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New here - Getting a WE302

Started by KeithB, August 13, 2010, 07:11:59 PM

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Dennis Markham

Keith, I found that the brass brushes lose their bristles much quicker than the steel ones.  I only buy the steel brushes now.  You have to be careful with those things.  They fly everywhere.  Make sure you protect your eyes.  I have more than one of those bristles get stuck in my clothes, slivers, etc.  I bought a leather apron from eBay and wear that when I'm working.  I do much of my work under one of those large magnifying glasses that mounts to the bench.  It has a ring fluorescent lamp around it.  That help to protect the flying bristles from getting into my eyes AND I can see better for detail work.

KeithB

Thanks for sharing your experience, Dennis.  I believe you about the bristles flying loose.  I've had wire threads stuck into my fingertips more times than you might imagine.  Maybe I'll just buy a nice, old-fashioned wood-handled brass brush and stick to that.

If you've never used it to clean metal parts before, I can highly recommend Bar Keepers Friend (BKF).  It contains oxalic acid which has a stronger affinity for the oxygen atom than does rust (iron oxide) or oxidation of most metals, including steel, silver, copper and brass.  About the only place you shouldn't use it is anything made of aluminum, where it will cause pitting.  It certainly cleaned up the brass bells on this old WE302 fairly quickly last weekend.  ;D  Now all the Brasso has to do is polish them.

Dennis Markham

Keith, I happen to have a can of Bar Keeper's Friend.  I love that stuff.  I never even thought to try it on the brass gongs.  I'll give it a shot.  Thanks.

I wouldn't give up on the wire wheel.  It has many uses.  One just has to take precautions against flying bristles.

KeithB

When I removed the contacts, elements, and wires from the F1W handset in preparation for cleaning and polishing, I neglected to document them.  :-[  :-[  :-[

Does anyone have descriptions or diagrams of the F1 handset wiring available?  I'd hate to screw it up because I was forgot something so simple.

Thanks in advance.

Dennis Markham

Keith, I don't have a diagram but I'd be glad to take a picture of one for you.  The first time I removed all the hardware I put the receiver contacts in wrong.  It won't work if you do.

I'll snap a picture of one and post it here. 

Dennis Markham

Here you go, Keith.  When I run the red and white wires through the handset, I put red on the left and white on the right.  Let me know if these don't help.

KeithB

That definitely helps, Dennis.  Mine is actually an F1W, and has the conductors to the earpiece molded into the Bakelite handle, as well as another component between red and black beneath the mouthpeice.  But the layout of the contacts and wires appears to be the same, and that's what had me concerned.  I think I may have put it back together right.  I'll compare my re-assembly against your photos, and post back in a few minutes.

Thanks again!!   ;D

KeithB

Dennis, your photos DEFINITELY helped relieve my concerns.  I've got the same shaped contacts in the same positions, and the same red / black / white wire placement beneath the mouthpiece.  Why I didn't take pictures of the inside of the handset, I'll never know. I was just too excited to be tearing it down, I guess.  I wrote up everything else for wiring connections, but failed to document this one part.

Now that the phone is mostly back together, I'm still waiting on two other items:
1) dencins is recovering the feet, so I hope they'll be back next week some time.
2) the dial porcelain overlay hasn't arrived yet, either.

Lastly, the plug was cut off the straight rubber-coated line cord, so I'll need to either replace it, or crimp on some spade connectors and use a pigtail to a wiring block, unless anyone else has better suggestions.

Thanks greatly, Dennis.  :)

Dennis Markham


HarrySmith

Here is a page from PhoneCo, there are a few ways to terminate your line cord. I usually use the plug # 212 on the page. You can use it with or without spades.
http://www.phonecoinc.com/category.asp?rpage=search&category=Acc#01022
Can't wait to see pictures of the finished product :)
Harry Smith
ATCA 4434
TCI

"There is no try,
there is only
do or do not"

KeithB

Thanks to dencins :) on this forum and courtesy of oldphoneguy.net, my WE302 cleanup is about 95% complete.   ;D Friday evening recovered feet arrived from dencins and the dial porcelain overlay came in from oldphoneguy.net.  I'm still waiting for a line cord, then I'll probably put a final coat of wax/polish over the shell and handset, now that the initial treatment with Novus # 2 has cured and the poor plastic shell has had time to recover from all the stress. 

I have a lot of empathy for that plastic shell right now.  I've visited the dentist twice in the last two weeks, receiving a deep periodontal cleaning.  :(

KeithB

I'm going to thank Dennis Markham one last time, right before I tell you my WE302 is alive, dialing, ringing, and well.  ;D

I took a few pictures, but with three little long-haired doggies (Yorkies!) running around the house, there's a LOT of lint on the phone, and digital cameras with flash *LOVE* to show every tiny bit of lint imaginable, especially the ones most eyes can't see.   I'll have to wipe it down with some pledge and a lint-free cloth, then take some new pictures.  It doesn't shine blindingly (like one of Dennis's) but it sure looks a heckuva lot better than it did when I received it.

Next up is the North Electric Galion. . .


KeithB

I finally found a proper camera and took pictures of the 302.  It received a full interior clean-up, a replacement line cord, a vinyl overlay for the dial porcelain, recovered feet, a repainted fingerwheel, a laser-printed dial card, and a good amount of clean-up and sanding.  To get an idea of how much, I'm including two of the original auction photographs.

Dennis Markham

It looks very nice, Keith.  You did a nice job on the dial card...but I like the original one, even though it's a later card---once Area Codes were used.

KeithB

The one in the auction photo was a stick-on, covering an intermediate card.  Here's a photo of the original card next to my laser-printed one: