E1 Handset Cap

[whitedogfive]

I found an old western electric B1 telephone in rough shape. It looks all original except that one of the E1 handset caps does not have the wrench holes needed for removal. This is the ear piece cap and not the spit cup. The corresponding ring does have the wrench holes. This cap is obviously old and not a reproduction as the patina is just as bad as the rest of the phone. Inside the cap it has Western Electric Made in USA 557B. Any one know if this was a common practice for western electric to make some caps without wrench holes? Thanks in advance.

[Larry]

I want to separate the spit cap from the bullet transmitter.  I don't have the cap wrench to separate the two pieces.  I've tried a couple of pipe wrenches being careful to wrap both sections with leather before applying any pressure.  Even heated the unit with hair dryer.  No luck.  Anyone have a suggestion on this?

Larry

[NorthernElectric]

I found an old western electric B1 telephone in rough shape. It looks all original except that one of the E1 handset caps does not have the wrench holes needed for removal. This is the ear piece cap and not the spit cup. The corresponding ring does have the wrench holes. This cap is obviously old and not a reproduction as the patina is just as bad as the rest of the phone. Inside the cap it has Western Electric Made in USA 557B. Any one know if this was a common practice for western electric to make some caps without wrench holes? Thanks in advance.

I only have 2 E1s; one Northern Electric and the other Western Electric.  Both of mine are as you describe.  I have no idea if some of the E1 receiver caps had the holes or not, but I'm sure someone on here will know.

I want to separate the spit cap from the bullet transmitter.  I don't have the cap wrench to separate the two pieces.  I've tried a couple of pipe wrenches being careful to wrap both sections with leather before applying any pressure.  Even heated the unit with hair dryer.  No luck.  Anyone have a suggestion on this?

Did you miss this advice from Electric Al in your other topic on the subject?  Get 2 strap wrenches and orient them in opposite directions, one on the cap and the other on the receiver.   A pipe wrench is just asking for trouble.  To tighten on the subject a pipe wrench squeezes inward like a vice.  Leather may stop the jaws from scratching but will not mitigate the crushing force.  I'm not saying that you couldn't bust them with strap wrenches, but I think the strap wrenches will be far less risky!  If memory serves I used them on one of mine.  There may be other ideas presented so hang in there.

[Ktownphoneco]

The E1 handset is a unique handset.     It was to some extent, an experiment in the manufacturing.     Western made the handset out of three materials; Bakelite, aluminum and brass.     Looking back on the handset now, tends to show that the handset was overly complicated in design.       Western made some mistakes when they made the handset.   Most obvious, is the fact it was made using too many parts.     But at that period of time, and moving from a separate transmitter and receiver, to a one piece combined unit, was a major step forward in the evolution of the telephone.
The second mistake, may not have been all that obvious.      It was the mating of "brass and aluminum".      Brass, which an alloy made up in general terms, of copper and zinc, reacts with aluminum, or in other words, they don't like each other.       The process is called a galvanic reaction, that will over time, cause the aluminum to start corrode.    If left unchecked for long enough, it can create a situation where the aluminum corrodes to such an extent, it becomes almost "welded" to the brass.     The corrosion will also occur on the aluminum threads of the receiver and transmitter housings, causing a similar bonding effect between the housing and the Bakelite.     I'm not a chemist, or a metallurgist, but I have a basic understanding of the process.     It's explained in a little more depth here, at the Wikipedia web site page dealing with galvanic reaction :   http://bit.ly/1LickTn

The situation has probably been compounded by telephone technicians of the day, who I'm sure had to deal with customers (subscribers) trying to unscrew hand sets, either to adjust the transmitter (spit cup), or just to see what was inside the handset, tightening the heck out of the parts to prevent people from trying to adjust, or open up the handsets.      That's an assumption on my part, but it's probably a fairly safe one.

