BEFORE and AFTER
W.R.SMITH, W4PAL does the finest telegraph key restorations that I have ever seen. This is not surprising because he is a famous and world-class clockmaker and has published widely on the art and technology of building fine clocks. His new book makes all of his techniques available to any collector.
WR's New Book:
WR has published an extraordinary book that details every important step in
the restoration and repair of telegraph keys. WR's book addresses the
plating or japanning and pin striping of key bases, the making of needed key
parts, the plating of small parts in the home shop, the replacement of
mainsprings, the winding of coil springs, etc. The front cover and ordering
information are below, followed by more before and after photographs:
BOOK DESCRIPTION and ORDERING:
After about six months of constant shop work, digital photography and writing,
WR has finally completed his book for key collectors. It is entitled: HOW TO
RESTORE TELEGRAPH KEYS, and he now has a limited number of copies
available.
The book is 8-1/2" x 11". It has 107 pages and contains 254 high quality
color photographs illustrating the various topics being described. It offers a
way to clean speed keys without doing the harm that results from washing one
in the kitchen sink. Many "how to" processes are described. They include: how
to dissolve broken steel screws in brass key parts, make cylindrical and
cubical key weights, shorting levers, bearing screws, rope knurled thumbscrews
and thumbnuts, new dot contact assemblies, paddles, nickel plate key parts in
the home shop, mix varnish and re-japan key bases, replace broken mainsprings,
make shorting levers and their knobs, wind springs, heat blue screws, remove
rust from parts, coat parts to avoid future rust, remove or reposition dot
bars on arbors (trundles), make dash levers, make pendulum assemblies, make
thumbscrew posts, make strip conductors and their insulators, where to order
rubber feet, tools, materials, etc. The items are simply too long to list.
The complete rebuilding of a couple of basket case speed keys and the total
restoration of a large number of others are illustrated. A chapter describing
the three vertical speed keys that WR has recently designed and built is also
included.
WR has drawn on his 70 years of watchmaking, clockmaking and 40 years of
mechanical engineering to offer what will prove to be the bible of key work
for key owners and collectors.
You may order WR's book: HOW TO RESTORE TELEGRAPH KEYS for $60.00 (Priority
Mail postpaid). Ordering information is below. Each book will be signed and
numbered. Only 100 copies are being printed. Whether any more will be printed
will depend on demand.
W. R. (Bill) Smith, BSME, FBHI, FNAWCC, CMC, CMW, CMEW, W4PAL.
{ Although Bill has passed away, his wife is still making his book available }
8049 Camberley Drive
Powell, TN 37849-4218
Phone: 865-947-9671
E-mail: WRSmith2@AOL.COM
Web: http://clocktools.com/wrsmith.html
Awarded: Metal Working Craftsman of the Year 2000 by
the Joe Martin Foundation for Exceptional Craftsmanship.
WR has been kind enough to send me some before and after photographs of some
of his telegraph key projects. They are displayed below: Most of us would
consider the 'before' photos of these telegraph keys to show hopeless basket
cases but the worse the key looks, the better W.R. likes the challenge of
restoring it and I think you will agree with me that his restorations are
truly phenomenal. As a long-time radio amateur, he originally applied his
fine clockmaking skills to restoring keys for his own collection but recently,
he has documented his restoration techniques and presented them in his new
book.
A BASKET CASE VIBROPLEX ORIGINAL
THE VIBROPLEX ORIGINAL AFTER BEING RESTORED BY W.R. SMITH - W4PAL
A SECOND BASKET CASE VIBROPLEX ORIGINAL
THE SECOND VIBROPLEX ORIGINAL AFTER BEING RESTORED BY W.R. SMITH - W4PAL
A BASKET CASE VIBROPLEX MODEL-X
THE VIBROPLEX MODEL-X AFTER BEING RESTORED BY W.R. SMITH - W4PAL
A BASKET CASE VIBROPLEX DOUBLE LEVER:
( Note: This is all that W.R. Smith had to work with. )
THE MISSING DASH LEVER ASSEMBLY HAS BEEN MADE BY HAND FROM RAW MATERIALS FOR THE BASKET CASE VIBROPLEX DOUBLE LEVER RESTORATION BY W.R. SMITH
THE MISSING DASH LEVER AND THE MISSING PENDULUM ASSEMBLY WHICH WERE MADE BY HAND FROM RAW MATERIALS HAVE BEEN INSTALLED ON THE FRAME OF THE BASKET CASE VIBROPLEX DOUBLE LEVER RESTORATION BY W.R. SMITH
THE VIBROPLEX DOUBLE LEVER BUG AFTER
RESTORATION BY W.R. SMITH:
( Many of the techniques used in this restoration are described and
explained in his new book. )
ANOTHER VIEW OF THE VIBROPLEX DOUBLE LEVER BUG AFTER RESTORATION BY W.R. SMITH
You may order WR's book: HOW TO RESTORE TELEGRAPH KEYS for $60.00 (Priority
Mail postpaid). Ordering information is below. Each book will be signed
and numbered. Only 100 copies are being printed. Whether any more will be
printed will depend on demand.
W. R. (Bill) Smith, BSME, FBHI, FNAWCC, CMC, CMW, CMEW, W4PAL.
{ Although Bill has passed away, his wife is still making his book available }
8049 Camberley Drive
Powell, TN 37849-4218
Phone: 865-947-9671
E-mail: WRSmith2@AOL.COM
Web: http://clocktools.com/wrsmith.html
Awarded: Metal Working Craftsman of the Year 2000 by
the Joe Martin Foundation for Exceptional Craftsmanship.
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