The Won’Key Side Swipe Paddle by 2W0NKS – North Wales Amateur Radio Group

It has been some time since I made the clothes peg straight Morse key and since then I have mostly been using a Iambic Hi Mound paddle key . The main reason for moving to paddle from the straight key was that the straight key was causing me cramp in my wrist and the paddle is very low impact in comparison to thumping away on a straight key.
Anyway I decided that I really would like a single paddle side swipe key but the prices knocked me out! So time to build your own again Wonky old boy!

The criteria I set myself were, it had to be made from readily available items, preferably one being household to stick with the theme of the clothes peg key, and it had to be low cost….. With this is mind the idea of a paddle made from a flexible (read cheap!) kitchen knife was born and plans drawn.

So what did I need? A cheap kitchen knife (schhhh don’t tell the xyl!) a wooden fence cap, some mending brackets (to add weight), some nuts and bolts, a little non slip matting, wire and crimps…. total cost, not much!

Mending bars fitted to base to add a little weight and help it from slipping about when being used..

The base painted black and the handle red…

With the sharp bit of the blade cut off and the blade facing down it was mounted between two angle plates and screwed to the base.

Dit and Dahh contacts were simply more angle plates and nuts/bolts with dome caps and locking nuts.

wiring added and key adjusted. Hey presto one side swipe morse paddle in just over an hour or so….

BUT, “does it work” I hear you scream? I will let you decide for yourself!

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