Friday, July 13, 2018 — Yes, yes, I know — you’re probably saying to yourself, “Self, where the H-E-double hockey sticks did that Zed Man go?”
The short answer? My wife had a month off work. Now you’re probably thinking that I’m blaming her, but let’s face it — guys, when it comes to getting things done around the house, you can get more done with some help (though admittedly, a month of 24/7 Mama Zed can take a little adjustment, hi!). But don’t worry, my interest in CW keys hasn’t dwindled.
As I wrote in my last entry (more than a month ago? Jeez!), I have added a couple of additional 100th Anniversary Vibroplex bugs to my collection (100A-106 and 100A-349). One of the keys has some chips on the base finish, and I’m probably going to do my touch-up magic on the ones that can benefit from it.
I’ve also added a couple of Mac-Keys to my collection in the past month.
T.R. MCELROY MODEL 600. As you Mac Key fans probably know, Mac ended the use of metal nameplates with serial numbers about 1940 with the introduction of the Model 600. The key has the deluxe marbelite finish, and this particularly key is from the Tom French collection. Unlike the other Model 600 I have, this one has the two decals. The key is essentially identical to the 1939 Mac Key deluxe; the difference is the lack of the nameplate. The key is in as-found condition, which was typical of how Tom handled his keys.
1936A MAC-KEY 7676. Not sure why I chased this key, but I love the earlier Mac-Keys. This key features mostly original parts, with a finger and thumb piece. The main modification has been to the damper. Rather than the standard damper with a metal wheel, there’s a metal bar with a rubber bumper on it for a damper. Probably would be a little more stealthy than the original damper, but I’ve found that if you’re using a bug and have it correctly adjusted, it shouldn’t be that noisy.
And at the end of the day, does a collector really need a justification to buy another key?? Umm …. well, you just have to have your story straight before the XYL asks “What’s in the Priority Mail box on the porch, Honey?”
I’m going to “thin out the herd” and list my surplus keys for sale on eBay. The funny thing has been the keys in my collection I’ve “rediscovered” while sorting out the extra keys I plan to shed. As I’ve written before, I have a soft spot in my heart for homebrew keys, and I really need to photograph and document these keys. Another item for my “to-do” list.
73 es CUL de KY4Z SK … dit dit