Mounting a Payphone- Please Help

[WesternElectricBen]

Hi everybody,

I have finally been motivated to hang up at least my payphone with the wood back plate (w/ bell box.) And I have seen the manual on how to hang one, but I have lost it.

I was wondering, does anyone have any ideas they use to mount payphones in my configuration. I know I will have to mount it to the stud but what type of hard ware should I use, where should I install the hardware etc.

Thank you,
Ben  

[Phonesrfun]

I would use some good wood screws that can go through the sheet rock and get at least an inch or inch and a half of a bite into at least one stud.  The phone is narrower than your standard stud placement width, so at least get a stud on one side or the other.  Preferably three along that edge.... top middle and bottom.  On the other side. use the plastic anchors, also of good size, to stabilize the phone.  Remember the phone is heavy.  You probably do not want to do just plastic anchors.  Get at least one stud.  Also, avoid a wall with vibration.  I have a friend who just lost a pricey wood wall phone that he had mounted next to his front door.  A carpenter came to upgrade the door jamb and weather stripping and while he was working, it caused the wall next to the door to shake hard enough that the phone came loose and hit the tile floor.  The payphone weighs at least as much as a heavy wood wall phone.

Make sure to use a level. 

I believe the BSP has a standard of how high the top of the phone (Excluding sign) should be mounted.  I don't remember what that standard is, but someone will have it.  The top of mine measures 61" from the floor, but I don't remember if I did it according to BSP standards or not.

If you plan on connecting it, make sure to get the wire in place before you hang the phone.  From the looks of it, you should be able to do the wall work with the phone off the backboard, but just with the cast aluminum back plane for the phone screwed to the wood back board.  That will make the work of hanging it a bit easier because you won't have to balance the full weight of the phone while marking and getting screw holes started.

I can show you details of mine if you wish.

[WesternElectricBen]

Thank you very much, I think I get what your saying.

But, specifically should I drill new holes or use the ones I can see under the bells and over. Though, it would seem kind of weird not having any screws on the top as I don't see any holes, I'm assuming there is a place to mount some inside the actual phone.

I plan to put it over my desk, a bit higher than usual I might have it hooked up, but mostly for display.

Ben

[Phonesrfun]

I went to mine and looked at how I mounted it.  First, mine does not have the wood back board.  The  backplane for mine is mounted directly to the wall with f wood screws.  Second, I put those 4 wood screws in 4 holes along the center of the back plane.

Photo one is my wall phone hanging there.  Notice that the wall is a flimsy thin wood panel, and not sheet rock.  Your screws should be long enough to accommodate the thickness of the sheet rock if that is the kind of wall you are attaching it to.

The second picture zooms in on one of four heavy machine screws that attach the lower housing to the metal back plane.  One in each of four corners of the upper housing.

The third picture shows the sizes of the screws against a quarter.  The steel Phillips-head wood screw is what I have 4 of attaching the metal back plane to the wall.  The brass machine screw is one of the four that attach the upper housing to the back plane.

On mine, the subset is attached to a wood back and then to the wall separate from the phone.

Your method will need to be adapted to having the wood back board.

Photos seem to have uploaded out of order.

[Phonesrfun]

Thank you very much, I think I get what your saying.

But, specifically should I drill new holes or use the ones I can see under the bells and over. Though, it would seem kind of weird not having any screws on the top as I don't see any holes, I'm assuming there is a place to mount some inside the actual phone.

I plan to put it over my desk, a bit higher than usual I might have it hooked up, but mostly for display.

Ben

I can't tell by your picture what original holes the back board has in it.  If the backboard is original, I would try to stay with the original holes.  How is the phone mounted to the back board?

[WesternElectricBen]

I will take some pics, my friend did this so It might not be perfect.

I take it, I will only need to buy the steel screws, because I already have the phone mounted to the wood and it's all solid.

Now let me take a pic.

Ben

[WesternElectricBen]

Okay, I think you can see the mounting points in Pic one, though there might be one under the bell box covering. (it would look nicer not seeing the screws)

And the second one shows that I have found where I need to put the screws in to mount the upper half, I just need to drill out the wood.

Ben

[Phonesrfun]

Your phone is mounted to a metal back plane by those 4 large machine screws.  The back plane is, in turn mounted to the wood back board.  You want to attach the wood back board to the wall with the phone off the metal back plane.

If you remove the 4 large screws that attach the upper housing to the metal back plane, see if there are holes for screws you cannot currently see with the phone in place.  I would definitely take the phone off the metal back plane before attaching the wood to the wall.

[WesternElectricBen]

Okay, I will do that. So what your saying is, the holes that are there and not there are not the correct ones?

I will pull off the payphone with the screws, but then if I find the holes I should just mount it with those?

Ben

[WesternElectricBen]

Alright, I put it on it's flip side and I see the holes, so I will use those to mount the phone.

So pretty much, it won't be that heavy when I mount it because I will only have the bell box and the wood to mount and then later add the payphone on?

Ben

[Phonesrfun]

Okay, I will do that. So what your saying is, the holes that are there and not there are not the correct ones?

.... but then if I find the holes I should just mount it with those?

Ben

Please understand that I think this should be taken as a guide to what to look for.  Ultimately, you will need to decide the best way to mount it, given the circumstances.  

So, here is what I would do:

1.  Disconnect the wire inside the phone that goes to the subset.  WRITE IT ALL DOWN BEFORE DOING SO!
2.  Remove the phone from the metal back plane, and set it aside
3.  Remove the metal back plane from the wood back board and set it aside.  This gets you down to just the wood itself plus the ringer.  This will make the project manageable in terms of weight and how unwieldy these things can be.
4.  Look at all the existing screw holes and determine where the stud in the wall is located and see if the existing holes can be used with some good wood screws to get a good and level mounting in the place you want it.  If the existing holes will not fit, make new holes as needed.
5.  Once the back board is securely mounted to the wall, re attach the metal back plane to the wood back board with its accompanying wood screws you removed in step #3.
6.  Re-mount the upper housing of the phone to the metal back plane using the 4 machine screws.
7.  Reconnect the wires to the subset using the notes you made in step 1.

That should do it.

[WesternElectricBen]

Thank you, it's all so clear now.

Ben

[Phonesrfun]

I am looking forward to seeing a picture of the finished product.

[WesternElectricBen]

Me too, my dad doesn't want to take me out today to get the screws but I have measured exactly what we will need.

2 inch long with a .5 inch countersunk head. I'd say that we need at least 2-3 of the screws?

Ben

[Phonesrfun]

...... I'd say that we need at least 2-3 of the screws?

Ben

If you can get 4 to fit, I'd say the more the merrier.  3 will probably work, but you want to be concerned about safety, and you don't want it to become damaged from coming off the wall.  Do you have little kids in the house?  If so, make sure it is not where they can try to hang on it.