Large Handmade Bridge Ward Keys in Brass

[Huw Eastwood]

Made a few of these some years ago for the main doors of one of the famous Welsh castles.
All handmade and silver-brazed but nothing overly fancy- they were working keys cut to fit the main lock and had to withstand not only heavy use but also the inevitable abuse from contractors, being dropped, thrown around etc.

Roughly a foot long (30cm) and just under a kilo so about two pounds in weight, theyre the largest keys I've made by a substantial margin.



All solid brass, the shafts were made as one-piece with the collars integral, all turned between centres on the lathe, and the bows turned from slices of thick wall pipe. The ends of the shafts are turned down to a projecting male pin for a very strong interlocking joint into the bow.

The wedge shaped bits were roughly hack-sawn from a solid block about 5/8 of an inch thick and then hand filed to shape. They have an interlocking tongue and groove type joint projecting into a slot milled in the shaft for strength.

All the joints were silver-brazed using Easy-Flo, a key this size does take some heating but it's made easier enclosed in fire bricks to reflect the heat back in, and of course using the largest torch nozzle available on the Propane kit. Forget the small portable torches that sit on top the gas can for this- a large Propane torch at full throttle will take your hat, beard and eyebrows off from five foot away!
The last picture shows as much as I dare let it rip in my workshop which is only 8 foot square- the heat hits the far wall and roasts the ceiling even at this setting.

This one blank thankfully escaped being cut and has made a nice memento up on a wooden beam in our back room ever since.

[Huw Eastwood]

Back in the 1980s if you wanted a double bitted Mersey key blank then you pretty much had to make them. Not really difficult, but getting the exact angles perfect on the two open 'v' bits was the tricky bit. Before Blanks became available I made quite a few like this, all silver-brazed with JM Easy-Flo. Still fiddly keys to cut afterwards too, A small turn of the key action produces a big arc of lift of the levers, so precise radiused chamfering is essential- the later 14-Lever versions are even more critical than the earlier 10 Levers.

This steel round bow example is actually from one of my own safes- a steel John Tann Grade 1A I've silver-brazed into a modified brass Mersey bit.

[Bassoonbloke]

Hello Huw,

Cripes !! those are works of art, absolutely beautiful (and the first ones are REALY BIG !!)
Thanks for the pictures and information.
Alan.

[Gary Stephenson]

I always assumed that they were originally done like that, as they were very well done and looked original, not messed about with, but the one I have pictures of has a plate/details written inside for 1993, maybe when the adaption was done?

[Huw Eastwood]

I always assumed that they were originally done like that, as they were very well done and looked original, not messed about with, but the one I have pictures of has a plate/details written inside for 1993, maybe when the adaption was done?

Hi Gary, the one I worked on was a 1992 John Tann size 4 (1629kg) so originally would have had the solid brass cased Tann 10-Lever with the reduced pin gauge keys configured with the bit pointing horizontal on the door- like this one:

Your picture looks to be a final equipment inspectors mark which was usually just a thin adhesive plate or sticker with the crown stamps and date of inspection etc.

All the Proper ID makers stamps are heavily punched into the top centre edge of the boltcase, you have to remove the csk screws and swing the cover open to see them. Everything is there, date, batch, makers name etc all in heavy capitals. Doesn't matter if it's a 1967 Stratford with a Manifoil or a 1980 SLS with a keylock, they were all marked the same way in that location.

With the exception of some Chubb's and a few Tann's nearly all the makers names were abbreviated to initials, JT, SS, J&FP, RO etc. but whatever the age of the safe, late 1960's to 1990's, or size, maker etc you should be able to identify exactly who made it and when.

TBH I cut my teeth on these back in the 80s and 90s so can probably say I've battled with just about every conceivable lock-out and failure on most variations they made (except the Mersey one, that was thankfully only a door adjustment and service).

Ive got drawings for just about every pattern and layout they made although size 3s are pretty rare- not a popular size and not many made. If you want any specific detailed info then PM me the details and we can have a chat and I'll see what I can dig out for ya.

[Gary Stephenson]

Craftsman at work, why the cutout on the secondary bit of the Mersey key?

[Huw Eastwood]

Thanks Alan!

Gary the cutout in the bit fits over a ward in the curtain. That was the solid brazed key, the other has a unique stem and detachable bit.
Attachment 17373 Attachment 17374
I've made a lot of specials over the years, here's another solid brazed version in all-brass, difficult to see the joint it's about halfway, male-female pin joint silver-brazed.

Heres my favourite- a pipe key version
Attachment 17375
Made delrin curtains with stainless pins for these- pretty pick proof!

[Huw Eastwood]

Here's the detachable bit Merseys

[Huw Eastwood]

Here's the pipe Mersey- the stainless pin fixed in the curtain extends about 15mm up the end of the key.

[Gary Stephenson]

Cheers Huw, always nice to know, have opened a load of them over the years, but probably more picking than drilling. which maker was HF ltd stamping?