Vibroplex Resurrection
Some of my favorite projects have been the restoration of old, dirty, neglected un-loved telegraph keys. Favorite among these are the venerable Vibroplexes. They are lovely instruments and first above all in telegraphy. Several have passed through my hands on their way to a better life.
May I share with you some thoughts on the restoration of these flagship instruments?
Well, first we come to a complete disassembly. If you have trepidation here, your digital camera is your friend. I have watched several YouTube videos of things of all sorts being taken apart for repair or cleaning or restoration. Everything from telegraph keys to guns to clocks to whatever. Almost universally, the parts are simply removed and left to rattle around on the bench/designated work area. Not a good idea unless you have some affection for crawling around on the floor looking for some irreplaceable part . . . Just get a pie pan or something to put the parts in and keep the critters corralled!
Next after complete disassembly comes a thorough cleaning of the parts. Some keys have come to me with some sort of nicotine varnish from decades of use by addicted operators. Others came from shacks that were obviously in the chicken coup. Many people have recommended soaking these encrusted parts in white vinegar but I don’t like this as vinegar is an acid and although a mild acid it is still an acid. I like to soak these dirty parts in ammonia. After a few hours they will come out sparkling clean. Then put the little parts in a large size tea strainer and rinse with hottest of hot water. Now dry them with a soft cloth and let the air dry.
Speaking of soft cloths; Wal-Mart sells flannel by the yard and it’s pretty cheap.
Sometimes some of the parts that are not chrome plated will be rusty. I like a product from HAPPICH called Semichrome (available at your local motorcycle shop – not to be getting distracted here!) to clean up the rust – work carefully here as these parts are not robust.
Once the chrome parts a very clean and completely dry, I like to give then a coat of paste wax. There is an old can of Simonize car wax in my garage . . .
Now, the base will also be nasty. First we will remove the brass plate. Use a 1/16” punch to drive out the drive pins. I like to use hot water, Dawn dishwashing soap and a fingernail brush. Rinse him off with hot water so he will air dry nicely.
Here is what I’ve done with the brass tags: they are coated with a clear varnish and the tarnish is underneath this coating. I soak the tags in fingernail polish remover overnight and then scrub carefully to complete the removal of the coating. Now you can use some Semichrome to polish the brass. I have made a tiny brush made from a cutoffed and frayed toothpick and some fingernail polish to carefully paint the bug. Once dry you might spray the tag with some clear whatever.
We will take a moment here to thank HER for all HER help!
I like to repaint the bases but some don’t – your call. If you repaint note that the countersunk holes on the bottom must be free of paint as electrical contact is made thru them. I have mostly simply sprayed over the original finish with excellent results. Vibroplexes are mostly semi-gloss black but really, do they have to be?!
Now let’s look at the dit and dah contacts. If your key is old enough to have been used with a cathode keyed transmitter, the contacts will probably be pitted. I like to work these pits out using a readily available “points burnisher”. This is a small, very fine file. Then. I use some of the Semichrome on a flannel cloth and polish the contacts to a bright shine. On the Vibroplex website we are admonished to make sure that these contacts are perfectly flat and close perfectly square. In the world that we live in, this is a reality that is not going to come about; make one of them flat and the other one a bid rounded and all will be fine.
Reassembly is reasonably straightforward but you will be paying close attention to where all of the insulators go. If you get lost, there are parts diagrams on the Vibroplex website (thank you very much!). The older keys have fiber washers under the dit and dah posts. If these are beyond reuse, check your local hardware store for nylon washers of the appropriate size. You will be paying careful attention to the alignment of the contacts both vertically and horizontally.
The rubber feet will be hard as – well, they will be hard! You need to replace them with new rubber (not hard plastic) feet from the hardware store – or from Vibroplex. If you reuse the old hard ones the thing will slide all over the place in use!
If the plating is deteriorated on the bottom connector straps you have two options: clean and use as is (my favorite) or see father Google re various DIY plating processes.
The stuff that I have undoubtedly left out should be easy enough to figure out.
Have fun!
Bill, W0WCA
| K5MO | 2022-01-02 | |
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| Re: Thoughts on Key Restoration | ||
| I'll second the K4PAL book. Full of good ideas to stabilize or rework your vintage bug. And remember, it's only original once. Reply to a comment by : NA6O on 2021-11-24 Nice article, Bill. Many of us enjoy restoring these fine old instruments and the results are most satisfying. For those interested in a deep dive into the subject, may I suggest “How to Restore Telegraph Keys” by W4PAL (SK). https://wrsmithclocks.com/product/how-to-restore-telegraph-keys/ 73, Gary NA6O | ||
| K0RS | 2021-12-22 | |
|---|---|---|
| Re: Thoughts on Key Restoration | ||
| In case you're trying to Google it, it's Simichrome, not "semichrome," as in "simulates chrome." As a former motorcycle shop parts manager I can say a very common error. Not sure it would be my first choice for "restoration" as it's abrasive. For prosaic keys that are just being brought back to a functional state, it's probably fine. For any truly collectable key...or any antique for that matter...it's likely best to leave any original patina intact. Reply to a comment by : NA6O on 2021-11-24 Nice article, Bill. Many of us enjoy restoring these fine old instruments and the results are most satisfying. For those interested in a deep dive into the subject, may I suggest “How to Restore Telegraph Keys” by W4PAL (SK). https://wrsmithclocks.com/product/how-to-restore-telegraph-keys/ 73, Gary NA6O | ||
| G4GZG | 2021-12-02 | |
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| Thoughts on Key Restoration | ||
| Thanks Bill, very informative. My problem is that the spring steel leaf that provides the flex for the dits has snapped after 100 years ( its a 1920 key) Is there anywhere in the world I can obtain a replacement, even if its not a vintage part. I love using the key so authenticity isn't an issue with me. email me if you can assist - g4gzg@yahoo.com Thanks and 73 Lawrence G4GZG. | ||
| W4EG | 2021-12-01 | |
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| Thoughts on Key Restoration | ||
| Thank you, Bill, Your article, is one that I often thought and considered: How, I was going to clean my collection of Vibroplex keys? Your restoration and easy to follow instruction; is noticeably clear and easy to follow. Best regards and thank you again. Ernest - W4EG | ||
| NA6O | 2021-11-24 | |
|---|---|---|
| Thoughts on Key Restoration | ||
| Nice article, Bill. Many of us enjoy restoring these fine old instruments and the results are most satisfying. For those interested in a deep dive into the subject, may I suggest “How to Restore Telegraph Keys” by W4PAL (SK). https://wrsmithclocks.com/product/how-to-restore-telegraph-keys/ 73, Gary NA6O | ||