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My First 302 repair - Lots of questions

Started by winkydink, November 13, 2008, 02:16:14 PM

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winkydink

Quote from: winkydink on January 12, 2009, 06:41:58 AM
I've been doing some more work on the phone over the weekend and my questions for today fall into 3 main categories.


  • Issues/Questions regarding tight fit of shell on base
  • Issues/Questions regarding wet sanding of shell to remove scratches
  • Issues/Questions regarding cleaning/polishing of base


Part III - Cleaning/Polishing the base

I have removed all parts from the base and have given it a bath in warm soapy water and let it dry.

I have looked at Dennis' previous post regarding his restoration of a 302.

http://tinyurl.com/5kwfwp

In a previous post you state that you use Novus 2 to polish the inside of the base and Simichrome polish on the ringer bracket. 

Will Brasso give the same type of results as Simichrome does?

The ringer braket is rivited into the base.  Do you remove the rivets, clean it and re-rivot it back into the base (with plumbers O-ringes for the rubber replacements)?  Your results are beautiful, but I may need to skip that for now, as I don't own and have never used a rivet gun.

Additionally, how does one go about cleaning the nuts and bolts?  Just hand clean them with Simichrome (or Brasso), or do you put them in some type of bath?

Also cleaning the ringer, condenser and induction coil.  Do you wipe down with water or just use the metal polish on these.  Do you hand polish or use a polish wheel of the dremmel?

Lastly, although not related to the base, I noticed in your restoration photos, the before picture of the dial faceplate had partially missing numbers/letters, but the finished product look perfect with all number and letters present.  Did you put a new (or different) faceplate on?  Was this from your "stock" of junker or part phones?

Thanks again !


Dennis Markham

With regard to sanding, I wouldn't start with 400 unless you have some really deep scratches than cannot be removed with 800.  The less you go "backward" the less you'll have to sand.

The method I use is as you stated above.  Sand in one direction (never circular) with paper #1.  Then as you progress, sand in the opposite direction.  When you think that you have sanded away the previous sand marks, dry the plastic and look at it under a magnifying glass.  If you still see any of the previous marks, continue with the last step used.  The purpose of using wet sand paper is to use it wet....under running water.  Just a trickle will work but rinse it good and let the water wash away the residual from the surface of the area being sanded.  Once you start there's no going back so if you have only a couple of bad areas on the phone, especially with black just work on those areas.  The higher grit sandpaper that you can get the better.  Just progress from one to the other.  Finish it with Novus2 and your buffer.

On the 354 there is an edge that is very narrow.  You will not be able to sand this tiny edge using the opposite direction method.  When I do that edge, I just use an edge of the sandpaper and sand east-west with each step until I think it has removed the previous marks.  It usually works well.

You learn by experience.  The more you do the better you'll get at it..like anything.

winkydink

Well it's time for a little show and tell as far as the progress of my 302 refurb.  The first 3 pictures represent the state of the phone before the refurb, and before (most of) the diassembly.

Pictures here of the inside of the shell, inside of the base and shell plunger and handhold.  Notice just below the dial some discoloration due to dirt settling into some scratched area.

The base of the phone is 2-47 A, the ringer is 9-47 A.  The induction coil is II 40 (2Q 1940), with an R II 58 (refurbished 2Q 1958).  Also the bracket on top of the condeser (??) has a check mark through some writing which I cannot read.  The dial I believe is from 1949.

winkydink

#48
Quote from: winkydink on January 13, 2009, 06:34:56 AM
Well it's time for a little show and tell as far as the progress of my 302 refurb. 

I can't really call these the after pictures.  They are sort of the in between pictures.

The first picture is an overview all the phone parts disassembled.  It's kind of scary seeing everything apart.  I am hoping that I can get this back together properly and have it work again !

The shell and base have been washed and the shell has been polished.  In the second picture you can see the shell after the polishing.  Look once again under the dial, and you will notice some scratches.  I will attempt to wet sand these, once I can find a place that has wet/dry sandpaper of the proper grit number.

