Warded picks

[digital_blue]

Ok, I'm always nervous starting a new topic... but I have searched and not found, so here goes.

There are a number of threads on pick making, and in particular, templates. What I am looking for is templates for warded picks. I followed a great thread about making templates by laying your picks on your scanner. If anybody out there would be so kind as to slap down some of their warded picks on their flatbed scanner, I would be much obliged.

If, despite my seaching, I have missed this and it exists somewhere out there, I would appreciate a link.

Thanks!

[milligan]

I'll get right to it.

Is a powerpoint file alright? That way you can just print without worrying about size.

[digital_blue]

That would be fantastic! Thanks!

[raimundo]

if your warded lock is a laminated body, make T and doublecross T picks with no shaft above the crossbar, and the width of the T derived from the keyway or the key if you have it, the dimensions of the t should be no thicker than one lamination, and the space in between should pass two laminations and also another spaced for 3 laminations since that is what i have seen out there in the local market. If you have to take a laminated padlock apart to see whats in it, there are usually only 4 rivets through the body, and other apparent rivets are fakes, stamped into the end laminations. a hacksaw cut into one of the laminations near the bottom of the lock at a 45 degree angle on the edge of the lock body deep enough to sever the rivet, and repeated in the same lamination on the other 3 edges will dissasmeble one of these locks for examination. If you see laminations that appear thicker than the rest and occur in the area where the locking springtumblers are, they are direct indications of the spaces to put a T for that lock.

[digital_blue]

Thanks raimundo! It never actually occured to me to use a warded padlock that I have to "figure out" how to make the tool. Good idea. I am really only interested because I have taken to making tools recently and warded picks are just not something I have had at my disposal thus far, so I thought it might be nice to make a set. I don't actually know very much about the mechanics of warded locks, so I was not really sure what I would want out of a set of warded picks. My thought was to make a copy of an existing set, and figure out how and when to use them afterward. When my interest gets piqued, perhaps I'll do al little research on the subject.

Does anyone have a suggestion for materials for warded picks? I would presume that something a little thicker than a standard hacksaw blade would be in order.

[raimundo]

its all about making a pick with a shaft that will not twist inside the lock, because if the shaft twists, you will have a permanently installed pic. since master lock co makes several different warded curtains,(the little sawtoothed spinner over the keyway,) you want a thickness that will pass through this regardless of the different tooth combinations, The hanging file stiffeners from a filing cabinet with hanging files will probably work, although if it is not hard enough, you may want to try to harden it. i have some that have been made of hacksaw blade and some made of .020 to .025 feeler gauge. Do not use brick strap, its mild steel.

[digital_blue]

Thanks again raimundo.

I made an attempt at making one warded pick from the ruler that came with my feeler guages. It is a pretty thick steel and seemed to work pretty good. I was comletely faking it on the actual shape of the tool, but I was just playing around at the time. I'll see about the file folder thingies (I believe that is the technical name for them).