The two wrench holes located in the Bakelite, probably worked for a few years after the handsets were assembled, but 80 some years later, the holes, and original, or reproduction wrenches, are, for the most part, useless, unless the handsets been apart before and the results of corrosion have been removed, or some sort of wax or corrosion prevention material has been applied to the threads, or the handset was, for whatever reason, left with all the parts relatively loose.

The use of original, or reproduction handset wrenches, to open a handset that is reasonably corroded inside, will most likely result in two tear drop chips being removed from the handset part being removed.

For all of the above reasons, a number of years ago, I crafted a set of wooden (oak) clamps, and a set of instructions to open corroded Western and Northern  E1 handsets.     I haven't made any for a while, but I plan on doing so in the near future.      I'll post them for sale on this web site when I do.      The clamps, as I mentioned, are made out of oak, not only because it's a hard wood, but because it grips better than say hard maple.   
The attached "blurb" I did on the clamps, also includes the hole sizes.      I use Forstner or Saw Tooth bits to cut the holes dead center, then slice the block in half with a radial arm saw.
The threaded rod is 1/4" x 20 tpi.      They aren't hard to make for anyone who has the tools.

Now you know why E1's are usually very hard to get apart.

Attachment below.

Enjoy the evening.

Jeff Lamb
   

[Larry]

Thanks Jeff.  I appreciate your plans.  I think I can make one of those.   If I can't, I watch for the ones you make when you put them up for sale.

Larry

[Sargeguy]

When using a strap wrench on a stubborn E-1, I heat the handset in the oven on "LOW" for about 10 minutes before I start

[OldPete]

I deal with aluminum/other metal corrosion 'bonding' frequently in marine applications. Liberal application of a product
with the name of Kroil helps greatly. The key to these corrosion problems is letting the joint sit for a few days with
frequent applications of the penetrent. Rapping, tapping and heat over that few days will cause the joint to gradually
open micro-cracks allowing the penetrant to go in and work. The more the stuff goes in the looser the joint becomes.

After a few days of temperature and mechanical cycling the joint should start to loosen. It may not unscrew yet but
continued 'working' should free it up.

Kroil is available in most auto parts stores and many hardware stores. Don't get the aerosol, get the little can of liquid.
It's way cheaper! And a little bit goes a long ways. Only a couple of drops in the joint are necessary.

It's worth the time 'cause replacement parts are getting really hard to find!

No, I don't have any connection with the stuff just used it for decades.

Pete

[Ktownphoneco]

Reading the information on Kroil, indicates it's a good product for cutting through corroded and seized metal parts.       My concern in using these types of chemicals, is what effect will it have on Bakelite, and how safe is it to have around the house.     Storing or having hazardous chemicals in a separate building / work shop is one thing, but most of us work on old telephones in our homes.     
A central issue with E-1 handset repair, is the fact that the various Bakelite parts are usually positioned tightly against each other, which is part of the problem.       This fact makes it very difficult for any penentrant to reach the seized metal , which is where the main problem exists.      Kroil contains a number of hazardous ingredients, including "ketones", which aren't all that friendly towards plastics in general.   
As mentioned, the product sounds excellent for freeing up corroded metal parts, but aside from the safety issues, I'd really want to know what it will do to Bakelite before I start applying it to an E-1 handset.     
Attached is an information sheet provided by the manufacturer of Kroil.     I'd read that first before before buying a can of the stuff and storing it my in home work shop.      I would also recommend "testing" it a small piece of Bakelite before using it on a handset.

Jeff Lamb

[rdelius]

It will not damage Bakelite.It might need to be repolished .Most chemicals will not harm Bakelite

[unbeldi]

From reading the MSDS I come away with the opinion that it is rather harmless in proper usage, no more or less so than the agents many telephone restorers would already have in their chemistry lab, e.g., acetone, MEK, various alcohols, metal cleaners, paint thinners, etc.
I had to decipher just what di-iso (in diisobutyl ketone) actually means in this context, something much better expressed in a different nomenclature (dimethyl heptanone), so it is just a longer chain version of MEK (plus a chain branch) and therefore much less volatile, which is what you like to have for this product's usage.

