The Dead Princess

[vivi]

Hi everyone! Sorry to be absent for a few days... the weekends are not mine, literally! So today I got back to my little phone project and realized that the only thing that I didn't test before I declared victory on Friday was the ringer..... well guess what? It doesn't work! 

Now, I felt bad coming here just to keep pestering my nice fellow citizens so I did my googling, reading the porticus website and I can't make it ring. It answers the incoming call but it won't ring.  Now, the porticus website suggests "Connect a jumper wire from terminal L1 to G".... so I don't know what a "jumper wire" is exactly but the only other wire on L1 is a another green wire (next to the green one from the phone jack line). So I unhooked it from there and placed it on G but then the phone doesn't work at all. So I put it back and it works. I think that green wire comes from the handset.

Anyhow, from the ringer come a black wire and a red wire. Both are connected as porticus website diagrams show. So what do I do? there are 2 other wires coming from the ringer and these are insulated and stored as per the diagram as well.

So what else? remember I have the phone temporarily hard wired with the 4 wire modular wire (until I get my adaptor for the original 5 wire cord).   

Any other ideas? 
THANKS!

[Dennis Markham]

Vivi, I have ringer wires connected like this:

Red wire to K
Black Wire to G

Vivi, if you've read this in the past 10 minutes I just changed it.  My notes from a Princess I worked on had the Black ringer going to L1.  I just opened up one of my 702B's and the black wire goes to G.  I haven't consulted the schematic.  If you can try Red to K, Black to G and see what happens.

[vivi]

  YAY Dennis! Black wire from G to L1 it was! I had them at Black G, Red K and that didn't work. Black to L1 did it. So on L1 I now have 2 green wires and the ringer's black wire. I must say.... what a wonderful ring she makes!! THANK YOU!!!

Dennis ... do you know any other way of taking the dial wheel off these phones besides using the clip in the little hole method? I can't get this one off. The paper clip "misses" the metal tab and slides down besides it. I have almost made permanent indentations on the balls of my fingers trying to do this   . Is there any OTHER way of doing this? The # plate, the dial wheel could both use some cleaning (and or replacement) and I would like to put my number on the card instead of the one on there but FOR THE LIFE OF ME (and my fingers) I can't get the clippie trick to work for me.  Any help with that? or should I leave it alone?

Lastly, before I ever got the cord to be able to plug this little pain of mine into the wall, I had been perusing your forum and read about the oxygenation methods of cleaning the badly discolored phones and decided to try a soaking version of the process since there was nothing else I could do to / or with my new acquisition.  I bought the hydrogen peroxide at Sally's beauty supply (20% clear liquid), added oxy clean powder and soaked a very yellow phone casing (body), handle and the two screw on caps in a flat plastic container covering them in the liquid out in the scorching texas sun for 1 1/2 days straight..... and now I wouldn't call the color SNOW white but it sure looks white to me  ! The cord was cleaned but looks pretty yellow and the dial /#plate are pretty yellow too. Anyhow, just so you see how much you guys have helped me already!  

[Dennis Markham]

Well Vivi, all's well that ends well.  My suggestion was to put black to G after having told you to put it to L1 (I changed it based upon one of my phones).  So you put black to L1 and it work, right?

As far as the paper clip that's the best way.  Sometimes the little tab that you have to push down gets bent.  You just have to fiddle with it until you get it.  Bending the paper clip helps.  I have also use a long thin object (like a knife blade) to release the tab from underneath the finger wheel.  That's a last resort.  Just be patient and keep fiddling with it---you'll get it off.  (To push down on the paper clip, I often use needle nosed pliers to get a better grip...and to avoid getting permanent indentations in my fingers. 

Don't force anything or you will break it.  I often look at it under a magnifying glass. I have one of those donut shaped magnifying glasses with a tube light around it...it's attached to my bench and really comes in handy.

Sounds like you're an expert telephone repair person now!  Good job.  Let's see some photos of the final product after you are finished.

[vivi]

   LOL... expert! no way Dennis! Just not afraid to try new things! My husband thinks I went crazy.....

I will keep at the clip.... yikes! what pain!
I promise pictures tomorrow.... just don't laugh at my color difference between the cord and the body.... I don't know if I want to deal with disassembling that to really whiten it. The wires under the plastics in this phone already look like a bowl of spaghetti which is bad .... I will try to arrange how they lie but if I keep rewiring and "digging" thru it I don't know how it will end up. he, he, he! I need one of those magnifying glasses with light  but of course, a work bench would be nice too! Oh well, one step at a time, one phone at a time. Did I mention phone #3 is on the way..... Hubby not happy with me . I'm stopping, I promise .
thanks again!
Vivi

[vivi]

I should explain, hubby upset because phone #1 didn't work (until Friday it sat in bowl of peroxide), phone #2 has not come in yet and phone #3 was paid for last night..... this is what he looks at me like  .

Good night!

[Doug Rose]

  LOL... expert! no way Dennis! Just not afraid to try new things! My husband thinks I went crazy.....

I will keep at the clip.... yikes! what pain!
I promise pictures tomorrow.... just don't laugh at my color difference between the cord and the body.... I don't know if I want to deal with disassembling that to really whiten it. The wires under the plastics in this phone already look like a bowl of spaghetti which is bad .... I will try to arrange how they lie but if I keep rewiring and "digging" thru it I don't know how it will end up. he, he, he! I need one of those magnifying glasses with light  but of course, a work bench would be nice too! Oh well, one step at a time, one phone at a time. Did I mention phone #3 is on the way..... Hubby not happy with me . I'm stopping, I promise .
thanks again!
Vivi

Vivi....if the cord has discolored or is very dirty, try some 409 with a fine steel wool and slide the wet steel wool back and forth on the cord. This will, hopefully, get your cords closer the color of the phone. Keep the steel wool off the plastics!..good luck...Doug

[KeithB]

 LOL... expert! no way Dennis! Just not afraid to try new things!

