Pick making material

[Masterallen6402]

I am trying to make my own lock picks and would like to make them out of stainless steel. Does anyone out there have any idea of what type of industry uses stainless steal banding material.

[Squelchtone]

I am trying to make my own lock picks and would like to make them out of stainless steel. Does anyone out there have any idea of what type of industry uses stainless steal banding material.

feeler gages

http://www.easterngage.com/stock-feeler-gages.asp

also, use the forum's Search menu and look for the term stainless steel, and also poke around the Lock Picks sub forum where others have come up with sources for stainless such as rulers, etc.

[YouLuckyFox]

On your question about stainless steel banding, I seem to remember a galvanized or mild steel band being used mostly when mild steel stock was delivered to the machine shop I worked at. You might have some luck with a stock metal provider, as in some cases stainless steel stock cannot be transported with any contact with mild steel so as to prevent contamination (http://yngspecmetals.com/stainless-steel-strip.htm.) This would only be in the case where critical welds or design tolerances would be demanded, though.

I second feeler gauges as a good place to start if nothing else pans out. Also I made a lockpick on wire-EDM awhile back and purchased some stainless steel stock from McMaster. I ordered 0.025" and made sure that it was a spring temper. It was around $30 but it was 1 foot long by 6" so that's a ton of picks that can be made if you have a productive way of making them without losing too much excess material.

Also, I know this has come up before but when you're looking for stainless steel keep in mind that there are grades of stainless that are slightly magnetic to magnetic (ferritic grades and some duplex; some of my Peterson stainless picks have been slightly magnetic) and just because you find some stainless scrap that appears to have some corrosion that does not mean it isn't stainless as stainless steel can still rust due to carbon precipitation. I only mention this as you might run into some scrap that you think is stainless but doesn't appear to behave like "typical" stainless. Best of luck in your pick making!

Supplemental: http://vacaero.com/information-resources/vacuum-brazing-with-dan-kay/1318-304-vs-304l-an-answer-to-carbide-precipitation-issues.html

[kwoswalt99-]

Since you mention banding, hose clamps are stainless. But I would agree that feeler gauges or stainless from a metal supplier would be better.

[Masterallen6402]

As a new member to lock picking 101, I would like to thank everyone for the wealth of knowledge in your replies. I can see this is going to be a new source of educational material for me.

[jimu57]

Go to a dollar store and get stainless steel knives. They already have the handle.

[Malekal]

I've used metal hack saw blade.



Did the job so far.

[Masterallen6402]

Actually I have read a lot about wiper blades and decided to give it a try with excellent results.

[LocksportSouth]

Very nice work, Malekal - impressive

[uijoti]

Actually I have read a lot about wiper blades and decided to give it a try with excellent results.

I've read a ton about wiper blades and street sweeper bristles and have limited success tracking them down. I've only found one set of blades in a trash can outside an auto store, but none of them will hold the blades for me. I don't think I've ever seen a street sweeper and buying used ones online is sketchy at best. I saw some for sale that looked pretty well rusted through and they wanted a decent amount of money for what you got. Would still like to track some down though.

Right now for I'm using drain snake steel for a set I just made for a friend. All of the steel banding I got a hold of was too soft and would just bend. I think it's a carbon spring steel with limited elasticity. Just got a hold of some 14 have music wire this weekend for cheap, gonna give that a shot soon.

For stainless, dollar store knives were already mentioned and probably your best bet. A decent sized bread knife should get a couple of picks, just use a set of calipers to check your width. You can get a set for ~$20 at harbor freight.

Good luck let is know how they turn out!

[Joshua904]

I have access to a pretty much unlimited supply of steel banding straps. They're pretty strong since its what's used to band the stacks of aluminum ingots together at work. They aren't stainless, but I've had good results with them as tension wrenches and a made bypass probe for those cheapo Chinese knock offs. It has a thin coat of primer (appears powder baked) and is easy to sand off. Around .035 - .030 inches thick.
I can't go supplying the lock picking community in whole, but I'm sure I can send some to people having issues finding decent material.

Ohh.. Didn't measure but it's like 2" wide.

[Jacob Morgan]

Has anyone ever tried using bandsaw blades for picks? I used to have a source for broken 1" wide industrial metal cutting bandsaw blades and made a nice slim jim out of one of them (back when slim jims were more useful), but too thick and two wide for picks.

Woodworkers throw away broken bandsaw blades. They are made of good steel and most woodworking bandsaw blades are thin and narrow to start with. I think I have a bad blade at home, I'll give it a shot when it is not freezing in my garage. Just wondering if anyone else has tried that for a source.

[kwoswalt99-]

Has anyone ever tried using bandsaw blades for picks? I used to have a source for broken 1" wide industrial metal cutting bandsaw blades and made a nice slim jim out of one of them (back when slim jims were more useful), but too thick and two wide for picks.

Woodworkers throw away broken bandsaw blades. They are made of good steel and most woodworking bandsaw blades are thin and narrow to start with. I think I have a bad blade at home, I'll give it a shot when it is not freezing in my garage. Just wondering if anyone else has tried that for a source.

I've never used bandsaw blades, because the blades mine uses are pretty much the same size and material as the drain cleaner I cut up for picks. I have used industrial hack saw blades for various purposes: scrapers, lathe tools, etc.; I've made prybar style tension wrenches from reciprocating saw blades, but they're too thick for picks.

[Jacob Morgan]

I've never used bandsaw blades, because the blades mine uses are pretty much the same size and material as the drain cleaner I cut up for picks. I have used industrial hack saw blades for various purposes: scrapers, lathe tools, etc.; I've made prybar style tension wrenches from reciprocating saw blades, but they're too thick for picks.

The weather was nice enough to spend sometime in the garage today, so tried out using an old bandsaw blade for pick material. It was on the narrow side to begin with (1/8") , but worked fine to make a smallish pick for smallish locks (the photo is of the smaller size of padlocks). May not be the best option if one is buying material to begin with (Sears is selling a 1/4" bandsaw blade 5 feet long for about $10 so it isn't that bad, but one does have to grind off the teeth), but this would be free for anyone who knows a woodworker who throws out old blades.

Used a Kalamazoo 1" X 42" belt sander to make it, I like that more than abrasive wheel grinders, it is easier for me to do detailed work, and easy to sand flats. I think it also runs cooler.