Here are the completed Plexiglas paddle pieces. They are supplied in the kit pre-drilled, but you have to cut them to the desired shape and polish the edges. I decided to use the classic shaped paddle shown in the instructions. After cutting the pieces to the rough shape, I used a flat file to remove the saw marks. The edges were polished using a 220 grit foam sanding block. The whole process took about an hour and a half. I assembled the paddle to get an idea how everything fit, and if any changes were needed. I quickly
Continue readingNorcal Paddle Kit – Part II
Here is the paddle base with the final coat of paint. As stated in the last post, I am not very good at painting things, but I think it came out very well. The red color is going to look great with the polished brass parts on it. After the brass pieces were cleaned and de-burred in the shaker (see part I Post) I wanted to polish them to a mirror finish. I tried Brasso on a cloth, but that didn’t work. I tried Brasso on a Dremel tool buffing wheel. That did nothing more than make
Continue readingNorcal Paddle Kit – Part I
I have had this paddle kit for about ten years, but have not done anything with it until now. I have a station set up again, and am operating again on CW. Also, I bought a MFJ keyer at a recent hamfest. For these reasons, I needed paddles. I’ve had some vacations days this week, so I started work on the paddle kit. The parts in the kit are machined very well, but are in their raw form. They have tool marks and very sharp edges. I took the parts to a friend of mine that owns
Continue readingFt. Wayne IN Hamfest 2015
Murrell (W9ISP) and his son Austin, Kevin (K9HX) and I attended the Ft. Wayne Hamfest on November 14, 2015. This is an annual event for us, and the last hamfest we attend for the year. This year was a bit larger than last, which I’m glad to see. Years ago, this hamfest encompassed two floors of the Colosseum. It was the largest hamfest in Indiana. Over the years, it began to decline. It went from two floors, to one floor, and then about four years ago, it was one half of one floor of the
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