British Field Telephone (Set F Mk2)

[andy1702]

I just got hold of one of these WW2 era field telephones. It's in a bit of a state. The wiring has gone crispy with age (what is this wire made out of?) and there's quite a bit of rust and other corrosion. I just removed a set of dry cell batteries dated 1971!

The main problem I'm having relates to seized screws that go through the bakelite case from the outside to hold all the internals in position. The case seems to have formed a very good pond liner, trapping any moisture in the bottom. This has in turn heavily corroded the inner end of a lot of the screws, making them impossible to turn. A normal screwdriver just slips off. Under these circumstances I would normally use an impact screwdriver, but I don't want to be hammering away in screws that are only supported by bakelite for obvious reasons. The screws all seem to be threaded into steel internal components and are not threaded into the bakelite itself. I've wondered about drilling them out as a last resort.

The plan is to completely dismantle everything, re-wire using the original crispy loom as a pattern, then reassemble everything once cleaned and tested.

So does anyone know a good way of getting these screws out?

Andy.

[dsk]

That is a tricky one, but the wiring looks like it could be working as long as you not move it to much. So why not leave it? If the capacitors are defect just lay a new replacement on the top. The toughest might be the generator, may you oil it as it is, and make it working? The ringer looks OK.

dsk

[Jim Stettler]

Evapo-Rust Rust Remover,
Never tried it, I have heard good things tho.
Only a suggested option to look into,
Jim s.

[andy1702]

That is a tricky one, but the wiring looks like it could be working as long as you not move it to much. So why not leave it? If the capacitors are defect just lay a new replacement on the top. The toughest might be the generator, may you oil it as it is, and make it working? The ringer looks OK.

dsk

The wiring really does need replacing. It's not obvious from the photos, but some of it is bare where it could touch other metal components and it's almost solid and somehow fused together, almost like the insulation has been melted somehow. Also one of the oblong capacitors looks like it's corroded or exploded somehow and pushed it's casing out. On the plus side, the generator seems ok. I touched the terminals and gave it a bit of a wind and got a bit of a shock for my trouble, so I'm hoping I'll get away with that. The rest of it really does need taking apart for cleaning and rebuilding though.

[twocvbloke]

I touched the terminals and gave it a bit of a wind and got a bit of a shock for my trouble

Now that's dedication!! 

[rdelius]

Do you have the wooden box your telephone slides out of?.They are often missing.Canada also used these

[andy1702]

Now that's dedication!! 

Actually it says in the official instructions that's the way to check it!

I couldn't quite believe it either!

[andy1702]

Do you have the wooden box your telephone slides out of?.They are often missing.Canada also used these

Unfortunately not. Apparently these sets came in that box because someone at the ministry thought a bakelite cased phone would be too fragile for use as a field telephone. They obviously didn't reckon of the thickness of the bakelite! The Signals realised how well built the phones are and often ditched the boxes and just carried the phones in their kit to save weight. That's why so many are missing ther boxes.

Andy.