Wonka flute that opens the magic ruby sarcophagus where you can store them. Seriously though, you couldn't use that set without ruining the patina of the shibuchi, and you can't touch elephant ivory with bare hands, get it wet, expose it to direct sunlight etc... Why go to the trouble for a shelf set?

Thanks for the Ti info. Is there a name for titanium that has undergone that treatment, or is it an alloy... what's it called?

[RangerF150]

And I thought we were all done with idiots making trashy trinkets and rubbish out of elephants!

[Schuyler]

*shrug*

If you've got the stuff to do it, haven't participated in the ivory trade, and/or are using Mammoth or Vegetable (nut) ivory, I say go for it.

Picks can absolutely be works of art as far as I'm concerned, but I'm a collector, so I don't expect that will be a popular opinion elsewhere

[LocksmithArmy]

Id have to agree... I meen some people make picks already that are works of art, but I am a collector aswell... Shouldnt we all be though

[raimundo]

So, ah, pickingboogie,

What tools are you using on the titanium, grinder? file? bridgeport mill?
and how would you determine which axis the metal is presented at, cant you rotate the plate of metal to go with this axis, if its like the grain of wood or something?

I really need some metalurgist answers.