How to make Picks

To make the picks illustrated here you should have about 6 feet of spring steel, or ordinary steel wire (flat) 5/16" wide and .020" thick. This can be obtained from any locksmith supply jobber. A warding file, 3-corner saw file, and a coarse round file are also needed A small amount of glue, rubber cement, fine emery cloth and bench grinder complete the list.

Break off a piece of wire equal to the length of pick you want. Polish it on one side with the emery cloth. Keep fingers off this side afterwards. Cut one pattern and glue it to the polished side. Using your grinder remove the excess metal around the outline of the pick to within 1/16" of the line. Avoid burning the steel by dipping it in water often.

Hand file the rest of the steel away until the proper pattern and size is obtained. Polish the finished steel with a slightly oiled emery cloth. The picks should be tempered, but retain some flexibility.