News:

"The phone is a remarkably complex, simple device,
and very rarely ever needs repairs, once you fix them." - Dan/Panther

Main Menu

Model 500 cover not going on straight.

Started by newskeeto, December 20, 2012, 07:22:14 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

newskeeto

The soft plastic cover on this 1951 model 500 will not go on straight for some reason.  It almost seems like it is getting hung up on something inside the phone that is preventing the front left corner (if you are facing the phone) from going all the way down.  Have any of you experienced this?  Is there anything I can do about it?

twocvbloke

My red 500 is the same, I put it down to the distorted Tenite case & dial plate, not sure if anything can be done aside from replacement... :-\

newskeeto

Well, that is too bad.  I do not think I will replace  the case considering that the fault is barely noticeable.  Thank you for the help.

Dennis Markham

Sometimes the chassis (base) has become bent over time.  Maybe someone put some serious weight on the phone.  If there is no obvious warping of the housing, check the base.  Remove the housing and set the phone on a level surface, like a table.  See if it rocks back and forth.  Look at it at eye level.  Does the base sag in the middle?  I have straightened (very recently) a bent base by just putting a block of wood under the base and carefully put pressure on each end....bending it back into place.

Another cause of the housing not fitting properly could  be the dial brackets could be bent out of shape.  Look at them carefully and see if one side or the other may be bent inward or outward.

Also, look under the hook switch.  Make sure there are no wires binding.  If the hook switch is not springing up as far as it should, it could be binding on something.  Is the little bracket that pushes up on the plungers bent?  Those are generally the causes of the housing not going into place properly. 

If the housing is warped, there is probably not much that you can do to correct that.

newskeeto

Thanks for the advice.  I am going to go take a look.  I hope I can get it fixed.

LarryInMichigan

If the shell is warped, I am sure that someone here can provide a replacement.  Black 500 shells are plentiful.

Larry

newskeeto

I think that is what I am going to have to do.  I checked the base and it is straight as an arrow, as well as everything else.  Do you know anyone in specific who might be willing to sell a shell?

LarryInMichigan

I might have a spare, but i will have to look, and I will not have time for a day or two.

Larry

newskeeto

Not a problem.  I am in no hurry.  Again, thank you for the help.

LarryInMichigan

Have you verified that the shell is actually warped?  Does the shell by itself sit flat on a flat surface?

I took a look, and I actually have only one spare black 500 shell.  It is soft plastic, dated 1965, but it has alot of scratches.  I have another shell which was black but was badly painted green by someone.

Larry

newskeeto

I took the cover off and sat it down.  It was extremely hard to tell if it was warped or not.  If it is, it is very minor because both sides of it raised up just a tiny bit.

LarryInMichigan

#11
Quote from: newskeeto on December 23, 2012, 12:07:19 AM
I took the cover off and sat it down.  It was extremely hard to tell if it was warped or not.  If it is, it is very minor because both sides of it raised up just a tiny bit.

If the shell sits mostly flat, then it is probably not warped.  The problem could be the base or the dial.  Doe the base sit flat without the shell on it?  Does the shell fit properly over the base without the dial installed?

Larry

AE_Collector


LarryInMichigan

I should never type when I am extremely tired.

newskeeto

The base itself sits perfectly flat.  I looked at the dial and I cannot really see anything wrong with it, but I'll look again sometime and see if it is messed up.