Making picks

[DavidKOS]

I did search and didn't find any threads about this in the first couple pages of results...so....


anybody use a Pick Punch or similar punch to make picks and if so what are your favorite plastic sheet materials - and suppliers.

I've had pretty good success making the basic 351 shape picks so far. Unfortunately no Pettine or similar Mandolin pick shapes yet, but there is a pretty good variety of shapes so far:



Thanks in advance.

http://www.pickpunch.com/pick-punch1.html

No I do not work for them! Mine is a cheap Ebay no-name punch.

[mandroid]

I buy 346 Fender'heavy'(& DawGG)just reshape them, like fingernails, same tools.

A punch with a die capable of cutting thru the harder 1,5~2mm thick stock of Dawg/GG picks
would best be hydraulically operated .. enough power to hold up a tire change on your car.

those thing is apparently more to reuse expired creditcards. so maxes out at thin type . stock..

like hole punch for cardstock.

[DavidKOS]

A punch with a die capable of cutting thru the harder 1,5~2mm thick stock of Dawg/GG picks
would best be hydraulically operated .. enough power to hold up a tire change on your car.

those thing is apparently more to reuse expired creditcards. so maxes out at thin type . stock..

like hole punch for cardstock.

I've used 1 mm stock already, and I prefer my picks for guitar and other instruments to be between .7 and .8 mm so it works fine with real pick materials so it's for more than old credit cards. I do not like nor use the Dawg-style thick round picks for myself, I like mandolin picks to be more pointy.

If you need those very thick picks this may not be for you...which means I guess at least half of the folks on this forum.

[JeffD]

I recently was gifted a pick punch. It cuts a 351 shape out of credit cards.

The picks made from credit cards are serviceable. My guitar friends love them, so I leave them around in the pick jar for the jammers.

The main advantage is that it makes it fun to destroy old credit cards, grocery store loyalty cards, etc.

Serious pick making I have not done.

[Jim Garber]

I bought a couple of sheets of Ultem plastic which is my favorite legal and affordable material. Frankly I believe that all those shapes David posted that you can cut out with the pick punch you can buy from commercial pick makers with all the work done already and the Ultem/Ultex picks are readily available.

I wanted to make my own Roman style picks which are not really too available with the proper shape and from that material. I cut them out with a tinsnips and them spent quite a bit of time shaping and smoothing the edges.

I bought the sheets (12"X12") from what is now called Amazon Supply. The .03 is slightly less than a heavy pick (.762mm). I thought I bought .06 inch thick (1.5mm) but I don't see those sheets on that linked site.

BTW you can buy the material that Blue Chips picks are made from -- I think it is called Meldin. But it is incredibly tough stuff and also costs about $1300 per square foot.

[DavidKOS]

I bought a couple of sheets of Ultem plastic which is my favorite legal and affordable material. Frankly I believe that all those shapes David posted that you can cut out with the pick punch you can buy from commercial pick makers with all the work done already and the Ultem/Ultex picks are readily available.

I wanted to make my own Roman style picks which are not really too available with the proper shape and from that material. I cut them out with a tinsnips and them spent quite a bit of time shaping and smoothing the edges.

I realize that with stuff like Ultem/ultex it may be cheaper to buy commercial picks, but as for the other plastics I'm really enjoying making them.

I made a couple Embergher picks by hand - I think i like the Pettine shape better.

Thanks for the link, I should try the Polyetherimide plastic. I like .75mm picks, so the .03 inch will do fine.

[Jim Garber]

Roman picks are an acquired taste and the method of play is much different from the Neapolitan or Pettine style picks. it is more like a violin bow. I still find it hard to do tremolo but have no problem with that using other picks.

[DavidKOS]

Roman picks are an acquired taste and the method of play is much different from the Neapolitan or Pettine style picks. it is more like a violin bow. I still find it hard to do tremolo but have no problem with that using other picks.

The Roman was OK to use, I just didn't find that it was any better for my playing style than a Pettine or regular pointed pick.

[Backlineman]

I use hotel room key/cards and Starbucks gift cards. I get 5 picks per card, sand the edges a bit, good to go.


Not buying a blue chip any time soon.

[Jim Garber]

I would think that credit cards, at least for me, would be both too thin and would wear the edge too fast. Blue Chip is great esp for rhythm guitar playing since it barely wears out at all and I sometimes need to play for along time and pretty hard.

[Mike Bunting]

I would think that credit cards, at least for me, would be both too thin and would wear the edge too fast. Blue Chip is great esp for rhythm guitar playing since it barely wears out at all and I sometimes need to play for along time and pretty hard.

My thoughts too. Why would I want to play with a pick made out of an old credit card?

[mtucker]

I use hotel room key/cards and Starbucks gift cards. I get 5 picks per card, sand the edges a bit, good to go.


Not buying a blue chip any time soon.

I've never moved down this path … but many years ago when I was traveling from one coast to the other, I amassed quite a collection of 1.5 oz. luxury shampoo, moisturizer and french milled soaps...the room card thingy never occurred to me, but your collection is the schnizzle!

