WE 20AL from Goodwill

[Ed Morris]

I recently found this Western Electric 20AL candlestick on Goodwill's online auction site.  It came with a modular line cord attached, and suprisingly, I got a dial tone when I plugged into a phone jack.

The base is in poor cosmetic condition, but the rest is in pretty fair condition, except the receiver.  It is a plastic with brass trim receiver from a cheap replica.  It also appears to have been filled with what looks like plaster of Paris, maybe to add some weight?  I'm sure I will replace it with an original receiver if I can find one.  The transmitter is a WE 323.  I don't think the coiled handset cord is correct, and will probably replace it and the line cord with cloth cord.

I won't be able to do much with it now as I'm getting ready to go out of town for a while, but I will begin some restoration work when I get back home.

[LarryInMichigan]

The Hammond Stewardess in the background caught me attention.  Was it repainted?

Larry

[Ed Morris]

Hi, Larry,

Yes, I repainted it to match my Hallicrafters S-20R, although it looks a lighter in the photo below, but it's the same color.  The original black paint was in poor shape, and although I can usually repair electric clock motors, this one was beyond salvation.  It has a quartz movement in it for the time being.  I have the original Hammond hands if I can find a good motor for it.

[HarrySmith]

Nice find. Yes, they will work without a subset but it is not good for it. The neat part is the dial card holder, most do not have them. Can we ask whet you paid for it?

[Ed Morris]

Goodwill had it with a BIN price of $40, something they rarely do.  I don't think that was a bad price, but I'd be happier if it had the original receiver.

[HarrySmith]

Good price! If you are patient you can get a receiver on eBay cheap. Someone here might have one for you also.

[LarryInMichigan]

Hi, Larry,

Yes, I repainted it to match my Hallicrafters S-20R, although it looks a lighter in the photo below, but it's the same color.  The original black paint was in poor shape, and although I can usually repair electric clock motors, this one was beyond salvation.  It has a quartz movement in it for the time being.  I have the original Hammond hands if I can find a good motor for it.

That extreme art deco Hammond model is in high demand and sells for high prices.  I have one in red.  The movement is the same as was used in all the Hammond synchronous clocks from 1932 on.  I often find junk Hammond clocks at estate sales and flea markets and buy them for the parts.  The movements are fairly simple.  What was wrong or broken in this this clock?

Larry

[Ed Morris]

Larry, I've forgotten now.  I think it had the open rotor movement, and I don't think the issue was in the clock gear movement itself, but with the motor.  I just wouldn't run reliably as I recall.  I have Craig Shield's Hammond repair book, but I couldn't fix it.  I've worked on Telechron and United/Sessions motors, usually with success, but I had no luck with this one.  I'm sure I kept the motor, but I'm not even sure where at the moment.  My memory isn't as reliable as it used to be.

[Ed Morris]

Well, I finally found time to finish up this 20AL I bought last February.  I found a better handset, although I'm not sure which model it is.  The only marking is 706A on the inside of the cup, and the receiver is dated July 17, 1945.  The audio quality is suprisingly good.

I left the paint original, except for the base, which was pretty far gone, and the dial card holder.  I stripped both of those.  I repainted the base.  After the paint dried for a couple days, I wet sanded the base with 2000 grit paper, than buffed with 000 steel wool.  This took away the new paint shine and ended up matching the original paint very closely.

I took a couple artistic liberties with the dial card holder.  I was going to repaint it, but decided to leave it polished brass with a coat of clear lacquer.  I can always paint it if I change my mind.  I used a Dremel brush to remove the paint from the copper engraved builder's plate under the mouthpiece for an aesthetic touch.

The handset came with a cloth cord, and I added the cloth line cord.

 

[Ed Morris]

As I mentioned in the post above, except for the repainted base, the paint is original.  After cleaning the other parts, I buffed and polished them with Novus #2, which restored a pretty good shine to the old paint.

I made a dial card from one I had for a rotary dial.  With some trimming, it fit in the holder.

[Dan/Panther]

Boy Ed that cleaned up nice.

D/P

[19and41]

That is a mighty attractive phone!

[oldguy]

Beautiful restoration Ed.

[tubaman]

Top job on the base paint - it looks good without being obviously new - how did you achieve that?

[Ed Morris]

After the paint dried on the base coat, I wet sanded with 2000 grit paper, then buffed with 000 steel wool.   This dulled the new paint.  A final polish with Novus #2 gave it some shine, closely matching the original paint.