Western Electric metal wall phone: my 1st old phone

[Futuralon]

I'm linking to an ALBUM: http://imgur.com/a/Gwln7

Click on any photo and it will enlarge to massive proportions. There's one photo of the phone and a dozen of the guts - but not everything.

The story:
Kay, so I like old stuff. A few weeks ago I was so outrageously bored that I browsed the local auction website. Most of the stuff is usually ugly, junk, both, or construction materials. Then there it was: an old phone. Had to have it. Lost the auction. Winner must not have paid because it came back up for sale. Won it. Picked it up.

Initial assessment:
This phone is old. Wires are all dirty and brown now and are hard to sort out. Someone has attempted repairs in modern era - the receiver cord is cloth covered but the two inside wires are vinyl covered. The wall cord is vinyl but has no terminals on the wall end. All the other parts are not modern. Cosmetically, there's no cracks in any of the bakelite. There appears to be original paint (powdercoat?), covered in black spray paint, speckled with white wall paint... what a mess. The only visible brass part, the finger stop, is pitted. Dial plate with has a faded 1 but is otherwise fine with no chips or scratches..

First test:
The only way to test this bad boy at my house is to plug it in to the Obihai VOIP box and send a call from a cell phone. (Got the box as a gift a while back; found a free touch tone 1980s desk phone; that setup works, with my Google Voice number.). First we attached the vinyl cord to a modular jack... cube. Then we plugged it in. It went ding once on connection but that's it, no noticeable response.

First exploratory surgery:
I have removed and checked the continuity of the transmitter element and the receiver element - both seem sound enough. Ringer wiring seems OK, bias spring rusted apart. Ringer parts seem sound. Rotary dial is initially difficult to turn but returns smoothly. Dead bugs fell out. Sprayed with contact cleaner. Now turns like butter. Have not checked the hook switch or the remaining wiring. Have removed most of the wasp nest mud.

Prognosis:
Exploration is still ongoing, please hold. Very interested in hearing opinions and advice!

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EDIT:  main pictures attached here for long term forum posterity

[poplar1]

The transmitter and receiver are the type installed in the 1940s: See 1947 date on the receiver unit. The capsule F1 transmitter and HA1 receiver units are the same ones used in the 302 desk set (ca. 1937-1954).  The fabric covered cord with rubber or neoprene covered conductors is typical of Western Electric cords from about 1937-1950. It's probably been on that phone for many years.

The gray wire, which is the type used for wiring in houses, etc. is much newer. It is not connected properly. Someone tried to follow the colors, but, in fact, you need to connect the line to L1 and L2Y. Normally, red would connect to L1 and green to L2Y in this model. (Yellow would have connected to GND, and the black wire would not have been used.)

The ringer wire that is on GND will also need to be moved (probably to L1) if you want the phone to ring with the line properly connected to L1 and L2Y.

[Futuralon]

Fabulous, this is exactly the kind of help we needed. Thank you.

Now, I cannot read all four labels on the top piece of wood (to which the grey wall wire was connected). What are they, left to right? I see GND, YL2, ?? and ?K.

[poplar1]

GND. YL2 K BK

[unbeldi]

Very nice find, congrats.

Having the new—well, relatively speaking—transducers installed (HA1 receiver and F1 transmitter) should make it very usable instrument.

Can you see the date on the 4H dial ?  It should be stamped in red ink somewhere close the brass governor. Perhaps it will be necessary to remove the dial to see it, though. It may provide you a clue as to the original re-manufacturing time of the set.  It was previously a 553-type, not a 653. The difference is the type of electric circuit used. Given that it still has the 146 induction coil, I would think this will come out to somewhere between 1931 and 1935.

The dates on the parts, 1947, might also give you a clue as to when that telephone number changed from the 4-digit number on the hidden card to the new number for the KEystone exchange. Notice that both cards have the same station number, 3888.    1947 was the year that AT&T finalized plans for the North American Numbering Plan, with the eventual goal of providing direct distance dialing to customers.  As a consequence all telephone numbers in North America had be changed to a new consistent format, called the 2-letters-5-numbers (2L5N) format, which is the format of your  KEYSTONE 5-3888 number.  In the conversion they added the full central office prefix 535. In which part of the country did you find the set ?  Keystone was a fairly common exchange name, so I won't try to guess, but if you know the state of origin, we can probably nail it down very closely to a town.

The number face plate of the dial has a date too. You will see it when you remove the finger wheel.

I would try to polish the paint of the housing with black KIWI shoe polish paste to give it a fresh appearance.  It seems to be in good overall shape in any case, the paint splashes can probably be easily removed.

[andre_janew]

The wasp's nest is an indication that this phone has not been used for a long time.  The dial will need to be cleaned and lubricated.  The bias spring will need to be replaced.  Just simple stuff that can be easily taken care of. 

[Futuralon]

Here is a video I just took of the phone ringing: https://youtu.be/TxD1cosgRhU

Dingaling.sorry about bad audio - ring must be too loud for the iPad mic. And sorry about the disease-yellow lighting, that's CFLs for ya.

Thanks so much to poplar1, you had just the info we needed. Once we wired it as suggested, we plugged it in, got nothing, troubleshot and found the wall wire itself was no good. Cannibalized another cord (sorry, 1996 at&t bridge monstrosity, you're second string). The phone rang! Who hoo! Could not hear other party, but they could hear us. Troubleshot some more and found a twisted connector causing some kind of short. Sorted that out and success! Can now carry on a conversation with the other party. 

Tried dialing just for the hell of it and the bell rings during the pulse (dial return). ?? That doesn't seem right? Only ever dialed phones in the 1980s but I do watch a lot of old movies... seems wrong. Will take a look at the wiring diagram later.

Oh speaking of mysteries, the ringing is fine without the spring - what is the bias spring supposed to do?

The google voice/obihai VOIP obviously wants nothing to do with pulse, just got a "you're taking too long to dial" error beep. So a pulse to tone converter may be in my future.

Thanks also unbeldi, some things for me to look for.

Overall, feels like a big success and it's amazing how easy it was to fix. Wire something wrong these days and you fry the whole thing.

[unbeldi]

Here is a video I just took of the phone ringing: https://youtu.be/TxD1cosgRhU

Dingaling.sorry about bad audio - ring must be too loud for the iPad mic. And sorry about the disease-yellow lighting, that's CFLs for ya.

Thanks so much to poplar1, you had just the info we needed. Once we wired it as suggested, we plugged it in, got nothing, troubleshot and found the wall wire itself was no good. Cannibalized another cord (sorry, 1996 at&t bridge monstrosity, you're second string). The phone rang! Who hoo! Could not hear other party, but they could hear us. Troubleshot some more and found a twisted connector causing some kind of short. Sorted that out and success! Can now carry on a conversation with the other party. 

Tried dialing just for the hell of it and the bell rings during the pulse (dial return). ?? That doesn't seem right? Only ever dialed phones in the 1980s but I do watch a lot of old movies... seems wrong. Will take a look at the wiring diagram later.

Oh speaking of mysteries, the ringing is fine without the spring - what is the bias spring supposed to do?

The bias spring is supposed to keep it from tapping the gongs while dialing !

When you fix the spring, and if it still taps, try reversing the line polarity.   If you don't have a spring handy and are eager to fix it, try using a rubber band ever so slightly tensioned.

The google voice/obihai VOIP obviously wants nothing to do with pulse, just got a "you're taking too long to dial" error beep. So a pulse to tone converter may be in my future.

Thanks also unbeldi, some things for me to look for.

Overall, feels like a big success and it's amazing how easy it was to fix. Wire something wrong these days and you fry the whole thing.