Sunday, April 24, 2016, 1:30 a.m. — OK, you’re right, I should be in bed; well, I plan to head that way shortly. Too much coffee too late in the day, I’m afraid.
Remember the 1979 Vibroplex Original project that I began back in February? It was a key that I purchased on a lark, really. Sniped it at the last second or two.
Well, I’m pleased to report the key is finally complete. I put the final touches on it yesterday — I affixed the Vibroplex nameplate.
This key is from the company’s Maine era, when it was owned by Peter Garsoe, who bought the company in 1978 and moved it to Maine. He owned it until he sold it 1994 to Mitch Mitchell, W4OA, who then moved it to Mobile, Ala.
The nameplate — like most Maine-era bugs — was glued on rather than riveted. They frequently are completely or partly loose when you find them on eBay. This key had some goofy steel threaded thing on the end of the weight rod for a weight, which I wound up having to slice open in order to get it off the rod. The set screw for the dot contact twisted off, so I also had to cut it off the weight rod too. Geez!
I also had to add a new finger and thumb piece to it, and those parts are interesting. I haven’t purchased a new set of red deluxe pieces since the company was in Alabama, and the ones today have some differences compared to those of the past.
The new ones have a matte finish and the edges are sharper than the older ones. Not that its a bad difference, just different. They new pieces have a different feel, as though the plastic is “softer,” or something like that. The original red thumb pieces had very rounded edges; the new one less so. Like I said, just different, not bad.
I used regular contact cement to secure the nameplate, though I went to great pains to 
make sure the placement was correct. I basically removed most of the upper parts, mocked up the placement, then taped the lower edge of the nameplate (the long straight side) with some good tape. Then I folded it over like a hinge, applied very thin coats of the cement on the back of the nameplate and the base and waited for them to cure per the instructions. Once cured I carefully folded the nameplate back over and pressed it down in place.
OK, the key isn’t rare, it isn’t in extra mint condition. But its very nice and now complete, and it plays very well. I have it adjusted and ready to roll with the next CW net I’m visit. Interesting though is that the main spring on this key is snappier than that found on the my 100th Anniversary bug.
That’s my update … 73 es CUL de KY4Z … SK … CL … dit dit …