alex_holden Posted January 2, 2018 Author Share Posted January 2, 2018 (edited) It would be interesting to compare wooden cores to acetal/Delrin cores. I suspect they may be a tiny amount lighter, but more prone to failure from splitting and pin wear. Does anyone know what wood they originally made the cores from? I'm thinking ash might be a good choice, for the same reasons they used to make car body frames from it (light, strong and flexible). Edited January 2, 2018 by alex_holden Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geoff Wooff Posted January 2, 2018 Share Posted January 2, 2018 Perhaps the modern plastics, such a Delrin, will be stronger than the type used to replace wood in the later Wheatstone buttons but I have come across far more broken plastic core buttons than the old wooden types. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alex_holden Posted January 2, 2018 Author Share Posted January 2, 2018 Perhaps the modern plastics, such a Delrin, will be stronger than the type used to replace wood in the later Wheatstone buttons but I have come across far more broken plastic core buttons than the old wooden types. The Wheatstone sample appeared to be made from a hard brittle plastic, maybe something like Bakelite. Delrin is quite soft and flexible, and more likely to bend than break. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DDF Posted January 16, 2018 Share Posted January 16, 2018 Here is a rough comparison of the weights of a Wheatstone button and some made to the approximate dimensions in nickel and titanium.David. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alex_holden Posted January 16, 2018 Author Share Posted January 16, 2018 Thanks David. For convenience, I've transcribed your photos into text: 1 Wheatstone capped: 1.3g 1 Wheatstone style nickel: 3.1g 1 Wheatstone style titanium: 1.6g 33 Wheatstone style nickel: 103.2g 33 Wheatstone style titanium: 53.5g By nickel, do you mean solid nickel-silver? One of the Wheatstone-style 5.7mm diameter nickel silver capped/acetal core buttons I made weighs 1.1g on my digital lab scales. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DDF Posted January 16, 2018 Share Posted January 16, 2018 Yes solid nickel silver.The only Wheatstone button I had handy was an early one with an ivory core which I guess would be a little heavier than the beech? or plastic cores.David. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
d.elliott Posted January 19, 2018 Share Posted January 19, 2018 Interestingly, I have come across a different 'take' on cored keys, indeed this could be described as 'full metal jacket' or 'full nickel jacket' keys. A Wheatstone baritone , it bit early. The keys all made out of nickel tube, with wooden plugs for about 50% of the key body length, with enough wood to permit only the guide peg to be turned. The cross hole drilled through the sidewalls of the tube and through the wooden core. A silver cap closing the top of the key. Light weight, strong, no crimping or drawn cap splitting with age. no chance of breakage across the cross hole. I don't know about the cost model of the day but to me, cheap to tool up, and cheap to make. I have probably seen these before, but I cannot say that I ever noticed them. Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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