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"Tuning" your ice axe picks.

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 gethin_allen 11 Nov 2009
Having just read Craig Lubben's "how to ice climb" I'm wondering about the sections regarding "tuning" your ice axe picks by filing bits off/sharpening bits etc. In this book it seems to suggest that this is standard practice and should be done immediately after buying your axes. Is this the case? have things moved on in pick design in the decade since this book was written?
Any hints of tips welcome.

Gethin.
Removed User 11 Nov 2009
In reply to gethin_allen: I've tuned mine to the root of the modal scale rang out by my hexes.
 beardy mike 11 Nov 2009
In reply to gethin_allen: Depends on the pick. BD picks are pretty good and so all I do is take off the first tooth so that it goes directly back to the root of the tooth rather than being square to make removal easier... obviously after they are blunt they are definately worth sharpening unless you are climbing turfy mixed routes and really likely to blunt them repeatedly...
OP gethin_allen 11 Nov 2009
In reply to Removed User:
I was waiting for someone to make that joke.
OP gethin_allen 11 Nov 2009
In reply to mike kann:
The bit i was curious about was taking taking the edges off the front teeth to make them easier to remove, but then i was wondering if this would reduce holding strength.
 beardy mike 11 Nov 2009
In reply to gethin_allen: Not in anyway that would noticeably affect your safety, no... I suspect that it's not done at the manufacturers because it's an extra process and and costs money which they couldn't really recoup. It do it to all my picks and it definately does help removal...
 Reach>Talent 11 Nov 2009
In reply to gethin_allen:
http://s14.photobucket.com/albums/a301/mikekean/?action=view&current=11...
http://s14.photobucket.com/albums/a301/mikekean/?action=view&current=11...

Makes a big difference to how easy it is to get your picks out of ice, especially if they are the rather meaty Grivel T-rated picks.
 nniff 11 Nov 2009
In reply to gethin_allen:

Taking the corners off is a good idea - their main function seems to be to make it difficult to get the axe out of the ice.
ice.solo 13 Nov 2009
In reply to nniff:

agreeing there. doesnt change hold power at all it seems and much easier to remove.
also sharpen up the top edge, take off the first few teeth, round off the top of tip BD-style and take the bevel back another 5mm.
BD are closer to all this off the shelf.
 Monk 13 Nov 2009
In reply to gethin_allen:

I would be careful when blunting the teeth that you still keep a right angle or acute angle behind the tooth. If the tooth loses it's back edge it makes the axe much too easy to fall out and can come out with a shift in position when you least expect it. I guess it's a subtle balance that has to be found between holding power and ease of removal.
 CurlyStevo 13 Nov 2009
In reply to Monk:
yes I found this out after tuning my picks last year, think I'll leave the new ones I bought alone after that.
OP gethin_allen 14 Nov 2009
In reply to ice.solo:
the top edge of the pick is already very sharp and i've just very lightly taken the sides off the first few teeth. see how that works when i get to Scotland in a month.
thanks for the advice all.
ice.solo 15 Nov 2009
In reply to gethin_allen:

have fun, dont run with your tools, enjoy the other miseries of ice climbing and let us know how you get on.
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