I am in the process of reproducing small telegraph keys. This key was used in a WWII spy radio that a lot of ham radio operators are reproducing. They are building everything except the key because of the difficulty in machining the small parts. I've already made two of these keys, but I don't know what to charge for the item. I've included 3 pictures of the original key. I know a lot of you guys are professionals, so If anyone can help me out it would be appreciated.


Thanks Gary

How much time did you spend on the project? How would they have done it if you could not? What would the other process have cost to produce the same end result? I have 30+ years CNC and cad experience. Depending on the Job, Customer, and dificulty I try to charge (with a clear consience) min. 20.00 per hour and as much as 150.00 per hour. You want to charge whoever a fair price that they feel they have not been gouged but not so little you are being taken advantage of. You would hate to be over run with a job you only make 10.00 per hour on and not have time to run a 150.00 hour job and have to turn it down. It is also hard to raise your price to a customer. I tend to look at 20.00 per hour and add for degree of dificulty. On the cnc is where you can kick it up a notch. Our shop rate is 45.00 per hour. But I qoute the machine time conservatively and end up making usualy 90.00 to 120.00 hour. I have been taking jobs from larger shops than ours because they are slow to react and have higher shop rates (75.00 per hour). I started an injection mold tool shop and I have not one manual mill! Only cnc. The old adage is Charge what the market will bear. Be alittle bold and confident of yourself...If it was easy they would have done it themselfs. By the way neat project. My Dad was a radio operator on a B-17 in WW2.

Thanks for responding,

If the average Ham were to do this they would probably use a drill press and a file. It takes me approximately 10 hours to complete one of these keys using a Milling machine , vertical drill press and files for cleanup. CNC is a lot faster but considering the drawing, setup and minimum run, you have to get the people to commit to buy in order to break even. Case in point, I had some CNC panels made and I had 14 people said they would buy. I had 20 made and only 8 bought panels. I guess there's always E-Bay:violin: I was thinking on the order of $100 to $150 per unit.

TNX Gary
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Here's a picture of the one I produced. The base is made of Delron instead of Plexiglass.

Thinking outside the box: Why not replace the whole thing with a micro-switch ? It serves the same purpose :)

The key here is authenticity(NPI). Some have used a Micro-switch, but if you are making a replica it has to look like the original.

Thanks for responding,

If the average Ham were to do this they would probably use a drill press and a file. It takes me approximately 10 hours to complete one of these keys using a Milling machine , vertical drill press and files for cleanup. CNC is a lot faster but considering the drawing, setup and minimum run, you have to get the people to commit to buy in order to break even. Case in point, I had some CNC panels made and I had 14 people said they would buy. I had 20 made and only 8 bought panels. I guess there's always E-Bay:violin: I was thinking on the order of $100 to $150 per unit.

TNX Gary
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I would imagine for 100 to 150 you will not sell very many at all, 10 hrs to build it is a long time. you will not recoop your time on them. I would think you will be lucky to get 50.00 each for a small unit like that without a base or anything to go with it, if you sell it make it a complete unit including wire and ready to hook up and use out of the box.

Thinking outside the box: Why not replace the whole thing with a micro-switch ? It serves the same purpose :)


The operator won't get the same feel nor will it sound like you.

enat

I would imagine for 100 to 150 you will not sell very many at all, 10 hrs to build it is a long time. you will not recoop your time on them. I would think you will be lucky to get 50.00 each for a small unit like that without a base or anything to go with it, if you sell it make it a complete unit including wire and ready to hook up and use out of the box.

I think you misunderstand. This unit attaches to the bottom of the top panel (see attached). I have sold 3 of these for $80 a piece and have got the manufacture time down to 5 hours. The picture is of the original radio.

I think you misunderstand. This unit attaches to the bottom of the top panel (see attached). I have sold 3 of these for $80 a piece and have got the manufacture time down to 5 hours. The picture is of the original radio.

Ok, yea you are correct i misunderstood, i do not see the whole unit, do you have a complete picture of one you built which shows all of it to the ends of the base it is conected to soi others can see.