Hopefully not a Repro....

[Partyline4]

So if you didn't know, I bought a "102" recently, and was able to get my money back immediately after learning that it was in fact, a FAKE, but very convincing 102 made by phonecoinc.

I saw this brass western electric sitting here with no attention, maybe too close to the cap on price? I didn't think so, though. I looked over the images carefully, and even consulted old man's website on how to tell if one is a repro, and I couldn't see anything crazy...

It seems these go for a lot less when stripped down to the brass. You can see in the photos that it used to have the black paint on the base, and has been stripped?

I think I could probably tinker with it, and have a nice phone on my hands...Maybe some black paint?

What do YOU think?

https://www.ebay.com/itm/292415420656

[Partyline4]

One thing I just realized was that maybe the shipping costs could have thrown things out of wack at that price...

It's in VA, I'm in NC, so it was $20 shipping....CA would be, according to eBay, $100 

[WEBellSystemChristian]

Nope, it definitely looks like a r.....




.....eal, authentic candlestick to me!

A good rule of thumb for candlesticks is; there is almost zero chance of a candlestick being repro if it's manual. The idea of repro phones is that anyone can buy one, and be able to hook it up and use it. You can't exactly use a phone without a dial!

Even with shipping, you got a great deal! Can't wait to see how it turns out!

[Haf]

A good rule of thumb for candlesticks is; there is almost zero chance of a candlestick being repro if it's manual. The idea of repro phones is that anyone can buy one, and be able to hook it up and use it. You can't exactly use a phone without a dial!

...but it can still be a Frankenphone, even if manual

Haf

[Partyline4]

Alright!

I will go over it once it arrives. I would like to repaint it Black

Sorry to get off topic, but what type of paint would you guys use???

I found a good thread about repainting metal phones.

[Butch Harlow]

It looks like a 20AL with a bulldog transmitter on it. It needs some work, but parts are readily available from a number of sources. I just went through refurbishing one of these, it was fun and in the end is gorgeous and functional. I did research the black paint. It was an asphaltum japanning method, the same as model T Fords. To duplicate it identically is a suicide mission. It's quite toxic. The best modern facsimile I found was Dupli Color DE1635. You can do a low temperature bake of the final coated parts to harden the ceramic in the paint. I got mine all polished up and decided I like it that way for now.

[Partyline4]

Got her in today. Looks better than I thought, with everything intact. Receiver and transmitter are not original to phone. The recevier is similar to a 302. Transmitter is the bulldog. Body has been pickling for a few minutes to get the corrosion off. I will buy new cords, and new felt for this one. Gonna try my hand at "restoring". We'll see.

[Partyline4]

Found this while looking closely over her...Didn't notice it to begin with..Anything special?..Looks good after a long pickling in vinegar. Cleaned it up NICE.

Also, it looks like the receiver was made from 302 parts... I'm guessing not original to the 20AL, also like the Bulldog transmitter it's got....We'll see.

[rdelius]

The receiver is a 706 type  used to upgrade the sets like the "bulldog" transmitter

[Partyline4]

The receiver is a 706 type  used to upgrade the sets like the "bulldog" transmitter

Oh, so the setup is like an upgraded version? Better sound quality?

[TelePlay]

Oh, so the setup is like an upgraded version? Better sound quality?

Yes, both the Bulldog (with an F1 element) and the HA-1 (which replaced the electromagnet diaphragm) have better sound quality. They transmit and receive much higher frequencies than their predecessors.

[Partyline4]

I used 2 coats of primer, and 2 coats of Black lacquer spray paint, and she turned out better than the pictures show.  Baked in the oven for an hour at 300 really stuck the paint to all the parts. Everything was cleaned before painting. Found out in the process of hooking it up I have a bad receiver element. Everything should work fine once my parts 302 gets in through the mail. I kept the original cords because I like that old look. Still need to find some felt for the bottom. I like it. 

[Pourme]

Another old phone saved for future generations. I like to keep the original cords when I can as well.

Benny

[WEBellSystemChristian]

Looks great, Benny!

I didn't notice the earlier perch before. Great looking phone, and the old cords are a nice touch!