On Oct 25, 11:09*am, Alex Fine wrote:

I want to make some door spindles for some old fashioned door knobs.

That's it,I just ordered 6 pieces,I didn't know it is called "key
stock".What does
key stock mean? Again thank you very much.

A gear or wheel can be fitted to a round shaft by cutting a slot
(keyway)
in the shaft and fitting a strip of mild steel, usually square. The
wheel axial hole gets a matching slot, and the key transmits the
torque.
The square-section strips are a standard hardware item, 'key stock'.
The logic, presumably, is that removing the key would unlock the
wheel from the shaft. It's not a door-hardware reference.

Modern designs usually use Woodruff "D" keys (semicircular cut into
the shaft, slot in wheel), though.