The interesting chemistry aspect is that it is used in mining to retrieve metal, so this appears as the active ingredient in the process of corrosion reversal for our application here.

The ingredient is harmless enough to have been used to denature ethanol, not that denatured alcohol should be considered harmless, though.

The chemical inertness of Bakelite is very high.  People use all kinds of harsh products to clean it, including Brasso. I have used ketones as well to remove the brown layer or the tiny pockets that often form on the surface on heavily used handsets. I don't even test new cleaning ideas on small areas, I just use them. If it doesn't work any better than something else the surface can always be repolished. The surface of shiny Bakelite however does become dull with many products that contain alcohols or water, because phenol forms phenol alcohols, which is what accumulates over time on handsets by usage.

I really wouldn't worry about this product doing any damage in a few days time.  The mechanical microscopic damage from grinding against the corroded metal surface when forcibly removing a handset cap or the rings do probably a lot more harm than the liquid.

[Bill]

I believe that Unbeldi is right. Not much hurts true bakelite (as opposed to other plastics that are generically but erroneously called "bakelite").

I'm going to buck the prevailing wisdom here and say that a pin wrench is a good idea.  I think the fear is overblown. After all, the phone companies routinely issued pin wrenches to installers and repairers back in the day when they encountered E-type handsets,. This would not have been true if they commonly damaged the workpiece.

On stubborn handsets, I have used the repro pin wrench from OPW with good results. I improved the design a bit, and made a few sets for sale at a price 50% lower than OPW's, and had even better luck with mine.

It has been my observation and experience that when a pin wrench slips and damages the bakelite, it is always due to the fact that, as the user applies pressure to turn the wrenches, he unintentionally relaxes the pressure that holds the jaws closed. With the closing pressure eased, the pins will indeed jump out of the holes and scratch or chip the bakelite - so the answer is, don't release the pressure!  The original wrenches (but not OPW's or mine) had a device to keep the jaws locked during use. But with careful attention, pressure can be maintained on modern wrenches, and the jaws don't slip. With the closing pressure maintained, I have never had a pin wrench slip or chip the bakelite.

Just my opinion - and experience. And of course, no pin wrench will work on a handset without the matching holes.

Bill

[Ktownphoneco]

Whatever device one wishes to use to dis-assemble E-1 handsets, it's totally his or her business.       My original post wasn't intended as any sort of "directive" on the matter.     

I do agree with you that unbeldi is correct.     I did some more reading on the matter of Bakelite, and it does resist most chemicals.     My original assumption, was based on the fact I once used paint remover on a Northern F-1 handset that had been painted during a refurbishing process, probably at a Bell shop, or perhaps at Northern.      I applied the paint remover, then left it sit for a half hour or so, while I did something else.     When I returned to continue removing the paint, I discovered that the paint remover had deteriorated the surface of the F-1 handset slightly.    It didn't present that much of a problem, and the handset was fine after I sanded and polished it.      But the experience made me a little "gun shy" of chemicals and Bakelite.   

Another interesting fact that I learned with regards to Bakelite, is that it will apparently swell slightly if left in a constant and prolonged environment of high moisture, such as a constant high humidity.

Regarding "pin" wrenches, I'm not convinced they were ever designed to deal with handsets that have survived 80 or more years.      As I stated in my original post, they were designed to perform a particular function during the years that the handsets were is service, and they probably did just fine.     
But once all the various parts were tightened in place for the last time, by a telco technician 80 or so years ago, and then left to their own destiny, I don't think it's reasonable to expect that they'll come apart all that easy with any type of tool.     If I didn't know what I was up against, and only had a "pin" wrench, I'd be much more inclined to remove the pins, and use double sided tape inserted completely around the part being removed, and the inner surface of the pin-less "pin" wrench.     If one happened to loosen his grip, the wrench wouldn't damage the handset part.        Plus a lot more force could be applied to unscrewing the part, including handset parts with no pin holes.

