How to make lock picks, homemade!

How to make lock picks:

If you are looking for information on how to make lock picks out of a paper clip and a bobby pin, then you're too dumb to ever pick a lock, much less make homemade lock picks (j/k jeez!) It is possible of course, but why not spend a couple dollars to get the right materials and actually make yourself a good set of picks? Well worth the money, although like everything else on this site, making lock picks takes practice.

The first thing to do if you want to make lock picks is gather the materials. You won't need much, strong but thin metal, a grinder, a filer, and perhaps lock pick templates. Also a spare allan wrench, to grind into a tension wrench.

How to make lock picks

The most important of these items is the metal you choose. I highly recommend purchasing a lock pick kit, I use South Ord; their metal is specially designed for the wear and tear specific to lock picks. When you purchase these picks, you get the pick, but you also get a handle on the other side of the pick, made of the same metal. This handle can be utilized to design and make lock picks. If you don't want to purchase lock picks (hence you are here), I recommend getting a sign. Signs (like you see on the road) have good, strong metal, if a little thick. Go to a hardware store and get a "beware of dog" sign or something, the thinner and stronger the better. Also, thick sheet metal can work too, if it's of the right bendability or even better a hack saw blade, although these are a bit more expensive.

The next thing you'll need is a grinder, like the ones used to sharpen axes, hatchets, pick axes and the like. Except you don't necessarily want a huge one like that, unless you have a very fine sharpening stone. Actually, I believe that Dremel tools offer the best quality for the price. You can get the Dremel grinding accessory set for only $12. This will give you the fine precision needed, and a good price. If you have a large grinder for axes, that is fine too, that's what I usually use! (cause it's faster than a Dremel). Just use a fine wheel with a sharp edge.

The filer will have to be course, so that you don't spend hours filing off the little pieces of metal that will be bent out at weird angles from the grinding. Use it after you have done the grinding, to fine tune and smooth your lock pick. Actually, you can use a filer for the entire process to make your own lock picks, it will just take an eternity, but, if you have nothing better to do in hell....

First thing to do to make lock picks is to get used to your grinder. I recommend making the tension wrench first. Simply flatten the short side of your allen wrench, to a couple millimeters thick, small enough to fit into a keyhole (duh). Get used to how fast the grinder grinds away the metal on the allen wrench. Keep in mind it will probably be even faster with the metal you use for your lock picks, as allen wrenches are quite strong metal.

You can also use windshield wiper blades for tension wrenches (huh?) They have a small piece of metal at the base of them which can be bent to form a perfect tension wrench. Check it out, seriously.

Ok, now that you have the tension wrench and the other materials, how to make lock picks. When you are making lock picks with a grinder, be it a big axe sharpener or a little Dremel tool, always make sure to point the metal in the direction that the grinder is spinning. That is, if the grinder wheel is spinning down, make sure the metal is angled down, at about a 45 degree angle. If this "O" is the grinder wheel spinning clockwise, and this "/" is the lock pick to be, make it like "O/" not like "O\" (crude I know, but you get the point) or else the metal will flatten and the pick will be too thick. Be sure to keep a steady hand, and don't do too much at once. It should take you about 30 min on the grinder, go slowly and carefully!

Here's a good video on how to make lock picks

Use the filer to make thickened and flattened sides thinner, and to round off edges. This might take even longer that it took on the grinder, especially if you went to fast on the grinder! A double sided filer with a rounded side and a flat side works best. Good luck! If you don't mind, leave me a comment to let me know if this instruction helped.

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