Homebrew Hall of Fame!

[femurat]

I had an oil dipstick from an old car laying around so I made a huge diamond. I've never made a pick this big, it's almost 5 mm tall... I'll try it and let you know how I like it.
It's also thicker than my usual bristle ones. The idea is to have a strong pick for big and gunky locks. I guess it'll give great feedback also.
I'll play with it for a few days to see if it really needs to be a little thinner or not. Since there's a small file mark at the diamond base, filing it down a little would improve its appearance too.

Cheers

[zeepia]

Since there's a small file mark at the diamond base, filing it down a little would improve its appearance too.

Yes, now it´s ugly as he**

Do you cope well with so tiny handles? I personally need a bigger diameter to get a good hold, but maybe that´s only me.
Otherwise that´s a good solution, I know I would have needed a sturdier pick some times. But didn´t even think to make one then... so maybe now. Thanks.

[femurat]

Hey zeepia,

I hate tiny handles, can't control the pick without a handle. I use a heat shrink tube just to test if the pick works. Once I file it down a little and polish it again I'll make a bamboo or gillette handle for it.
Based on the test I made yesterday this pick sucks. I'ts too big and the tip is too step. I'll work on it and post some pictures in the next days.

Cheers

[femurat]

Here it is after some filing and sanding. I wrote the dimensions in mm before and after. Usually I don't use the caliper but this time I had to. I measured my favorite diamond and discovered that its tip is 3,2 mm tall, this one was 4,3 so I decided to shorten a lot the tip of this new pick and to thin out just a bit its shaft. Now it's 3,6 mm tall, just a bit bigger than my usual picks but it's still agile in standard keyways.
I'll play with it for a few days and then make a handle for it...

Cheers

[gunny]

OUTSTANDING!

Semper Fidelis

- Gunny

[zorro]

Some of these links show some really nice stuff and while some are clearling marked as being dead links, others have not had the decency to remove the link when removing the photos from Photobucket. Just hought to let everyone know to let the rest of us know when a link is dead or when removing the photos from photobucket, to make note of it on the link so the rest of us will not be wasting our time.

This is not a citicism, just a suggestion.

[GWiens2001]

There is no 'edit' button to remove old, dead links. Also, sometimes the person is no longer a member here. Sometimes people run out of space, and clear out old pictures to make space for new pictures. There can be a number of reasons for the dead links, not all of them repairable.

Gordon

[mattc]

I've begun to wonder if the muscle memory from all the polishing helps make the picking action intuitive

[Milock]

Hello,

Beautiful tools on all the thread, many shapes i've never seen, and much more never tested or built, many people got high level

The lasts hooks i made, with table knifes, shaped with Dremel, some steel brush at the end and for finishing i shake the tool in a bucket of beach sand for few minutes and the job is done (for me ).






Bye

Milock

[Milock]

The first picks i made and started lockpicking with

[Milock]

Dimple lock picks and a half diamond made for my wife, bangkiraï wood, dacron ligature, bee wax finish







Special shape i made for Tesa T60



Bye

Milock

[phrygianradar]

@Milock - Those are some really nice looking picks there! Does your wife pick locks as well? Lucky man, if so... Thanks for sharing!

[femurat]

I've begun to wonder if the muscle memory from all the polishing helps make the picking action intuitive

Hey mattc, I wonder that too sometimes!

Dimple lock picks and a half diamond made for my wife, bangkiraï wood, dacron ligature, bee wax finish

Great dimple picks Milock, I like them very much. Is the dacron ligature strong enough to keep the pick in place, or you added some glue?

Cheers

[Milock]

Thanks

My wife picks some easy locks and padlocks, she has a particular way to practise raking-picking but it works
I decided to give her his own tool when she deciced to "pick" her nails with my hooks !

Femurat, you're right i put strong glue before ligature
For the splines on the half diamond handle, i put the rod of wood in a drill machine and use sand paper around a screwdriver

I like very much make my own tools, i think it represent 40% of pleasure of lockpicking. Like a fisherman making lures before fishing


Bye

Milock

[Squelchtone]

Hi Milock,

I like your picks, very nice! Are you using bicycle spokes for the Tesa dimple pick?

Thank you,
Squelchtone