When it comes down to it there is nothing better than manual tools for your Lock pick Set, whether they be retail, homebrew, macgyver style. DIY'ers look here.
Another little tip to help out on your next set...try to round the corners instead of having sharp edges where the handle and needle form a corner. This will help decrease the chance of breakage.
Also, A bit of sanding and polishing of your picks will really improve their "glide" through a lock, and of course make you look really really good at fine metalworking as well.
Raimundo O'connor (regalorastisATSYMBOLyahoo.com) offers the following bit from his guide to making superior picks out of street sweeper bristles
i just got into pickin but hack saw blades work really well for me on masterlocks and belwiths. i made the small hook pick. be careful as sometimes if you make the end too thin it will break off.
If only I could pick those snake cage locks at the Zoo!
Also, A bit of sanding and polishing of your picks will really improve their "glide" through a lock,
I picked up a couple dozen 240 grit polishing wheels on ebay for my dremel. Those things are awesome for doing finishing work. With the right touch I can almost get a mirror like finish, and they come out ultra smooth
Always remember to wear safety goggles (if that point didnt reach you after watching the vids). One of the very few times I don't wear them and I get a shard of metal in my eye. I Can honestly say I've learnt my lesson now after spending over 3 hours in A + E this afternoon.
You might want to be careful when griding hacksaw blades coated in teflon:
Teflon® is non-toxic so long as one does not inhale its dust -- or fumes from overheating it. Ordinarily, those circumstances do not occur in the life of the average person. Dust might arise when Teflon® is sawed or abraded. Fumes might arise if one left a Teflon® coated pan on the burner until the coating decomposed. Other than that, one could probably swallow a smooth pellet of Teflon® without undue harm because nothing in the plastic is digestible. Put another way, it is not harmful if one would accidentally eat a little Teflon® as a result of cooking in a scratched Teflon® coated cook-pan.