The oak clamps I periodically make, were designed for use in cases of extreme corrosion, where the use of any kind of wrench is not going accomplish the job, except to most likely damage parts of the handset.        The process of galvanic reaction, occurs more quickly in areas of above normal humidity.       An E-1 handset which has spent most of it's time in say Arizona for example, will probably be in excellent shape, whereas one which originated in say Key West Florida, might be in terrible shape.

Attached are 2 examples of a W.E. E-1 557-B receiver housings.         One is in very nice shape (dated 1932), and the other in which time and the environment has not been kind to.
As can be seen in the pictures, there's a significant amount of material that's just been eaten away by corrosion.       Unfortunately I didn't take a picture of it "before" I removed the corrosion, but I can tell you as a matter of fact, it was a mess.
For handsets in that kind of shape, "pin" and "strap" wrenches are just not very likely to do the job.        I don't make the oak clamps to make money.     I sell them at whatever the cost is to make them and ship them.       I've used them for a number of years, and in my own personal experience, they do an excellent job.      For E-1 handsets in good condition, a collector can probably use rubber strap wrenches, or whatever, and they probably do an acceptable job.      The oak clamps are for the corrosion damaged handsets, who's parts are locked together by corrosion.
I've sold a number of sets to collectors, and they're very happy with them.     I promise to only sell them to people who want them.      http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/Smileys/default/grin.gif 

Jeff Lamb

Pictures below :         

[unbeldi]

I discovered that the paint remover had deteriorated the surface of the F-1 handset slightly.    It didn't present that much of a problem, and the handset was fine after I sanded and polished it.      But the experience made me a little "gun shy" of chemicals and Bakelite.   

Another interesting fact that I learned with regards to Bakelite, is that it will apparently swell slightly if left in a constant and prolonged environment of high moisture, such as a constant high humidity. 

Both of these statements are correct, I believe.

The stability of Bakelite comes from its rigid molecular network, however, the surface polarizability is probably fairly high because of the large phenol groups. This means that other substances can stick to it very easily.  Water in particular comes to mind.  After polishing to a shiny finish, Bakelite surfaces should never be treated with any water or moisture for cleaning.  This quickly leads to dullness.  I have often washed dirty Bakelite housings in the sink under water with a brush, Fantastic, and other cleaners.  They come out nice and clean, but also very dull looking, almost gray, and initially the result can be discouraging. But polishing quickly restores luster.  I got a piece of wax, which I believe is very hard bee wax, from an experienced Bakelite restorer, and while hard to apply, is rather successful.
But black shoe polish can be quite successful too.

Moisture exposure:  Indeed Bakelite can be absorbing water when the fillers used are not of the highest quality.  Western Electric apparently was very diligent in only using highest quality wood flour.  Not just any saw dust! Somewhere in a Bell System publication, they talk about using high quality material, IIRC.  Apparently this cannot be said of other telephone manufacturers, because I have seen quite a few Kellogg handsets that are split down the length of the handle, and I suspect it is from absorbing moisture over decades. I don't think I have seen a WECo handset so deteriorated.  I have found F1 handsets that were clearly submerged in water for a long time, yet only damage was the crust that develops out of deposits originally dissolved in the water.

[Ktownphoneco]

I've had similar experiences with Western's "brand" of Bakelite.       On the other hand, Northern's Bakelite quality seems to fluctuate, and doesn't seem to have a consistent finish.     Bakelite, as I'm sure you know, was also made using finely ground "asbestos" fibers.     I've often wondered, if the different qualities of Bakelite produced by Northern's plant, was due to the use of different fillers, such as asbestos.      It's for that reason, I only sand Bakelite under water in the laundry tub.     

Jeff Lamb