Morse Key

[Steve WithnellParticipant @stevewithnell34426]

Something a bit different.   I decided to design and build a morse key.   Just a basic straight key, nothing fancy, but with an objective of making something really good, both to use and to look at on the shelf.

A lot yet to do, as ever and a few careless mistakes as always…but pretty pleased with progress so far.

The base was machined on a KX1 from a piece of African mahogany, which was part of a conservatory purling in an earlier life.

These old straight keys usually have brass binding posts to connect the contacts back to the transmitter,  but I’m not having any of that, they are never convenient and eventually problematic,  so I’ve incorporated a 3.5mm stereo jack socket.   In order to mount it, I’ve epoxied a custom washer into the base.

The top brass cover plate has come off quite well, though the CZ121 was a bit gummy to cut,   so the next one needs the feeds and speeds looking at.

From here on in, it’s all metalwork apart from a couple of insulators, which will be turned out of black Delrin.

Progress so far…

[Roderick JenkinsParticipant @roderickjenkins93242]

Nice, I like it so far.

Rod

[bernard towersParticipant @bernardtowers37738]

CZ121 a bit gummy???

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