[DavidKOS]

My thoughts too. Why would I want to play with a pick made out of an old credit card?

That depends on how much you like med-thin picks, how hard you play, etc. - and how cheap you are.

So far credit cards are not my favorite material, but who knows in the future? I'm trying out all sorts of plastic materials that usually go in the recycle bin.

[Nalapombu]

WOW!!

Cool thread. I didn't know you could buy one of those things to punch out your picks. I like using a DREMEL to make mine. I like to get those BIG TRIANGLE PICS and then trace the shape I want on them and go to town.

I'd like to try thicker ones, but those BIG TRIANGLE pics don't come in any thicker material for me to use.

I have also been wanting to get a flat piece of acrylic and make a couple pics out of that stuff like those fancy Clear picks that sell for $7 each.

I'd like to know where to get that material, and other materials to play around with.

I don't want to hijack the thread and I apologize if I have done so already. I too would like to get some raw pick material that is a bit thicker. I like the Clayton Ultex (maybe) the off white colored ones, and shape them to my liking too.

If anyone has any extra material, I'd like to get some off of you or would like to know where to get it. PM me, if you have any extra stuff you don't mind parting with....

Any info on where to get clear acrylic maybe 1 to 2mm thick?
Thanks and keep the info coming......

GREAT THREAD...THANK YOU.
Nalajr

[Jim Garber]

Any info on where to get clear acrylic maybe 1 to 2mm thick?

Look out for one of those acrylic picture frames. Maybe they have them cheap at a dollar store?

If not... try Amazon Supply -- the place that I linked to above.

[DavidKOS]

dup

[DavidKOS]

I just ordered a sheet of the Ultem from them. Thanks for the link.

other links for supplies:

http://www.pickpunch.com/plastic-sheets.html

http://www.americanartplastics.com/index.shtml

https://www.interstateplastics.com/i...01411250859-6p

http://www.sdplastics.com/

[Jeff Mando]

I remember my buddy making his own picks from plastic milk jugs, cutting them with scissors. That was in the early 70's, somewhat ahead of the curve for nylon picks. I always found them a little flimsy for me, but I guess they were good for strumming a guitar.

[Polecat]

I recently bought a sheet of galalith (the material so-called "casseine picks" are made of). I trace the shape (351) onto the sheet, roughly cut it out with a junior hacksaw then shape it properly on a band sander, which is quicker than cutting it out with a fretsaw would be. I finish the picks by hand using 400/600/1200 emery paper, polishing the edge with very fine aluminium oxide powder on a piece of leather. The sheet is 1.6 mm thick and very stiff, so I slightly taper the point.
If anyone else would like to try the material, I will happily send them a pick-sized piece of galalith for the cost of postage (bear in mind that I live in Germany, though).

[Timbofood]

I made one years ago out of 1/4 inch Lexan, big triangle, spent three days sanding and adjusting the point. Used it for a couple of weeks. Then, Andy Cohen ("The Twangolium King") came through town, tried it and liked it......
I don't have it anymore.
I miss working at the store!

[Nalapombu]

What material are those high dollar picks made from? Can you buy that stuff at these suppliers? I like experimenting with all kinda of different picks with varying thickness, shape and feel. All fun stuff.

Anyone have any interesting material they can spare? I'd like to experiment a bit and have no idea about all these different materials.

How thick do those BIG TRIANGLES from Fender come in? I have used the HEAVY and would like to try the EXTRA HEAVY if they have such a thing and if there is a thickness more than X-Heavy, I'd like to try that too. Anyone know?

Great thread.

Nalajr

[JeffD]

There was a mandolinner named Dave
Who found a flat rock in a cave.
It sounded real bad
But he wasn't sad
He just thought of the money he'd save.

[Rodney Riley]

https://reverb.com/item/353796-capac...k-classic-pink
A little different just a little more than a Blue Chip

[sblock]

What material are those high dollar picks made from? Can you buy that stuff at these suppliers? I like experimenting with all kinda of different picks with varying thickness, shape and feel. All fun stuff.

Anyone have any interesting material they can spare? I'd like to experiment a bit and have no idea about all these different materials.

Nalajr

Blue Chip picks are made from a polyimide, Meldin. There are other polyimides available, too, such as Vespel. Meldin (from Saint-Gobain) is extremely expensive (~$3,000 a sheet). Unless you plan to make many, many picks, you are probably better off just buying them from Matt Goins at Blue Chip.

You can read about the many types of Meldin here: http://www.seals.saint-gobain.com/me...al-grades.aspx Some of the Meldins are formed with have built-in lubricants (graphite or teflon or molybdenum disulphide), which gives them a self-lubricating property.

[Steevarino]

I used to make picks for a customer of mine. He wanted them made out of Delrin, which I bought in small sheets from McMaster Carr, both black and white. I cooked up a CNC parts file for both the #351 shape and what some call the "Dawg" shape, and away we went!

He doesn't buy them anymore, but every now and then I use the same parts file to zap a few picks out of various materials that I want to try.