I was wondering if anyone used old flatware sets to make reg keys. It seems that one could get some nifty looking keys by welding the handles of old spoons to the plates that hold the pads.
The keys on my regs are made out of old forks and spoons. Geoff used to buy nicklesilver spoons etc on fleamarkets before he could get sheet metal. Does the job, looks good was cheap.
Spoons make great keys for regs. You can get a good quantity of sterling silver spoons (for example) on ebay. The narrowest portion is usually wider than 3/16, which is a healthy width for key channels. When silver soldered together at the pivot joint, the seam can be made imperceptible.
2 sterling silver forks, cost me about $10 for the forks…I wasn’t going to use the original decoration on the forks, but the rose was really quite nice..and they made a lovely stop key. Some people might think it was garish or tacky…but I think it suited the young lady it was made for quite well. 
Thanks! I’m considering sometime in the future having a set made with keys made out of my grandmother’s old silverware. Since I’m never going to use it for it’s intended purpose, I could turn it into a new family heirloom. Someday…
I remember a set of spoons my mother had which had on the handles a moulding of each of the twelve apostles and a larger spoon with Jesus on it making thirteen altogether ,the same number of keys on a standard set of regulators
Coincidence or did Rome have a hand in uilleann pipe design as well
RORY
How do you make them out of sheet metal. Do you grind them to shape on a wheel or do people actually pour moulds and molten brass/silver etc?
Cheers,
DavidG
I believe some makers have poured keys in the past, especially steel, but brass and nickel-silver can be cut from sheets approx 5-10 mm thick and hammered and worked into shape.
djm
By hard labour and a hacksaw 
Make modelkeys from wood, plastic wax etc. Go to your nearest goldsmith or place where they make bronze or silver castings., ask how much it will cost if they make one .castingmould from your models(mould can be used
again and again)
You save quite much time , but not money (also depends of the castmaterial)
I
Yes, I kind of figured it’d be something like that. Thanks for the confirmation. I’m off to purchase a good hacksaw now. Oh…and a vice.
Cheers,
DavidG
… Jameson works as a vice for me.
Yes…although the bottle of Laphraogh (I think that’s kinda how you spell it) that someone gave me went down a treat too.
DG
Ah, ten year old Islay bog water… very tasty indeed!