Switchhook Dimensions?

[tekuhn]

Can someone tell me if the switchhook for a 20AL is supposed to be perfectly symmetrical? Mine has a definite rearward curvature to it. Also, can someone tell me what the distance should be between the two arms? Thanks!

[Stubbypylon]

I looked at four NE & WE candlestick switchooks I have.  None were the same but I believe they should be symmetrical.  The average inside dimension was 1.376 inches.

[tekuhn]

Perfect - thank you very much!

[tekuhn]

One more question - The switchhook pivot dowel was missing and someone cut a very small diameter brad nail to length and assembled it with that. Does someone make a replacement pin, and if not, what's a good starting point to make one from? Nail, welding rod.....?

[Stubbypylon]

I would check either Old Phone Works or Phoneco for a replacement pin.

[TelePlay]

One more question - The switchhook pivot dowel was missing and someone cut a very small diameter brad nail to length and assembled it with that. Does someone make a replacement pin, and if not, what's a good starting point to make one from? Nail, welding rod.....?

Hardware and hobby stores (train and that sort of stuff hobbies) carry one foot long steel rods in small diameters in brass, copper and steel. If they have one that fits your phone opening, it would be easy to cut one to length and round the ends. A quick and cheap fix. If it is just a bit to thick, putting a short piece in a drill and sanding to the correct diameter would work. If it fit in a Dremel chuck, it could be reduced in size quite quickly.

The hook pivot pin for my AE 31 is 0.125" or 1/8" which I am sure they have, for a under $3.

[tekuhn]

Thanks John. We have a hobby store here that would probably have 1/8" music wire that might work great.

[TelePlay]

Thanks John. We have a hobby store here that would probably have 1/8" music wire that might work great.

Not wire which may not be straight. You want to ask and check out the K&S short metal rod stock. It's in the same box, usually a partitioned box on a shelf, as the brass, copper and steel flats, rods, tubes and square hollow and solid stock. Lot of good stuff for projects of any sorts.

The rods are sold by the each. Brass is cheaper than SS. I thought they had non-SS rod but since I've been buying only brass for projects, never checked it out. The stuff is made/sold by K&S so asking for K&S steel rod stock should help the clerk.

Brass is a bit soft to use that way. And if it is 1/8", you could also use a busted 1/8" drill bit, just cut it to length with a Dremel cut off tool. Where it is being used, once assembled, no one will know it not original.

Images below show 3 but price is for one for brass and seems 3 for the steel.

[tekuhn]

Music (piano) wire is solid wire and very strong. We use if for landing gear struts for radio controlled aircraft. It's very springy and tough to bend.

[TelePlay]

Thanks, must be a base string if that thick. Didn't know that because I never had a need/use for it.

Other than a great toy called "Cat Dancer" made by Cat Dancer Products which was a piano wire about a yard long with a few pieces of cardboard strips on the end, it was great for entertaining cats, they really liked it, and it did not bend. Must have been expensive because they went from piano wire to spring steel wire, a softer wire that did bend and ruined the product. Had to keep straightening it out and the newer wire was a lot less springy.

That was my only experience with that type of wire.

[Jim Stettler]

Not wire which may not be straight. You want to ask and check out the K&S short metal rod stock. It's in the same box, usually a partitioned box on a shelf, as the brass, copper and steel flats, rods, tubes and square hollow and solid stock. Lot of good stuff for projects of any sorts.

Ace Hardware stores stock this item.

[tekuhn]

Can someone tell me if this switchhook geometry looks right? I expected the switch to contact the hook in the notch below, but as you can see, it contacts it on the part that appears should be the stop. I can't see that this is adjustable in any way, so either this is correct, or I have some mismatched parts. Thanks for your help!

[poplar1]

Here is an original Western Electric: Notice the insulating "bumper" between the hook and the contact springs. Without it, the frame of the phone is connected to the circuit ("grounded").

http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=6908.msg78930#msg78930

[tekuhn]

Great picture. Clearly, your switchhook is contacting the spring in what I was calling the "notch" which where I expected mine to touch as well. I was not aware of the missing insulator, but I can see that it would be a problem, electrically speaking, with it missing. My entire hook seems to be hanging much further out of the perch which explains why it's contacting the spring in the wrong place. Looks like I need to find the correct switchhook. I see your picture is with a different perch than mine. Do the different perch designs also use a different hook?

[poplar1]

The photo is Bill's phone from a previous post. I didn't notice that you have the older style. The early ones didn't have a bumper because in fact they did use the phone frame as a "ground" return....but I can't tell much about your phone since so far we have only closeups of the transmitter and the hookswitch. Yours may be more like this 20-B that Doug posted, but I'm not sure the brass hook on yours is original. Note that Doug's does not have a bumper.

http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=16885.msg174206#msg174206