The next photo shows the base diassembled as well as the feet and the ringer.  The feet will need to be replaced (or as they say in Central PA "needs replaced").   I will use some of the feet from a junk phone and look out for other phones/part to replace the others (or I might send them to "camp" to have them refurbished).  With the ringer, I polished one of the bells (with Brasso) an the other is untouched.  I will polish the second before re-assembly.

The last photo is the reciever, dial, plungers and inners (condenser, coil and switch hook).  I am keeping these together until I can one at at time remove the wires so the I rewire properly.  

The dial has had the wheel removed and polished along with polishing the nut and metal washer.  I need to find a replacement dial card and plastic piece.  I believe I may have one of them. 

I will replace the handset with one from another phone as well as replacing the receiver cord with a straight cloth cord.  I will also have a new cloth wall cord with a modular wall connector.  This handset shown has a crusty earpiece cap and also does not even say F1 or Western Electric. 

McHeath

Gee you're doing a great job!  Impressive level of cleaning. 

Dennis Markham

So far-so good on that phone.  The wet sandpaper is available at most automotive type stores........PepBoys, Murry's Discount Auto (if you have those near you).  It is located in the auto body repair area.

As far as replacing your feet.  We had a posting about a phone collector that will recover your pads.  Here is that posting.

http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=241.msg3174#msg3174

Look at Reply #7 where I mention his name and address and cost.

Dennis

Steve

If you're a long way from home,
Can't sleep at night.
Grab your telephone,
Something just ain't right.

JimH

Looks great so far!  I can't believe they were refurbishing 101A coils as late as '58.  It seems like they would've just made it into a 5302 if they were going that far.  I have a '47 302 and it also has the unpainted base on the inside and a 4H dial. 
Jim H.

winkydink

Quote from: JimH on January 13, 2009, 02:09:42 PM
Looks great so far!  I can't believe they were refurbishing 101A coils as late as '58.  It seems like they would've just made it into a 5302 if they were going that far.  I have a '47 302 and it also has the unpainted base on the inside and a 4H dial. 

How can I tell which type of dial I have in this phone ? 

Thanks.

Oh,  and by the way everyone.  Thanks for your kind words of encouragement !

Dennis Markham

Look on the back side of the dial.  I can almost make it out in the photo but the white wire hides the number.  Written in red, does it say 5H, 4H or some other number?  That is the dial designation.

winkydink

#55
Quote from: Dennis Markham on January 13, 2009, 03:23:07 PM
Look on the back side of the dial.  I can almost make it out in the photo but the white wire hides the number.  Written in red, does it say 5H, 4H or some other number?  That is the dial designation.

As it turns out the dial is a 5H with a date of 5-49.  So keeping score:


Dial:   5-49
Base:  2-47
Ringer: 5-47
Induction Coil:  2Q:40 / Refurb 2Q:58
Shell:  Markings to blurred to tell.

Dennis Markham

By the way.........those A's on the base and ringer mean it was made in Atlanta.

winkydink

Quote from: Dennis Markham on January 13, 2009, 06:43:24 PM
By the way.........those A's on the base and ringer mean it was made in Atlanta.

Cool !

winkydink

I was examining my junker/parts phone a little while ago, when I made a discovery.  It seems that ALL the parts are dated December 1947.  The shell, the ringer, the induction coil, the base, even the transmitter and receiver in the handset.

I just hooked up a new mounting cord and connected it to an outlet and I was able to get a dial tone, dail out and have good sound.

The major downfall to this set is as follows

  • There is a crack in the shell in the front right corner
  • I am missing the 2 ringer bells
  • I am missing 2 screws to the dialer
  • the handset cord needs to be replaced

I will open up a new thread with pictures of the phone.  The big question is how unusual is it to have matching dates for all components in a phone.  Even with the crack (photos coming) is it worth keeping this phone together?

If it is worth keeping together, then I will (probably would anyway) go and buy another junker 302 for parts etc.


winkydink

The feet have been sent away to be recovered, and sanding the scratch out is the next order of buisness.

Film at 11:00.