This clothespin telegraph key is a student-built model inspired by the original Morse-Vail straight key. It includes the essential components of a real telegraph key: a knob, lever, base, frame, spring, hammer, and anvil. Two special parts—an adjustment screw and a trunnion nail—allow students to fine-tune the tension and pivot, just like the professionals once did. Though made from simple materials, this model performs the same function: pressing the lever completes an electric circuit and produces a clicking sound. Each click can become a dot or dash in Morse code.
Building this device engages more than the hands, it activates memory, reasoning, and curiosity. Students don’t just learn about electricity and communication, they live it. This transforms abstract ideas into something concrete, testable, and unforgettable.
By making something that works, students experience the same thrill of discovery that once connected the world by wire.