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Crafting stone picks


btoth76

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I have been doing some crazy stuff, that turned out to be very good.

 

I have done some picks from river gravel before and liked the tone I was getting with them. I tried some different shapes, and wanted to craft one that is really perfect. My favorite regular plastic picks are the Dunlop Big Stubbys. They fit me perfectly. So, I made one from stone.

 

Here it is...

 

First, I looked for thinnest gravel that was about the size of the pick I wanted to copy. Also, it is important to work with a solid one without cracks, and with very uniform grain.

 

HPIM6404_zpspfdvdman.jpg

 

The very first step is to create on flat surface for reference.

 

HPIM6420_zpskkc9abyc.jpg

 

A bit further on the road...

 

HPIM6408_zpsargw5bkf.jpg

 

This has been done using diamond files, and very coarse sanding paper (40-60 grit) attached on a true surface.

 

...

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Continued filing until I have achieved the biggest flat surface.

 

HPIM6423_zpseemnxs6w.jpg

 

When one of the sides was ready, did the same on the other - taking care that the flat surfaces are parallel:

 

HPIM6424_zpsrelxmx6i.jpg

 

Filed and sanded it until the preferred thickness is achieved. Then, I laid the Big Stubby over it, and carved it`s contour to the stone using the tip of a diamond file:

 

HPIM6425_zpsyvjalz6e.jpg

 

The shaping and bevelling was done with small diamond files. After that, I wet-polished it with a 2000-grit polishing paper:

 

HPIM6428_zpsn95dujog.jpg

 

...

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Wow.. Cool stuff man [thumbup]

 

Ive tried a few alternative type picks... I have a pure silver one and one made from mother of pearl (actually bought for me)... And for me they are a bit novelty since I like thin picks so they are too ridged for my playing style and preference.. But they are cool though :)

 

I recently bought my brother in law one made from blood Jasper.. he really likes it ..

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Stone-Tones-Bloody-Individual-Plectrum/dp/B009P0RDHY/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1493052163&sr=8-6&keywords=stone+guitar+pick

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Thanks for posting that Bence.

 

I've done a lot of pick research over the past 3 years or so. I have adapted a lot of them using files, grinding bits and emery cloth.

I also use 3.mm Dunlop stubbys too (among others) but the triangular ones. I re-shape them and add points before using them.

 

I may try to re-shape some of my stone ones based on what you've shown. I have a lot of them.

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Nice job, Bence!

 

msp_thumbup.gif

 

How long did it take, start to finish, would you reckon?

 

Pip.

 

Hello Pippy! Thank You.

 

It takes around 10 hours to finish, but I wasn`t able to work more than an hour a day on it. Exhausting job.

 

Bence.

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Nice workmanship. Are they slippery or hard to hold onto?

 

Sort of gives new meaning to "rock" music [biggrin]

 

Thank You! :)

 

The key is to not to polish them the proper way of using gradually finer papers. After filing, I have only used the 2000-grit wet paper on it. This makes it shiny, but leaves tiny surface imperfections for proper grip.

 

Bence.

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It takes around 10 hours to finish, but I wasn`t able to work more than an hour a day on it. Exhausting job....

Ah.

Shame it takes quite so long as it seemed like it might be quite a nice way to spend some free time but the end result must be a satisfying thing to use!

I suppose there's no rush, though. There are always other picks which can be used as the stone is being crafted.

 

msp_thumbup.gif

 

Pip.

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Ah.

Shame it takes quite so long as it seemed like it might be quite a nice way to spend some free time but the end result must be a satisfying thing to use!

I suppose there's no rush, though. There are always other picks which can be used as the stone is being crafted.

 

msp_thumbup.gif

 

Pip.

 

Hello Pippy.

 

It also depends on density of the gravel. As with everything in life: the better ones are the hardest to work with.

 

Like this one...

 

HPIM6444_zpsx56hhlp0.jpg

 

I put it into a vice to let it split where it wants to. It didn`t wanted to split at all. It took very long until I could find the right position for it in the vice, that applied pressure split it.

 

HPIM6446_zpsdnqxbdoz.jpg

 

And even now, it is like impossible to file:

 

HPIM6448_zps4mclfvk0.jpg

 

But it looks very nice. :)

 

Bence

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Longevity comes at a price!

 

A few months ago I was gifted a pick made from copper. It was fabricated by a Native-American (Hopi, I think) craftsman/artist based in New Mexico and has a traditional pictogram representing the Sun in the centre of it's surface. It's very very nice - in the decorative sense - but the tip wore off after around an hour's playing...

 

Pip.

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