"picksmithing" from old bicycle spokes

[nickhooker]

Hey all, I just finished a few picks I made from old bike spokes. I am pretty happy with how they turned out but am looking for advice to improve my process. I've been running through the how to sections here and there is a lot of great info that has helped me on my journey. I chose to use the spokes because I am broke and have had some trouble finding the common materials, like wiper blade inserts and street sweeper bristles. I figured if I heated the spokes I could "forge" them into flat bars and mount them in handles, similar to an ice pick. I don't think this process is entirely unique but I think it is a little interesting. Here's what I did:
Applied heat with an alcohol candle

Tapped flat on the anvil of the vise

I don't have detailed pictures of the rest of the process because I figured they would be pretty self explanatory. I shaped them out with an eight inch bench grinder and a table top belt sander. Then I polished them with different grits of wet/dry sandpaper. The handles I drilled then carved/sanded with a knife and the the belt sander.


The handles are obviously not uniform size, I was experimenting to see how thin I could get with the handle on the "L-rake". The short hook and "L-rake" have Koa wood handles and the small diamond is in pine (boring I know). I think I could have done better with the polishing but they feel smooth enough when picking. I was able to make my way through a schlage cylinder with the short hook.

Let me know what you think, I am open to criticism.

[Squelchtone]

Welcome to the forum!

That's a great 1st post man, I wish more of them were like this and not some close up photo of a washing machine lock someone is trying to get into.

I have to say that those are decent looking picks, I especially like the wood handles.

Will be looking forward to your posts, keep em coming and happy picking!
Squelchtone

[ggpaintballer]

They look fantastic. How did you get the picks to stay in the handles? Glue?

[nickhooker]

How did you get the picks to stay in the handles? Glue?

Thank you both for the compliments! I didn't use any glue to hold them in the handles, Although it would be a good idea to in the future.. I just drilled the holes so they would be snug then I tapped them past the bottom of the hole. I also shaped the handled tip so it would act kind of like a nail.

[jeffmoss26]

Very cool!!

[femurat]

Your picks look cool! The only concern I have is about heat treating metal. I've been told not to ruin the metal temper by heating it, and you did the exact opposite. I'm not criticizing you, just telling that I have a different approach to pick making. Obviously I can't deform metal, I just file.

Welcome to the forum

[Robotnik]

Those look great, congrats.

I'm by no means a competent machinist, so can't expertly speak to tempering issues in metal. I have had some problems with brittle picks & tensioners when I've let wiper inserts get too hot while grinding them, however. The true test is whether what you're making is working for you, though (and from that turned plug up there, it appears that they are). Nice work.

[nickhooker]

Femurat: I'm glad someone mentioned the issue of tempering! I didn't think very hard about that when I made these but I did notice the color change in the metal during heating. I will have to do some research I know that heating slowly brings about the crazy cool color change in the metal (similar to tempering with a hot plate) when I use the alcohol candle to heat them it takes a while for them to get to the "straw" color, that's when I tap them out and quench. I don't know if the candle would supply sufficient heat to bring them to the point where they are non-magnetic... The spokes would be soft enough to cold forge but I was worried about getting hairline cracks, so I opted for light heating and slowing the grinding process with frequent dousing. I don't know enough about the composition of the steel to even entertain the idea of guessing Rockwell hardness but they're decently stiff and springy enough. Now I gotta try a hardening/tempering process after some of the polishing. Thank you I love the idea!

[ggpaintballer]

So if you are making a pick should you blowtorch it, quench, then throw it in an over?

[nickhooker]

That makes sense to me, bring it to whatever temperature where it would be non-magnetic and quench. then bake it. I've read that different metals have different ideal tempers, and the ideal hardness will vary depending on what you're using it for. I assume the bike spokes would be some kind of stainless steel but I could be wrong. I think a common temperature for tempering is in the four hundred degrees(Fahrenheit) range.

[hag3l3]

Those are some beautiful picks .
back when I first started as a Locksmith, my boss did me a solid by teaching me how to make my own picks. The material I always use to this day is hack saw blades. 98 ents at Walmart. Break them into thirds, the perfect fit. You can always get free broken hacksaw blades at local repair shops. College projects is a great way to get their support. I know you will make some smashing picks.
hope this helps.
great post.

[cuttinedge1]

I tried something like this before but when I pushed the pick into the handle the wood split. Did you do anything to prevent that?

[Forestfire1776]

Love them! Let me know when you are ready to sell me a hook.

[nickhooker]

Sorry I took forever to reply I've been busy with work I ended up getting a split in the handle on the l rake, I've heard that steaming the wood should help, but I haven't tried that. Forestfire1776 if you want I could bang one oytthis weekend for you to try out? Pm me if you're still interested