anyone have success making picks using thin steel plate?

[CountryMick]

I've played with picking for a couple of years now but never made any of my own tools before. Lately I've been thinking about trying my hand at making a couple of new picks. I've heard many good things on this forum regarding hack saw blades and windshield wiper inserts, but has anyone ever tried using plate steel bought from the local hardware store? It appears to be decently thin gague (I think the thinnest I saw was 22 gague). It's inexpensive stuff (a 6" x 24" piece can be had for under $5), and there is enough material to make a couple of dozen picks from it. Anyone use this stuff before? If so were the results good?

[loansindi]

In my experience sheet metal isn't terribly springy, which would definitely be a negative trait for a pick.

But it's probably worth looking into.

[raimundo]

no doubt there are different alloys in sheet metal, petersen government steel is delivered in rolls before being run through the presses.

but much sheet metal is a very mild steel that would easily hammer into different shapes,

A thin pick shaft made of this would be weak.

[loki-aka]

There is great variabality in steel sheet stocks. Unfortunately, most of the commonly found sheet material available
at a local hardware store is not likely to be the best material for picks.

Most "good" steels for picks will have a moderately-high to high carbon percentage in the alloy, along with
smaller amounts of other elements, such as molybendum, manganese etc.

It's this alloy (mixture) that plays a big role in the steels performance and hardening/heat treating characteristics.

If your really interested in steel stocks and cutting and fabricating tools and equipment check with www.mcmaster.com-- the carry industrial materials, and equipment.

[CountryMick]

Thanks for the input guys! After reading these posts, I've decided that I'll go with either hacksaw blades or wiper inserts. Will leave the plate steel for the welders

Thanks again.

[zeke79]

Some of the best material I have found besides street sweeper bristles is the short sink drain snakes. They are around ten to twelve feet long, a quarter inch wide and approximately .025" thick. The tempering can vary in the metal from area to area but I find if I test the pick blank I cut for springiness I have no trouble. It is easy to work with and with the material being a quarter inch wide it is just about perfect for handle size so you don't have to try to grind or file the handle straight as you do with hacksaw blades which saves a ton of time.

Really good stuff and you get ten to twelve feet of pick stock for around four to five dollars. If you make your picks approximately six inches long each you can make around 24 picks for only four to five dollars.

I hope this helps you out some,

-Zeke79-

[jondoe]

Some of the best material I have found besides street sweeper bristles is the short sink drain snakes. They are around ten to twelve feet long, a quarter inch wide and approximately .025" thick. The tempering can vary in the metal from area to area but I find if I test the pick blank I cut for springiness I have no trouble. It is easy to work with and with the material being a quarter inch wide it is just about perfect for handle size so you don't have to try to grind or file the handle straight as you do with hacksaw blades which saves a ton of time.

Really good stuff and you get ten to twelve feet of pick stock for around four to five dollars. If you make your picks approximately six inches long each you can make around 24 picks for only four to five dollars.

I hope this helps you out some,

-Zeke79-

Thank you for this post! I am going to Home Depot tomorrow to buy a roll of this stuff. For anybody else who is interested I believe the product zeke79 is referring to is http://www.homedepot.com/Building-Mater ... ogId=10053 Please correct me if I am wrong. Happy picking.

[roxylass]

i find bandsaw blade very good, you just have to thin the working end down a little bit.

[UEDan]

The thing is if its high grade steel, and you cut it right and temper it right you'll have a nice pick.
What I did once was use a slip jim like took to make picks/tension wrenches. It WAY too thin and could not hold its shape.
I know know Peterson Picks use high grade steel.