Dial Plate vs Dial Plate Overlay

[winkydink]

Well I received a shipment the other day from Old Phone Works including some #5 and #6 dial overlays.

I removed the dial plate from my 2-49 5H dial, only to discover that it had a 164A (1/56) dial plate which of course goes to a #6 dial

(This of course is a phone that has a 1947 base, induction coil refurbished in 1959 along with a bell assembly from the late 50's and the 1949 dial, so why not a 1956 dial plate from a different dial)

In any case putting a overlay on was a snap, and the results looked very good.... very good that is until I realized that the numbers on the overlay were black and not the red they were supposed to be.  ( Aurg !).

I thought that I might have order the wrong part, so I went back on the web site and looked and sure enough the picture for my part has Red Number and black letters (just like it is supposed to be), but the dial overlay was all black letters and numbers.

Here is the url

http://tinyurl.com/OPW-No6-Overlay


I am hoping the OPW just sent me the wrong thing or there was some printing error, because I can't see them selling alot of these overlay without the red numbers.

Anyway I need to make a phone call tomorrow (Pun intended  ).

Here are some pictures of the before and after.

[Dan]

yes, you need a red numbered overlay. Maybe they will send you an overlay for the overlay

[Dan/Panther]

I have never been able to understand why every reproducrtion part or printed item I've encountered will always have a major flaw. It doesn't make sense to me why they would go to all the trouble to reproduce an item, then make such an obvious flawed part ?
D/P

[Sargeguy]

Did you order the right one?  Those look like the Northern Electric overlays.

[Dennis Markham]

It is much improved despite the color.  I like the ones with the Z/O on the zero hole.

[BDM]

Hmmmm, I have one with the proper colors installed on a #4 dial. Looks good, just needs the proper "red"

[winkydink]

Hmmmm, I have one with the proper colors installed on a #4 dial. Looks good, just needs the proper "red"

It is much improved despite the color.  I like the ones with the Z/O on the zero hole.

The ones for the #5 dials (see below) do have the red numbers as indicated on the picture of OPW website (and yes Dennis they are the ones that have the "Z/O" for the zero hole).  The #6 overlays are (unfortunately) the problem.

http://tinyurl.com/OPW-No5-Overlay

I ordered 4 150b (#5) overlays and 2 164a (#6) overlays, thinking of course that I would have more 5h dials than #6 dials.  I did not think that a #6 dial plate would work on a #5 dial.  (how foolish of me  )

I am sure I don't need to tell anyone in the forum that the #5 and #6 dial plate differ with regards to the shape of the interior cut out within the circle.  The #5 cutout looks a little like a keyhole and the #6 is some indescribable shape.

The #5 overlays look real nice, and installing the #6's were extremely easy, so anyone who might want to do this "on the cheap" for 2nd tier phones, this is a good way to go.

I will update the forum about the #6's after I speak to someone at old phone works.

WD

[winkydink]

Did you order the right one?  Those look like the Northern Electric overlays.

I did check my order and the part number shown in the url below was the one I ordered

http://tinyurl.com/OPW-No6-Overlay

I am hoping it is a mistake.  I will find out a little later today after I call them.


..... I looked at the OPW website again and you are correct Sargeguy, the Northern Electric dial plate they have on there has black lettering/numbers the WE is black/red.  Hoping they have the red/black.  No answer today on thier 800 number so they must be off today.

here is the northern electric dial plate... coincidence, I think not ...

http://tinyurl.com/northernElectricDialPlate

WD

[winkydink]

FWIW

I talk to someone today at OPW and they did make a mistake.  The new overlays are on their way.