Homemade Pick Materials

[pyrodude145]

Hey PPl, Pyrodude here. Now I've made some picks out of lots of different materials. and i was wondering. If your going to make homemade picsk what is the best material in your opinion?

[iworathong]

id say hacksaw blades. ive heard of people using juinor hacksaw blades but havent worked with them myself. also the the street sweeper bristles sound like they would be good materials but i cant find any. i bet it varys from city to city tho. =)

[quickpicks]

I would reccomend high quality hacksaw blades for picks and windscreen wiper blades for tension wrenches. since theese matereals will last the longest.

[Mr Ules]

I would recommend using the search button. However, since were on the topic, use feeler gauges in sizes from 0.500 to 0.800. Grind them and while grinding, dip them in water frequently. Once you get to the picks end, you can either use a dremel with a specialized bit, or, you can try to use a bench grinder.

[begginerlockpicker]

Iwould reccomend you SEARCH !

[stick]

I would recommend you put a space between "Iwould" and spell recommend correctly.

[stick]

Sorry for the double post, but I can't help but notice that you also chose to misspell "beginner" in your username.

[raimundo]

You can buy 12 inch length feelers in many widths at the tool and die shop jobbers, (the people machinists get tools from) for picks, i recommend .018"- .028" with .025" being probably the best for your first try. if you buy a carbide scriber of the 'general brand" rather than the starrett brand, you will have a scriber with a durable point that can be used to score a ruled line on the metal (score the same line 2-3 times to deepen it) that can be used to break it like a glass cutter. also, use a triangle needle file to lead the fracture weakness into the scored line at the edge of the metal. Starrett makes a nice scriber for marking the metal but too acute a point to use for scoreing lines to break the metal, while general makes the scriber in the aluminum pen handle that has a stronger less acute point.

[Menion]

I dont know about where you are from, but around here we have these machines that 'sweep' the roads, they spray water and scour the pavement with large brushes. The bristles on these streetsweepers are constantly breaking off and ye can find em all over the place if ye just walk around a mall or shopping center. They are made of springsteel and are usualy long enough to get two picks out of. I use a dremel and cut em to shape, they arent as durable as the high quality spring steel you get from a professional set of picks but they last a good while and are easy to make.

[pyrodude145]

Thanks everyone for ur help, I have a few spring steel picks that have been unseful and I also use a dremel. the measurements also come in handy for size. Thanks Pyro