Making your own Galalith picks

superreggie · February 2022

So I've been making my own picks, and have had a hard time finding any chatter about other people doing the same. I recommend it, it's easy, and incredibly gratifying to be playing with something you've shaped yourself. And it allows you to slowly evolve your pick into something you love, and keep evolving. And they're beautiful! I've already learned more about what I like than I would have just buying picks, and I've only made about 5 so far.

But I'm new to this. If anyone else has any techniques, let me know.

I bought a sheet of Galalith (which is that stuff made from milk and formaldehyde). I take a different pick, make a shape around it with a pencil. (Galalith is my favorite material. I don't know any tortoises who are willing to lend me some of their shell).

Then I use a jeweller's saw to cut the shape out. Kind of a pain because it's so easy to break those blades, but I'm not going to buy some kind of bench tool for this.

Then I just use a file and sand-paper to get the initial shape.

This is the trickiest part, and the part where the voodoo comes in... the bevel. For the rounded edge I just sort of hold some sandpaper in my hand in a C shape and rub the edge on it that way. Then I add do additional shaping as need be with a file or sandpaper.

Then I got a buffer wheel that I just attach to my drill, put my drill into a bench clamp thing, hold down the trigger with some tape. This part is pretty crucial, and it took a few hardware stores to find this... I use some buffing compound. The stuff I like is for polishing gold and silver. This would be good for those of you who are simply reshaping picks. Gives it that nice shiny polish.

Anyway, just thought I'd share. Any of you have any techniques that work for you? Ciao!

crookedpinky · February 2022

Good for you. I've done similar things in the past but I'm planning to start again with a heat of Galalith. I use pretty much the same process that you've listed the only difference is that I use a 4 sided nail buffing file.

superreggie · February 2022

Crooked pinky, I've never seen one of those, so I looked it up... so you use the kind that have four different levels of abrasion?

Dave_P · February 2022

I made one out of ebony. I cut a 3mm strip out of a small ebony board with a band saw. It's pricey stuff but I had some scrap lying around. I think there are cheaper hardwoods that would work. You could use a table saw for that part or even a jig saw or hand saw if you're patient. Then I traced the shape of another pick on the 3mm strip and cut it out with a scroll saw (band saw or jig saw or coping saw would work) and then I used a dremel for the bevels. I used the little sanding cylinders with the coarsest grit (60 I think) - they come in the set if you get the dremel with accessories. I use the "pen" attachment for the dremel, which also comes with the set, so I can hold it like a pencil. I also dished out the inside with a little steel dremel cutter and roughed up the pick so it doesn't slip.

My first one was too sharp of a point - I made it before I found the joy of dull tipped picks. My daughter says it smells like beef jerky. That's what ebony smells like I guess.

I'm going to try making an epoxy mold next out of silicone, so I can make exact copies of my favorite 3mm dunlop pick. Lotta time on my hands.... Covid...

I don't even know if wood or epoxy are acceptable pick materials but from what i've seen online (bone?) it looks like anything goes.