That's half the battle, sometimes.  You absolutely have to be willing to take a chance.

I should explain, hubby upset because phone #1 didn't work (until Friday it sat in bowl of peroxide), phone #2 has not come in yet and phone #3 was paid for last night..... this is what he looks at me like  .

Every vintage phone collector / restorer / lover knows that expression all too well.  

Welcome to the club, and congratulations on reviving your slumbering Princess!!

[jsowers]

Vivi, Are you turning the fingerwheel all the way clockwise (dialing a 0) before you insert the paper clip? You didn't say, so I thought I would ask. Also some paper clips are more bendy than others. Try an old one if you have any others to try. To get the tab more where you want it, you can push the fingerwheel a little, forward or reverse, when it hits the stop on either side. That should move the tab into the center. Then crank it all the way clockwise, push down on the paper clip and turn it some more clockwise and it should come loose.

And do be careful with a knife in there. That clear number ring is fairly brittle and scratches very easily. I've used a small screwdriver with a long shaft in there before with some success.

Most Princess dials could use a cleaning out on top. And some hot water, soap and an old toothbrush will make the fingerwheel sparkle. You will find getting the new number card in there straight a little tedious. But not nearly as hard as getting the fingerwheel off the first time.

Just some thoughts from someone who's been there and done that. I once had a fingerwheel that someone had put glue or cement into the release hole. That one was murder to get off, but I finally did and was able to poke the glue out from behind once the fingerwheel was off. Good luck!

[Dan]

Try one of those pins with the plastic on the end that you post things on a bulletin board. I'm sure you know what I am talking about. The metal on them is tougher than a paper clip and I don't use a clip anymore.

[vivi]

 LOL... expert! no way Dennis! Just not afraid to try new things!

That's half the battle, sometimes.  You absolutely have to be willing to take a chance.

I should explain, hubby upset because phone #1 didn't work (until Friday it sat in bowl of peroxide), phone #2 has not come in yet and phone #3 was paid for last night..... this is what he looks at me like  .

Every vintage phone collector / restorer / lover knows that expression all too well.  

Welcome to the club, and congratulations on reviving your slumbering Princess!!

Thanks Keith! I don't feel so alone in this anymore since I found this forum and certainly not now. I have Bill and Dennis to thank for waking up my Princess... I think that she's not the best looking Princess out there but sure lovely to me since she is my first and has taken some real work to get her up to par (especially for me.... ).  And I am willing to try anything once and this time it sure has paid off! Thanks for the encouragement!

Doug- I will try this for the cord. It can't hurt to get it whiter... especially near the mouthpiece -it's really yellow/brown, maybe previous owner was a smoker.  Thanks for the tip. Need to go buy the steel scrubber.

Vivi, Are you turning the fingerwheel all the way clockwise (dialing a 0) before you insert the paper clip? You didn't say, so I thought I would ask. Also some paper clips are more bendy than others. Try an old one if you have any others to try. To get the tab more where you want it, you can push the fingerwheel a little, forward or reverse, when it hits the stop on either side. That should move the tab into the center. Then crank it all the way clockwise, push down on the paper clip and turn it some more clockwise and it should come loose.

And do be careful with a knife in there. That clear number ring is fairly brittle and scratches very easily. I've used a small screwdriver with a long shaft in there before with some success.

Most Princess dials could use a cleaning out on top. And some hot water, soap and an old toothbrush will make the fingerwheel sparkle. You will find getting the new number card in there straight a little tedious. But not nearly as hard as getting the fingerwheel off the first time.

Just some thoughts from someone who's been there and done that. I once had a fingerwheel that someone had put glue or cement into the release hole. That one was murder to get off, but I finally did and was able to poke the glue out from behind once the fingerwheel was off. Good luck!

Jeezz GLUE??? what for??... crazy! I have turned it clockwise all the way but the tab is a little back or behind where the clip comes down and therefore the clip just passes it. I AM so afraid of putting too much pressure and breaking it. But I will try your tricks. I have a screwdriver I am tempted to use but will try it when all else has failed or my fingers are cut in half from the clips..... HATE IT.  Thanks for the ideas! I will report I am successful today doing this.

Also, as I promised Dennis, I will take pics of the phone (a little later, when there's a little more natural light in the house) and let you all see the "revived" princess.  

Ciao!
THANKS!!

[vivi]

Dan- a thumbtack? Will try... let me find one.
THANKS!

[HarrySmith]

Sometimes I have found when you think you have turned the fingerwheel all the way it will actually turn a bit further with some added pressure. Do not put a finger in the hole, grab it from the outside and try to turn it further. I have also had some that just pop off when I do that. Good luck
Also my condolences, you are in the midst of full blown "phoneitis"
Tell your husband to sit back and enjoy the ride, this is just the beginning and there is no known cure

[vivi]

Sometimes I have found when you think you have turned the fingerwheel all the way it will actually turn a bit further with some added pressure. Do not put a finger in the hole, grab it from the outside and try to turn it further. I have also had some that just pop off when I do that. Good luck
Also my condolences, you are in the midst of full blown "phoneitis"
Tell your husband to sit back and enjoy the ride, this is just the beginning and there is no known cure

BINGO HARRY!! got the wheel off by grabbing it like you said and just turning hard!  Off to cleaning it I go... she's a bit crackled... may need a new one !!

Well, phoneitis, is that right? I guess just another ailment I need to add to my list of things that affect me and that have no known cure! he,he,he!! 

Thanks for the help; really appreciate it!
Vivi

[vivi]

Harry, how do i take the number plate off? Duh, I always bid farewell just to turn around to keep bugging.... sorry.