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Building a Better Pick
Click on the pictures for full
size versions
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Golden Gates are too round, stock Claytons are too pointy.
It took a lot of tinkering with different materials and methods
to finally land on the pick I'm happiest with.
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I use a fine Sharpie to draw a line. |
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I usually use one of my old ones as a template.
They rarely come out perfectly symmetrical. So...I use the best
point for drawing all three corners of the next one. |
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When I've drawn the lines it looks something like
this. If you don't get it perfect don't sweat it. You will use
your "eye for artistic symmetry" to sand to a nice
point. |
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Basically, I start by taking the point off the
Clayton with course (80 or 100 grit) sandpaper. Notice how I
hold the sandpaper in the trough formed by my fingers. This
sets the radius of the point. I sand it until I'm about half
way through the lines. Then I make sure everything is fairly
symmetrical before I go on to the next step. |
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Next I put about a 60 degree bevel on all of the
edges. I'm using the same "trough" in my fingers.
I'm putting a little more of the weight on the "corner"
of the edge. Its almost like I'm sharpening the pick, rather
than rounding it. Most of the movement is sliding the pick the
direction of my fingers. |
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I usually try to take more material off at the points so
that they have a little more taper to them than the edges.
I can do this with a belt sander and a light touch. I kind
of roll the pick side to side. You should start manually.
I can get more done faster this way, but it is easy to mess
them up.
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When I'm done there is a fairly even 45-60 degree bevel around
all edges of the pick. I use some 220 to get everything symmetrical,
get rid of the course scratches, and take off the Clayton
logo (an unnecessary step, of course).
A lot of people tell me that they have tried to make picks
but they never get things smooth. There is a basic
principle to sanding.
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After I get the rough bevel I go through a few
grades of sandpaper (220, 400, 600). I do this by holding the
paper in a trough formed with my fingers and "sharpening"
the edges like a knife. |
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The picture to the left is about how the edge of a Clayton
starts. The bottom is about how my picks end up. I might make
it a little less sharp than this, but probably never more.
I make sure to not get the very point sharp. I take off the
fine edge during the last two grades of paper. Too fine and
it sounds bad and wears quickly. I often need to reshape old
picks. Just use some 400 or 600 grit and make everything symmetrical
again.
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I usually polish them on a buffing wheel. If you
don't have a buffing wheel handy Frank Ford* suggests rubbing
the pick for several minutes on your pants leg (yours, or a
very close friends). He says a pair of jeans works best. |
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| *Frank is one of Gryphon's
fine owners, a repair guru, runs the Frets.com
repair instruction site, and took these pictures for me. Thanks
Frank |
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