[Boatanchors] Crystal Needed

[Bill Cromwell]

On 01/30/2014 11:14 PM, Richard Knoppow wrote:
>
>     FWIW, I use a J-38 I bought surplus maybe fifty years ago. When I 
> got it I thought it felt "spongy" only term I can come up with.  I 
> lost the spring and replaced it with one I made from a ball point pen 
> spring. That was much livelier and I still use it. I have since added 
> a number of J-38 and J-47 keys to my small collection. All have a 
> similar feel. I don't know if its the spring shape or material. I also 
> have Western Electric and other keys and generally all feel a little 
> crisper than the J-38 with original spring. I now make springs out of 
> spring stock from the hardware store if I need one.
>    Now, I am a little puzzled by what is meant by a hard spring. If 
> the tension is too great and beyond the adjustment range of the spring 
> screw I suggest making a new one from lighter spring material rather 
> than trying to cut down the old one. If the spring wire is too thick 
> reducing its length may result in its being too short to have any 
> range of adjustment or might result in a strange keying feel.
>    Good Western Electric keys are available on ebay for reasonable 
> prices.  Bunnell keys are also excellent but usually go for higher 
> prices. If you can find a decently priced one go for it. Jessie Bunnel 
> invented the type of key we all recognize. Originally as the Bunnell 
> Steel Lever key and a little later with minor changes as the Triumph 
> key. Again its easy to make springs if the original is missing.
>
>
> -- 
> Richard Knoppow
> Los Angeles
> WB6KBL
> dickburk at ix.netcom.com
>
Hi Richard,

I suppose by "hard" I meant about the same thing you meant by "crisp" - 
maybe. I have pumped a lot of water with hand pumps and most of them 
were NOT as "hard" to pump as the original spring. I shortened and then 
stretched it to fit again. That sufficiently 'weakened' it to feel 
pretty good. I used it enough that I replaced the bearings <grin>. Those 
are also easy to replace.

I don't have a collection of keys. I have *one* that works the way I 
want it to and so I have no motivation to acquire another one. If I find 
myself needing another key I would probably be more inclined to make it 
myself. But that is only because I can.

73,

Bill  KU8H