Ed NS3E's
                Latest Key Projects
           August 2007. Here I am again. The spirit moved me, so I built another key. I had fun with this one and it works extremely well with perfect feel. As I mentioned before, a longer lever makes for a softer, more comfortable operation. That is why the Swedish keys have long lever and are highly prized for their operation. The base is stainless steel, the lever is copper, and everything else is brass. I made all the thumb screws and nuts with my lathe. Cut the lever out of a grounding strip.      73 NS3E



                                                                            
     August 2007. Here is my Titanic key. A very close copy of the original. Spent more time on it than any other key, but it was fun. The big knife switch on the left side was used to kill spark power to the contacts if they welded together. A light weight cord was attached to the small eyelet on the knife blade and went up to the ceiling. A tug on the cord would lift up the blade. Operators had to be very leery of high currents. This is the only key I know of that has a separate additional set of contacts. Some experts? say they were used to mute the receiver while transmitting, but I don't agree. I agree with the second half of the experts who say that these separate contacts were used to run a remote monitoring system to the captain's quarters, or the bridge. Key parts are brass and brass plated steel, the base is Mahogany stained oak, and knobs with skirt are homemade wood like the original. 73' Ed. NS3E


           

               
                     
      June 07. Did something interesting lately. A collector friend of mine in Missouri had a friend who worked at a key manufacturing company nearby that closed their doors. The worker came away with a large quantity of parts to make the "Cedar Rapids" bug by the Electric Specialty Co. of Missouri. My friend, knowing that I homebrew, sent me a box full of bug parts. Thumb screws, line posts, springs, etc. etc. In the box was an unfinished main yoke made of copper that would have eventually been plated nickel. It didn't take me long to realize that I had enuff parts to make a complete "Cedar Rapids bug, with the exception of the heavy iron base. My friend had a base template and sent me a copy. I cut an iron base out of a heavy piece of 4" x 6" angle iron that I had in my garage. The result is in the following pictures. The bug works extremely well and looks great. I could have nickel plated the yoke, but I chose to leave it copper color for a more pretty result. The base painted Hunter green, the yoke in copper, and the other parts nickel, make a good combination.
                           
       
                                                photo by NS3E

 

     April 6, 2006.The new key is a heavy brass Phelps which is a copy of the famous Civil War"Camelback key." It was hand cut out of a piece of 3/8" brass plate. It is about 1/16th thicker than the original Phelps and thereby heavier. Most keys of the period (Civil War) were quite massive like this one, and some also were 3/8" thick in the base and lever. It is my understanding that even though machinery was involved in the manufacture a lot of the very early keys were tooled quite a bit by hand.


                   photo by NS3E

 

     October 6, 2005. "Here is the "Jules Verne" key I was telling you about. The lever is walnut and the front contacts are basically Swedish. If you ever watched any of the Jules Verne movies, you would know that this key would look at home on his submarine, Nautilis, or his airship (Master of the world). Contact is made from the lever spade by wire to the lever tension spring, and over to the right binding post. It has an extremely nice feel."


        photo by NS3E

   July 12, 2005. Got a call from Ed, NS3E- - - Ed wanted to stop by to show me something. Since I was working on an old Collins Antenna Coupler that was driving me nuts I welcomed Ed's visit. We sat around the kitchen table and he hands me a bag. I open the bag and pull out this beautiful home brew key .

  I carefully hold the key admiring the craftsmanship knowing full well that Ed's shop does not have a layth or mill of any kind. Running my fingers down the polish metal he announces that he made it for me and that the key is a gift. I was taken back . . . I carefully held the key and examined it, turning it over and over . . . Even the bottom of the key was perfect with inlayed wiring.            As far as I can remember there have only been three hams that have made me something and Ed is the third one. Hams have given me items but hams that home brew are a little stingy with their time.

    Ed names his keys and the name of this particular one is "Battery Cap Key".      I believe Ed gets his inspirations for some of his keys at the local flea market, in this case the main yoke of the key is an old antique awning bracket.          Thank you Ed for the thought, and your time, and your patience.

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        This "Battery Cap Key" will be used on my HRO station with the homebrew transmitter.

 




July 27th 2005





      "The key is a combination of a turn of the century English pump key, and a turn of the century French Ducretet design. Several of the early French keys had holes drilled in the larger levers. Also, some of the early Italian designs were likewise. I don't presume that it was done to lighten the key because weight in a key is desirable. Maybe it was with the idea that the metal you save out of every 4th or 5th key would be enuff for another? If so, it was a silly way to economize. A lot of the early keys had key down contacts as well as key up contacts. I don't really understand the technology involved, but put them on this key as well. You will notice that I used up the second yoke that I got at Spence's. Maybe I'll be lucky and find a few more." NS3E

                    March 2005                                             

        "This is a copy of Brach's WW1 aircraft key #6. I bid on one at
eBay, but knew it would go for bigger bucks. It went for nearly $300,
so I decided to make my own. It's a good copy if you don't look terribly close."



   



   March 2005


      



    "The small key on the round walnut base is my
own design based on best points of several makes.
Everything is junkbox parts except the red knob."

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