Another Lock Pick Handle by DougInAZ

Last crawled date: 3 years ago

Disclaimer: This model may not be the best choice for a beginner.
Update 12/22/17 I added a version with rounded corners. I haven't printed it, so let me know if it works and I'll do the other one. There are a couple layers that bridge the pick opening, but with care you should be able to insert the pick into the cavity.
This handle is designed to encapsulate lock picks that have handles and are 8 x 1.8 x 80 mm. These handles are generally furnished with the lock pick kits with the clear plastic practice lock found on Banggood, Aliexpress, and other sites.
The way I use this model is that you stop the print at the layer just before the lock pick cavity top surface is printed and insert the lock pick with handle. When you restart the printer, the top layers are printed and the pick is embedded in the handle. Make sure the side with the holes is against the print bed. Also, it is a good idea to check the interior of the cavity with a file before inserting the handle so you can remove any bits of filament that might prevent the handle from laying flat in the cavity.
There are two designs: one for a pick that exits the center of the handle and one that accommodates a pick up to handle width, so picks that exit either the left or right side of the handle can be used.
You could print the handle in two pieces and then glue them together. Also, you could remove the two handle pieces and use one of the other pick handle designs on Thingiverse and insert only the pick layer into the handle.
IMPORTANT: When inserting the assembled pick into the print, make sure that the side of the handle with the head of the rivets is placed against the print bed so that the rivet heads fit into the holes in the bottom. If the flattened side of the rivets protrude too high, either press them down or file some of it off so it is only a few thousandths high, otherwise the print head may hit it. A slight bump by the print head is generally OK.
I'll list the techniques I use to pause the printer; your printer may or may not work with these.
If your printer firmware supports the the M600 command, you can patch that into the G-Code at the beginning of the layer that prints over the open cavity. This command moves the print head to a park position and waits for you to push a button on the printer to resume.
You can patch the G-Code to manually move the print head and pause the printer. Insert the following as above:
G1 X150 - this moves the print head to X=150 mm
@pause - this command is for Repetier Host and probably only Repetier Host