Pick Thinning

[phatty234]

I've been making picks out of brick strap(its the best thing i have to make picks out of) but the problem is that the strap is a little bit too fat to work well. How can I thin down the metal evenly? The only things i have are a dremel tool and a file. Before when i tried to make them a bit skinnier with my dremel, certain spots always ended up deeper or bumpy and really uneven. I have a pile of picks waiting to be thinned down, and I'm tired of ruining them! Please help me out, the search button didn't help me out of this one.

[Buggs41]

The best way I can think of, is file the pick anchored flat on a wooden board. A hole drilled at the end of the handle of the pick, and a smaller nail further up the pick to keep it steady. Then run a file down the whole 'working end' of the pick. I would suggest the same amount of fileing done on each side of the pick.

[Romstar]

If you can manage it in some way, find a belt or disc sander.

The belt sander is my prefered method. That will thin out the metal with little effort, and it will be quite even.

A belt sander shouldn't cost too much, and you can even use it for pick shaping.

Romstar

[raimundo]

or you can put it on an anvil and beat it thin, brick strap needs the workhardening anyway. beating the metal thin also works for some bicycle spokes. whether you pound it or file it, be sure to sand it after so it gets a smooth none friction surface, or you will find your pic permanently stuck in some keyhole.

[Pickey]

Lol raimundo pounding it on an avil would be the opposite of what he wants. He said he wants a flat smooth surface. Pounding it would make all kinds of dents and imperfections

[Romstar]

Lol raimundo pounding it on an avil would be the opposite of what he wants. He said he wants a flat smooth surface. Pounding it would make all kinds of dents and imperfections

Not if he's using a flatter as opposed to a ball peen hammer.

If you have ever seen examples of medieval arms and armour, you realize that these men created superb items on the anvil. It is more than possible to keep something flat and level by working it with hammer and anvil.

Romstar

[phatty234]

Yeah... beating it flat would create a ton of new problems for me, even thouigh it isnt a bad idea. I like the disc/belt sander idea best, I dont know if I have one though. I'll have to ask my dad about it, and if i dont I'll be stuck with the slow process of filing.
But thanks a lot for the ideas, maybe when I get some done I can put some pics up and see what you guys think.

[Hojo]

Weak acid for a few hours or whatever is effective, clean up with 1200 grit sandpaper

[raimundo]

Thank you Romstar, Pickey, I have made picks from bicycle spokes, by pounding them flat, but not have a properly dressed planishing hammer. (thats the silversmiths name for it) I found that I had some sanding to do to finish the surface. Some spokes will become too hard and develope longitudinal cracks from this treatment, but bicycle spokes come in all sorts of alloys and hardnesses. Usually pounding them only creates a blank from which a pick still must be filed. Even pickey could do it.

[raimundo]

The method of making thin sheet metal that is now used in this industrial age is rolling between successively tighter rollers. This is the same process as hammering, but with a more precision instrument, the metal is squeezed and becomes both longer and wider while becoming thinner. but if you get some 220 grit tri m ite black sand paper, and wrap it around a flat wooden stick and rubberband both ends, put a drop of water on it, and rub both sides of the pick on this 100 strokes, it will thin down considerably, then you will have to finish with 320 and 400 grit sand paper. You will like the result, be sure to fold a piece of the 400 over the pickshaft and push it in an out so that longitudinal stroke cut down the texture left by the sanding stick. Norton black sandpaper will not cut steel. Use 3M sandpaper, or whatever they are using at your local auto body repair shop.