Pee Wee Coil Clips

[kg8lb]

 Work hardening for the most part with copper is a continual process. It happens as the metal is "moved".The forming actions involved by making the clip will by nature harden the copper. Every time the metal is bent it hardens. Working copper with highly polished hammers on polished surfaces will harden the metal while preserving the surface finish. Alternately , the surface may be refinished to the desired lustre after the forming is completed.

[KC2ZFA]

I wish someone would re-produce these:

[WB2EMS]

If you are looking for a clip to use on a coil,  you might consider the coil clips that the Buddipole folks use on their coils for their portable antennas. They are sort of a J-hook that goes around the far side of the conductor, and are pulled up snug by screwing down a plastic thumb wheel over them to pull them up against the coil. They are designed to mate up to a small banana plug to allow several to be preset over a coil and the banana plug moved between them for band changing.

http://www.buddipole.com/coilclips.html

[KM1H]

If you are looking for a clip to use on a coil,  you might consider the coil clips that the Buddipole folks use on their coils for their portable antennas.

Those might work on the VFO coil

[aa5wg]

I made some coil clips similar to the Buddiepole clips.  This style of clip will bends the copper tubing when you tighten down the bolt.
I will keep brain storming here. 
Chuck 

[k4kyv]

I wish someone would re-produce these:

Those are exactly the ones I used.  You saved me the trouble of taking a snapshot of mine and uploading them. Mine were made by EF Johnson, but in about 1980 I made several more by exactly copying the design, using some copper stock I had on hand. Some of the commercial ones and homebrew ones were mixed together on the same antenna tuner, and when I re-built the tuners last year I had a hard time telling them apart.

[Todd, KA1KAQ]

The top example is easy enough. It's identical to those used on knife switches. A plate slid through the bottom opening and a bolt connected both to the base. The second looks like a purpose-made version of the first. I've seen these on larger coils.

[k4kyv]

The bottom one is identical to the ones EF Johnson made, and I have seen them in two or more sizes. It is also identical to the homebrew ones I replicated. A small square spacer of the same material as the clip is placed in the opening where the screw goes through, to keep the hairpin bend from collapsing when the screw is tightened. The spacer has to be about the same thickness as the edgewound coil stock in order to get a good grip on the coil while maintaining the maximum surface contact and not deforming the bend thus altering the parallel angle the "fingers" make with the flat coil stock. Like knife switch contacts, these clips are "springy". My homebrew ones were made using regular copper and turned out to be less springy, but they still make good electrical contact with the coil when the screw is tightened.

Never use a steel screw or nut for these; always use brass hardware.

Edgewound coil stock (also manufactured by EFJ) comes in different thicknesses, so I assume they custom made different size clips to fit.

[KC2ZFA]

The two depicted above, and two more, came riding on an edge-wound coil I picked up at a hamfest. Try as I might, I have not been able to find any more of these.

[Todd, KA1KAQ]

Sadly I just let a bunch of the top style go, though they were likely too big for most coil applications. They came off some large slate power panels with copper knife switches and fuse clips out of a 1920s office building rehab. Had several panels that were damaged, so I gave them to a fellow who smashed them up for the copper rather than haul them south. Did salvage 4 complete panels, though I'm not sure what I'll do with them beyond hanging them on the wall as Industrial Art.

Keep your eyes peeled at hamfests and flea markets for old knife switches. The smaller 2-3 pole types use these clips for the lever leads to clip into. Most often copper, sometimes steel. They're also used for the center pin on big jugs like 204A, 851, 849 etc.

[wb1ead]

Hey Chuck I decided to go thru my store of parts and take a gander at my "gator" clips drawer..I think I got what ur looking for..says Pee Wee clip pat pend on one side and Weller Electrical Co on the other..also has No 45 on the clip end..kinda looks like a clothespin thingy but as you squeeze it down the clip end opens from approx 1/8" to just over 1/4"..the inside part is a spring between the two paddles..at the other end is a small machine bolt and also a crimp type attachment point so I guess you could attach wire both ways..if this is wicked important to ya I can mail it to you gratis..just send ur mailing address to me via my e-mail found here in my bio..I won't shed a tear even though it is my only relic from way back          73 de DAVE