Raimundo's Bogota "How to" documents

[raimundo]

Very good. I think that I can see by the results that you used files and not the grinders and dremels, I could be wrong, but the picks look good. Well sanded.

You can only get better every time you make them

[Flatline]

Yup, all handmade with files and sandpaper. I've made a dozen or so at this point and give them to friends to try out and see what works (for me making them as well as them using them). Somehow I lost the set that I bought from you a year or so ago, but the ones I make are pretty decent. I've been trying to take care of the tool marks, but still have to work on getting better at it. I'm always learning and open to suggestions.

Do you use sandpaper past 600? Do you go to a smaller grit or is it more effort for what it's worth?

[raimundo]

600 is as far as I go,
220 grit is for shaping and getting out deep marks
320 refines the marks of the 220 and is still aggressive enough to do some shaping.
400 is finishing
600 is polishing

new sandpaper is aggressive, but the grit tumbles off the paper and breaks down to a smaller grit as it rolls around on the workpiece.

Use 600 till its worn down and its just like new 1200

dry sanding works but it puts grit in the air so its not good for glasses or cameras or other fine optical equipment so I try to do that outdoors.
wet sanding keeps the grit on the sanding stick better, you only need a drop of water, but I use spit, becasue it has a viscosity that holds the grit on the stick better, water can just cause black gritty droplets to fly about.
being able to accurately spit and hit the sanding stick is a skill but its handier to apply than water.

Ive mentioned this before, and it got a lot of juvenile reaction, so go ahead, Im used to it.

[femurat]

Ray, is your spit on the picks that make them work

[raimundo]

[GWiens2001]

Do you spit because of chewing tobacco?

[Mrelectric]

U can use metal cutting sawz all blades their really strong I'm a beginner and they have helped me alot I broke nearly all the ones I bought the saw blades r stronger lots stronger

[fogcreature]

I'm used to using hand files to make my knives. I make custom karambit knives from cold rolled 1095 steel. I've had to undo years if heavy hard sanding an metal working to make delicate picks and tension tools. Mine still look like junk, and I have a long way to go, that's why I have been buying my picks, but I will always be interested in making them. Raimundo is a true artist, the bogotas and the other tools he hand crafts are unparalleled. You just can't beat hand made. For those making their own, lowes sells a really cool kobalt small file set and if one breaks, you get a new set. Just like craftsman, Mac tools and snap on they have a really good warranty (I worked as a mechanic for 6 years at a gm dealer). I also found this cool video with raimundo making his awesome tools. Sorry if this has been previously posted. [youtube]http://youtu.be/qjCcpjaUV3I[/youtube]

[IndigoChild]

Hi I would like to thank Mick for posting this and Raimundo for sharing this info with us. I find the story of the pick beautiful and my absorption of it ended with my making one. So thank you

[IndigoChild]

Hey I just got a Titan set and I have to say I am shocked. They are wonderful.

I was shocked because I thought they were going to be more hand size but Rai if you see this and you wouldnt mind doing a bigger Titan set sometime for me then hey shoot me a pm. I opened the big box from Serepick and inside I find an ittie bittie baggie wrapped in a ton of bubble wrap The shipping was incredible and arrived next day after ordering. Same day as shipping confirmation. Inside the little bag was two picks. Titanium. I can see on each side of both picks a tool mark right by the bend, this may be just because how he does it but to me poses a slight threat to their integrity. They are very small after all. Smaller than my smallest tensor and thats pretty small.

I tried them out today piddling about the shop looking for locks to pick and it picked them all. The Hook Half Diamond is my favorite and proves to be very very very effective and quick. using a light hand made tensor on high security locks I could feel the differences of sets and false sets. The hardest one was a sargant with mushroom pins in it and took no longer than a minute. Exceptionally fast. I didnt use the Bogota as much because the hook worked so well. The Bogota works exceptionally well also. With two scrubs most of the locks I used opened. It doesnt take much. You really just need to learn the feel.

The bogota set that I made worked very well as well. Their high profile though doesnt fit in most keyways could take on a schlage or kwikset with only one swipe. But it was very limited and I scrapped them. I am making newer slightly smaller versions to fit in more keyways. McMaster has a large variety of chain saw files and some nice metals to work with. Ill post up pictures soon when theyre done.

[subver]

anyone know where I can find titanium material like these titans? I've got a set but would love to find titanium strips that I could make some hooks out of!

[mattc]

To celebrate my anniversary, I've had a good go at making some Bogota/Bogota-style picks;

I've got some more shaping/polishing to be done...

[gunny]

OUTSTANDING! Better than my efforts, but I'm still learning. keep us in the loop.

- Semper Fidelis

[mattc]

I was lucky enough to find a pristine sweeper bristle the other day

[phrygianradar]

I have been enjoying this thread and figured I would give making a bogota a try. I think it turned out ok, still needs some shaping and polishing and whatnot, but not bad for a first attempt; plus I have a bunch more street sweeper bristles left!

I have already tried it out and got some pretty tough locks open without much trouble at all. I like these picks/rakes; they feel nice and smooth when they are doing their thing. They feel very rhythmic to me.

http://s1358.photobucket.com/user/Natha ... 1.jpg.html