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Frankenphone or Not?

Started by HarrySmith, August 10, 2018, 06:04:22 PM

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HarrySmith

This one is either a Frankenphone or a great example of WE doing what they did best, making money! In this case by re-using parts.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/283097020251
( dead link 04-07-22 )

A "Black" 500 that the case was Green, the handset Red and a White handset cap!
Harry Smith
ATCA 4434
TCI

"There is no try,
there is only
do or do not"

Key2871

In all my years, I've never seen any thing like that. I think it's a case where someone had a shaker can of black paint and a red handset they need a black handset, but only had parts from other sets. Then wear over the years wore the paint off.
The paint the company used was far more durable than shaker can paint. Franken phone for sure.
KEN

poplar1

#2
The Western Electric Repair Shops (Service Centers) certainly had a paint shop. The hardware store here had a leased black 555 or 558 2-line set with a painted  handset that had worn down to pink in several places.

Later, parts were repainted the same color as they were originally manufactured.
"C'est pas une restauration, c'est une rénovation."--François Martin.

Doug Rose

A Frankenphone, I hate that term is a mixture of parts from different manufactuters or parts from the same manufacturer that do not go together,,,,, ex an E1 on a 500 set.

This is a 500 set with a matching G1 handset. Colors do not match and were painted black. I have seen many many sets like this. WE did this all the time.

Stick a bolt in the handset, then it's a Frankenphone
Kidphone

RotarDad

#4
Although we see many phones with painted parts like this, it is unusual to see one with this much paint loss.  Probably heavy use answering calls in some type of business environment.  Not much outbound use, given the finger wheel retains most of its paint.  The earpiece is probably Tenite given lack of center hole; the handset might be also.  In the 60's Bell probably figured the refurbishment paint would usually last long enough to get to the next refurb, and touch-tone was coming as well, which would accelerate the retirement of these rotary models.
Paul

FABphones

Quote from: Doug Rose on August 10, 2018, 09:39:34 PM
A Frankenphone, I hate that term is a mixture of parts from different manufactuters or parts from the same manufacturer that do not go together,,,,, ex an E1 on a 500 set.

That's how I've always thought of the term.

Quote from: RotarDad on August 10, 2018, 11:44:33 PM
....In the 60's Bell probably figured the refurbishment paint would usually last long enough to get to the next refurb, and touch-tone was coming as well, which would accelerate the retirement of these rotary models.

Yup. And here we are today, collecting and restoring these old refurbished, retired phones. And pleased with every find, in all their forms. They could never have guessed.

I joke with the family that all my 'old phones' are called George. 'Why?'...
"Because I will hug them and I will love them and I will call them George".


...in some ways I never grew up.  ;D
A collector of  'Monochrome Phones with Sepia Tones'   ...and a Duck!
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Vintage Phones - 10% man made, 90% Tribble
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