My 40AL

[WEBellSystemChristian]

Back in August, I found a lamped 40AL at a flea market in really sad shape. It was stripped of paint with a lot of surface corrosion layered on it. It had a hole drilled in the cup, and the tips of the perch ears were sawed off to make room for the light fixture. I believe I paid somewhere in the neighborhood of $40 or $50 for it. When I got home, I just decided to polish the brass and put it on the shelf temporarily.

Since I've been working on gathering parts for my newly acquired 20-B, I decided that it was a good time to finish up work on my 40AL. The hole in the cup was sealed with High-Temp Lab Metal, a type of body putty for powder coated objects. It was powder coated with high gloss black, which looks really nice! The transmitter was painted, because the powder coat fills in a lot of small details, such as the lettering on the badge. I also buffed the receiver so it really shines!

Here are the before and after pictures:

[JimH]

Very nice job, Christian!  I've never seen powder coating shine so glossy.  I usually think of a satin finish with powder coating.  Do you have a place locally that does this, and how much?

Jim

[Sargeguy]

Looks good, but if it's brass it isn't a 40-AL, 40-ALs were made from steel and finished using the Bower-Barf process.  If the perch has been altered I would find a 20-AL perch and swap it, so you'll have a nice 20-AL.  And at the risk of piling it on, that 706A receiver would not be forund on a 20-AL or 40-AL, it would be on a 120-AL or 140-AL, I'd go with a 144AW (but keep the 706A, you'll need it someday). 

[Doug Rose]

A WE 40AL was a steel candlestick with a Bower Barf finish. My guess is just the perch on your phone was a 40AL. By coincidence,  I was working on one today and here is the finished product. I think the 40AL is a striking desk set with the Bower Barf and the brass. I also have one with match paint on the brass pieces. ...Doug

[WEBellSystemChristian]

Looks good, but if it's brass it isn't a 40-AL, 40-ALs were made from steel and finished using the Bower-Barf process.  If the perch has been altered I would find a 20-AL perch and swap it, so you'll have a nice 20-AL.  And at the risk of piling it on, that 706A receiver would not be forund on a 20-AL or 40-AL, it would be on a 120-AL or 140-AL, I'd go with a 144AW (but keep the 706A, you'll need it someday). 

Very nice job, Christian!  I've never seen powder coating shine so glossy.  I usually think of a satin finish with powder coating.  Do you have a place locally that does this, and how much?

Jim

My dad and I do it by ourselves. The stuff we used to use was really flat, and scraped and peeled off easily. The powder we use now is called mirror black" and sticks to the metal tremendously well, plus the fact that it has extremely good wear resistance.

The 151AL that my family has in our dining room (was a Christmas present to my mom) has been in active use for almost a year. It was powder coated with the same powder that was used with this one, and doesn't show any scratches or wear marks at all, it looks brand new!

[WEBellSystemChristian]

Looks good, but if it's brass it isn't a 40-AL, 40-ALs were made from steel and finished using the Bower-Barf process.  If the perch has been altered I would find a 20-AL perch and swap it, so you'll have a nice 20-AL.  And at the risk of piling it on, that 706A receiver would not be forund on a 20-AL or 40-AL, it would be on a 120-AL or 140-AL, I'd go with a 144AW (but keep the 706A, you'll need it someday). 

I knew that the base and shaft were older than the rest, because "Western Electric Company" isn't stamped on the front of the base. I also knew that the receiver was much newer, seeing that it uses a 302-type receiver element.

If this phone was assembled from mis-matched parts by someone digging through a parts bin, I would probably be inclined to replace these parts, but it looks like it was done by WE. The "323" stamping on the transmitter was crossed out, so it looks like a 20AL was turned into a 40AL sometime in the '30s or '40s, replacing the perch and receiver.

It's done and it looks good, so I think I'm going to leave it as it sits.

[Greg G.]

A WE 40AL was a steel candlestick with a Bower Barf finish. My guess is just the perch on your phone was a 40AL. By coincidence,  I was working on one today and here is the finished product. I think the 40AL is a striking desk set with the Bower Barf and the brass. I also have one with match paint on the brass pieces. ...Doug

I agree!  The combination BB&B (bower-barf & brass) looks sharp!  I have one just like it that I haven't done much with,  think I'll try the same thing.