Homemade Chanter & Regulator Keys

Copyright 1997 David C. Daye

Feel free to copy this work for desktop use and/or your individual study of piping. You may not republish all or any portions of this work in any form, or distribute it in any form, without permission. Questions, problems, comments or requests for permission to reprint may be e-mailed to me at CLICK HERE

---

1. Making the Key

Keys for Penny-Chanters, temporary replacement keys for traditional chanters, and regulator keys.

• Cost
• nearly 0
• Labor
• maybe 15 minutes depending on aesthetics
• Tools
• saw
• 2 pliers
• 1 drill
• No soldering.

Use medium thickness brass strip 1/4" wide; 1/16" thick perhaps.

Cut length of key. Leave enough for finger at end, flat. Make a 90 degree twist over short distance, from there through the location of the axis. Make another 90 degree twist for the pad end of the key.

1. Click here for diagram
2. Click here for top view photo
3. Click here for side view photo

Photos illustrate key after 3 minutes work, cut and bent to initial shape.

Bend pad-end down a few degrees at the twist, then back up parallel so that pad can contact the chanter hole squarely. Fix leather pad on underside of end with (super)glue.

Grind underside rear of vertical center axis section so that the finger end is clear to pivot downward. Additional filing or grinding of corners and shaft according to desire for appearance.

Drill hole through mount for pin, use rubber o-ring or Keenan style rubber band as spring. ;)

2. Making a Mounting Block

Coming!