RE: Cox Reed Valve FAQ
Look around the breaker panel at your house/apt or office building, there's usually some scraps of nm ('romex') wire laying around on the ground. That may be 12 awg I used, I can't remember. Coat hanger may work too, a paper clip may be not enough to drill a hole in and it has to be strong enough to keep the gap exactly the same even as the insides of the copper pipe are ground away some by lapping. Plus sometimes when you solder to a paper clip, the chrome plating separates from the wire and the joint fails.
I don't know if a pressure nipple would be worthwhile- the reedies draw fine- it's the Tee Dees that get all fussy unless the fuel pickup is just so.
But tee dee's have the pressure nipple on the side, and can be tapped for a pressure nipple in the center of the back plate.
I want to make another just to see if not having the hole for the second exaust port makes much difference.