My Lamp Phone Atrocity -> AE 1A

[Pourme]

The lamp arrived today. I immediately began to strip the gold paint. I discovered before it was "Gold-finger" it was white.

It's so sad, I have never held one of these AE phones in my hand before, it was a beautiful phone at one time. My first lamp phone purchase had some components inside. This one is void of anything inside at all, completely stripped. That's OK, I didn't expect it to. The handset does have a receiver and transmitter. Looking at the transmitter, is that a date code? Day 273 of 1938? Did I remember that correctly?

The Bakelite components are responding well to polishing. The cradle and the ring around the number card holder needs painting. I have placed a few dials in the place of the blank but none look as good as the dial blank will look when painted and in place. 

I sent Gary Goff a email from his web site requesting a gasket for the base, I searched the forum for him and got no results. Is he a forum member? If there is a better way to contact him please let me know.

I already have the rest of the components to make this lamp great again, all I need is the gasket, and a little time.

If you have suggestions along the way please don't be shy....

Benny

[AE_Collector]

Looking Good Benny. Not really much missing in the base. Screws for the terminals and of course wires from the hook switch pileup. Then the handset cord and cord to the subset. That's about it.

Gary is "telcoguy" here on the forum but he has only posted three times so unlikely he is hear much. I have an email for him if you don't get a reply but I am sure you will.

Terry

[TelePlay]

Wow! That will be the lamp phone's lamp phone. A dark shade and low watt bulb will be stunning.

We're those gold or brass bands?

[AE_Collector]

All bands on AE type 38 handsets (or equivalent) had brass bands but most of them were just painted black. Occasionally they came chromed or in gold matte. So they can easily be polished down to brass or nickel or chrome plated.

Terry

[Pourme]

These were brass bands. There were traces of black paint on them....I could tell it was factory paint because it was stubborn to remove. You are correct John, it will make a stunning lamp phone.

I was grateful the body and handset wasn't chipped or cracked.

If I don't hear from Gary, I will let you know, Terry.

[TelePlay]

I think this is the one you want but it's at retail pricing.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Antique-Automatic-Electric-Candlestick-1A-monophone-Rubber-bottom-gasket-new-/200981159120

I can't remember what Gary Goff sells them for.

[Pourme]

That's almost as much as I paid for the lamp....I'll wait on response from Gary... fingers crossed

[unbeldi]

The Bakelite components are responding well to polishing. The cradle and the ring around the number card holder needs painting. I have placed a few dials in the place of the blank but none look as good as the dial blank will look when painted and in place. 

It appears to me that the apparatus blank with the number card holder is not proper for this phone, it appears to be a blank for a Western Electric 302.

IIRC, the AE blank had one or two nice concentric ridges around the number card area.

Someone probably thought the dial could be more useful for something else at one time. I would either find the right apparatus blank or a No. 24 or 24A36  AE dial.

[unbeldi]

Does the handset still have its molded-in conductors intact, or has the drilling destroyed them ?

[Pourme]

I'm away from it at this minute but when I briefly looked yesterday it appeared that they were in the path of the drill bit.

[Pourme]

Yes...The connections were drilled through... i attempted a picture...

[poplar1]

Looking at the transmitter, is that a date code? Day 273 of 1938? Did I remember that correctly? 

"D-38273-A" is a part number, not a date.

[AE_Collector]

Actually doesn't the type 38 have a small metal "conduit" from one end to the other for the conductors that presumably also gives the handset added strength? If so you should be able to replace the conductors if you are trying to make it work again but if you make it a nifty lamp it won't matter that the conductors are broken.

You might be correct about the blank Unbeldi. I thought it surprising that the number card ring was with it and I didn't stop to notice that it didn't quite look right for an AE. AE made a couple of slightly different looking blanks but they don't quite sit flush into the case. They have a small lip that overlaps the case to avoid seeing a little gap but in real life the thin edge gets chipped very easily so instead of a gap you see a chipped edge.

Gary has two sizes of gaskets, you want the small one for a 1A, the larger one fits both the 34 and the 40.

Terry

[Pourme]

Thanks Terry, looking at it closely it does look like a conduit in the handle. I'm focused on restoring it as a lamp as of now. Perhaps at some time I may take interest in restoring it as a phone. If I had the proper blank I would indeed use it, for now I just painted the one I have. I will be on the look out for either a dial or the proper blank. I would really like to have a dial. No hurry, one will show up on EBAY eventually, it don't even have to function at this point.

Thanks for the clarification on the gasket.

Popular1 I thought somewhere I read that was a date code. I can't retain all I read.

Benny

[TelePlay]

Can anyone post a picture or a link to a picture of the insides of a 1A so Benny will know what he needs to complete the phone as a phone someday? That way, Benny will know what to purchase or acquire if he runs into the parts while trying to find the correct dial blank, or dial.