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Mounting plates for wall phones.

Started by Dan, June 14, 2009, 11:14:20 PM

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Dan

I have an Automatic Electric Jukebox 50 that I wish to wall mount. The  Western Electric  354 I have has this  original wood plate it came with, so it was easy.
Likewise, the WE554's have a metal plate that hooks on the back of the phone .

Outside of making a custom wood mount, are there any available for this phone? It is VERY heavy and I want to make sure it is secure.
"Imagine how weird telephones would look if our ears weren't so close to our mouths." - Steven Wright

Phonesrfun

Dan:

I am not aware of any.  I have a jukebox AE 50 that I mounted one screw to a stud through the sheetrock, and the offset to one of those plastic insert-type molly screws.  No problems with it, but on the other hand I don't use it every day either.  Are you looking for a mounting plate because you are wanting to mount it over a wall box, or because you do not want to put pressure on the bakelite back?

I can understand hesitancy if you do not want to put pressure on the bakelite back, but on the other hand, the phone has to be screwed down to something, whether it is screwed to a mounting back-board that is screwed to the wall, or directly to the wall.  Either way, the screws to the phone have to support its weight.

-Bill
-Bill G

Dan

I was going to use it every day for a while. I switch them out every few months for variety (or my sickness, as the kids call it). I'm going to find a wall stud and mount it in a brand new area and run a new line off the current on, since it is plated for a WE554. I guess I will do your method.  I was thinking mounting plate because the crack on the back started from the back right mount hole, so I will use the left, and balance it.

Thanks for the info Bill . I still may make a custom  wood plate for easier switchability.
"Imagine how weird telephones would look if our ears weren't so close to our mouths." - Steven Wright

Phonesrfun

Dan:

I think for easy portability, your idea of a plate would be good,  Especially if there is already a crack around one of the holes.  It is too bad that the AE50's whole body, except for the cover, includes the back.  Oh well, it is what it is.

-Bill
-Bill G

Dan

What it is is the most beautiful wall phone ever made, IMO. I  would go nuts if I ever saw a colored one!
"Imagine how weird telephones would look if our ears weren't so close to our mouths." - Steven Wright

JorgeAmely

Jorge

McHeath

I stumbled across his site one night, oh man, serious lust was created.  :-*  He has an amazing collection, and his displays are impressive as well. 

Dan

WOW thanks for the link. Imagine a BLUE AE50 !!
"Imagine how weird telephones would look if our ears weren't so close to our mouths." - Steven Wright

HobieSport

Remember the green AE 50 from our April contest?  Colored AE 50s can be extremely pricey, more so than the colored AE 40s.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=290311860869
-Matt

JimH

Did you fellows know that the modular "228" wallplate from a 554 fits a 354 perfectly?  Yes...that's right....screws and all, it's exactly the right size, too.  I think WECO  did this when they designed the 554.  There were probably a lot of 354s that already had holes in the wall for mounting, or a space that wasn't painted.
Jim H.

Dennis Markham

Jim, I have put the modular back plate on several 354's that I've refurbished.  Here is a photo of one I did for Mark Stevens back in July of last year.  They are not "original" but they sure make it easier to use the phone.  And if one wants to make it original again, they come off easily and do not alter the phone in any way.

On the photo of the phone on the wall, there is also a plastic backing that was available in many colors during the 60's.  It just slips over the wall jack before hanging the phone.

JimH

Wow, that plastic backing plate really does make a difference in the look.  I hadn't thought of using one.  It mimicks the look of the original wood backboard, and the phone doesn't have the look of "floating" on the wall like the wall jacks make it appear.
Jim H.

Dennis Markham

Those backing plates are nice.  I have a couple left in various colors but no more in black.  I bought a handful of them at the Mason, MI TCI show a few years ago.  A guy was selling them for a buck apiece still in the original plastic.  The only thing I would do differently with that silver back plate would be to spray paint it a dull black before putting it on the phone.  Oldphoneworks is selling them for $40 a pop.  On the one they show you can see a paint drip running down the back side.

I went to a flea market this morning and bought a 554...very late model for a buck simply for this modular back plate.

foots

#13
I have an AE Starlite wall phone circa 6-78 (3 mos. after I was born) and seem to have a little problem mounting it. Not to sound dirty, but it has a  modular male plug sticking straight out of the back of it. I have tried a couple newer jacks made for wall mounted phones, but the female jack doesn't seem to be deep enough and the plug bottoms out well before the phone is flush with the wall.


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