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Home Brew Picks

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PerfectNightmare

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Newbie

Posts: 15

Joined: Fri Aug 15, 2008 8:01 am

Location: Washington DC

Post Tue Sep 02, 2008 7:42 pm

Home Brew Picks

Alright, so I've been playing around with different rakes, and non-hook picks, and finding them a pain in my ass to rely solely on my angle grinder (yup, i'm poor, hand-me-down angle grinder for me, no bench grinder) to try to make snake rakes, or heaven forbid a bogota. I've got a el'cheapo set of needle files i picked up somewhere for oh, $8 or so, and they get the job done, but no pretty, and not easily... Anyone have any suggestions as to what types of files I should be looking for? ... specifically, I'm wondering what any of y'all have found luck with... 6"... 8"... Bastard cut? #4? #00? single cut? Double cut? Swiss cut?


Thank y'all much,
--Nightmare

Lockylew: Moved To Home Brew
“It was a dark and stormy nightmare” -- Neil Gaiman
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ToolyMcgee

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Active Member

Posts: 585

Joined: Sat Jul 19, 2008 2:27 am

Location: St Louis

Post Tue Sep 02, 2008 8:27 pm

Re: Home Brew Picks

What's wrong with the el cheapo's? I use a bench grinder for the hooks and diamonds, but a bogota is almost always just needle and bastard file. Sometimes I get lazy and decide to thin the shaft on the grinder. Chainsaw files work good too, and you can pick up a set with 2 bastards(one smooth cut), a triangle, a round file, whatever they call that half radius bastard file, and a couple rasps(doubtful you'll need those) for under about ten bucks. The diamond needle files are nice, but they are more of a finishing file. Even though they cut in both directions I don't feel like they get the job done any quicker because they are not biting as deep. The swiss cut are impressioning files and you aren't going to want to use nice files like that to remove much material off tempered steel or stainless.

Could be your problem is you need a steel brush to clean off your files so they bite better. Even better would be a file card, but for some reason I can't find one in the hardware stores around here. Don't use brass as it will gum them up even further, and don't use a power tools with a steel brush or you'll dull the teeth.

I've had good luck with the cheapo's. I got probably over 500 cuts with my harbour frieght knife file before the teeth were totally dull. Well gone. I say buy them all! If you want cheap and neccesity then you need a wide bastard, a smooth bastard, a triangle, a chainsaw or round file, and a set of 8 standard needles that probably is going to have doubles of some. If you go to the right place on the right day you should be able to escape for less than 20 bucks. Is that in any way helpful?

-Tooly
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PerfectNightmare

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Newbie

Posts: 15

Joined: Fri Aug 15, 2008 8:01 am

Location: Washington DC

Post Wed Sep 03, 2008 4:01 am

Re: Home Brew Picks

Tooly,

Thanks, nothing's really wrong with the el cheapo set, else i wouldn't keep buying them. Your right, I do need to clean them, however, they are almost 5 years old now, and had been used almost every weekend.... So, guess it's off to harbor freight for me.

Thank ya,
--Nightmare
“It was a dark and stormy nightmare” -- Neil Gaiman

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