The set so far.

[Neilau]

Here is the set so far plus two waiting handles.

set.jpg

tips.jpg

I’m really pleased with how they look and feel. The wood is beautiful and sooo smooth. Very tactile.

They work well too.


For a bit of whimsy, here is a picture of the first pick that I ever made.

first.jpg

The story is, I had just finished reading the MIT guide (downloaded from usenet before the WWW) when going to lunch I saw a bundle of steel bristles laying in the gutter. Never seen them before or since.

Taking this as a sign, I went to the local hardware store and bought a couple of Master pad locks (103s I think). I went home and ground out this little half diamond (it acquired the notch at a later date) and within a couple of minutes had popped the Masters and the rest is, as they say, history.

Thank you Master.

[Oldfast]

Ha! Love the quick story of your beginnings. Said it before I know,
but I've truly enjoyed seeing the progression of your pick making.

The one on the bottom right - it caught my eye. What kind of wood?

[jharveee]

Great work.
Love the wood handles. They look warm and comfortable.
It shows you put care to get your tools so smooth.

[Neilau]

OldFast.

The wood on the bottom right is a tropical hard wood from Asia (I think). It is a length of flashing/skirting board whatever that I bought from the local hardware store to make a long bow. The growth rings are perfect. The reason it looks like that is that it is cut across the grain.

Being end grain, a piece of it broke when I was working on it so I coated it with superglue then sanded it back and then oiled it with O'Ceder The super glue gave it a gloss finish and a darker colour.

It was the first one that I made, see it in the first post.

When I used the Red Box I just loved it and didn't go back to the first wood. It just feels so good in the hand.

Glad you enjoyed the story. The weird thing is that I have never seen a sweeper bristle since and at the time the council hadn't use metal sweepers for many years. No idea where it came from.