finally found a 5302

[Eman]

http://tinyurl.com/3z9wxlv


looks like its gonna be quite the adventure to get back into good condition - maybe someone slapped the 5302 case on a non-dial 302?

[Phonesrfun]

By definition, a 5302 is a 302 with a different cover.  So, it is probably an authentic 5302, but you're right about it being a little on the "rough" side.

[paul-f]

I don't recall seeing reference to a manual 5302 in the BSPs or WE marketing literature.  5302s were, however, sold to independents, who often modified them as needed.

Sets have been reported with 95B apparatus blanks or even non-WE blanks.  See:
  http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=3546.msg47247#msg47247

  http://www.paul-f.com/500blanks.html

Sometimes the white numbers and letters were painted over if the original number ring was left in place.

[Greg G.]

Actually, it doesn't look that bad.  I think some of the "rough" look is actually reflections of trees and the sky, it looks like the picture was taken outdoors, which means the cover is still shiny.  The base itself is a good candidate for a soak in CLR, since most of the original paint, date stamp and markings are gone anyway.  

Except for the base, mine was in worse shape.  http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=3039.0

[Eman]

On closer inspection I think you're right Brinybay, it does look like its outside. I think I'll try your CLR method.

If I should decide to find a dial for it, what would be the best to use? Assuming I find a dial with the numbers all worn off, would painting it black be considered wrong?

[GG]

Eman, 5302s used 5H or 6 dials, same as the 302 they started out as.  Either would be fine. 

There are sources for self-adhesive plastic overlays for number plates, some of which may include the "black background with white dots" version used on 5302s.  However, here's how to turn a worn regular numberplate into something quasi-acceptable for a 5302:

Scrub the worn numberplate using a little dish detergent (not Comet or other abrasive cleaners) on a dedicated toothbrush and rinse well and let dry to bone-dry condition.  Go to the hardware store and get some "Contact" self-adhesive shelf plastic in black.  You may have to buy a whole yard of the stuff but it's cheap.  Cut out a 4" square of it.  Peel off the backing and stick it right onto the clean & dry numberplate.  Smooth it down and rub to be sure it fully adheres and is flat.  Next take an X-acto knife and very carefully trim off the excess from both outside and inside, taking special care around the odd inside hole shape and around the cutout for the dial fingerstop. 

Now what you've just produced is a plain black numberplate, minus the white dots.  I don't know of any good way to get white dots on there that'll look quite right, but plain black is acceptable and functional until you come up with an original. 

And in the event you have to do this using a numberplate that's readable enough to be recoverable, you can always peel off the Contact plastic and there should be no harm to the numberplate. 

General rule for restoring old telephones: Don't make modifications that can't be reversed easily to get the item back into the as-found condition.  The Contact plastic mod for the numberplate is fully reversible and harmless. 

[paul-f]

If I should decide to find a dial for it, what would be the best to use? Assuming I find a dial with the numbers all worn off, would painting it black be considered wrong?

The proper dials for the 5300-series are the 5M or 6H dials.  They are equipped with a 164C number plate, which is black with white dots.

You should be able to find the number plates in the collector community, as several folks remove dials from 5302s to use on other phones.  They replace the 164C plates with other styles. 

[Eman]

Well it arrived, no worse than the auction pictures showed. Parts on base date from 1-41, while the handset has mixed dates from 45 thru 48. I'm assuming it was used by an independent, as it has both an F1W handset and no bell system markings on the back. Pictures show temporary line cord while I was working on removing the heavily corroded 4 prong plug.

As this is my first phone older than a 500, is the ringer bracket supposed to be loose on the rivets? or was there rubber on them at one point?

http://stuff.r-type.ca/phones/HPIM1645.JPG
http://stuff.r-type.ca/phones/HPIM1646.JPG
http://stuff.r-type.ca/phones/HPIM1647.JPG
http://stuff.r-type.ca/phones/HPIM1648.JPG
http://stuff.r-type.ca/phones/HPIM1649.JPG
http://stuff.r-type.ca/phones/HPIM1650.JPG
http://stuff.r-type.ca/phones/HPIM1651.JPG

[GG]

The ringer is screwed into a bracket with a single screw between the gongs.  The bracket should be mounted with rivets to the baseplate, plus or minus some kind of rubber in between.  If the whole assembly bracket and all, is loose, the bracket will have to be re-attached to its original mounting points.  This you might be able to do with small machine screws & nuts, but watch the length of the screws to be sure they don't poke the ringer coils and kill the ringer.  Be very careful when sizing up screws for this, WE occasionally did these types of things with very tight tolerances.   If Paul F or one of the other major experts here has a suggestion, follow his suggestion rather than mine.   

First time i've ever seen a 5302 with round base feet.  That means your phone was last reconditioned in the mid 1960s and then put back into service; it probably lived in its last installation until the 80s.  I once saw one in service at a Radio Snack store in the mid 70s that had Bell marks on it and I was very curious because I'd never seen one before that, but in any case yours was probably in service longer. 

It's difficult to tell from your photo but if the hookswitch plungers are clear, that's a rare variation; most of them are black.  Clear ones were used on other colors of 5302 e.g. white, pink, blue, etc., which are rare these days.

Minus the words "Bell System" it was almost certainly in use by an independent telco.

The rusty baseplate is going to need new paint, in which case mask off the feet.  Rust-oleum is good; but it should be a paint that will not rub off if the phone gets parked on a cloth surface for example on a couch while you're having a long conversation. 

Uh, guys, i just discovered something.  The 5302 I have sitting here, which I've known had a '37 induction coil in it, also has a '37 baseplate, completely flat except for where the ringer is mounted, four rivets and four large holes through which are seen the round bits on the bottom of the bracket.  I'm highly tempted to swap parts to get that base a 302 housing etc., but it's already labeled 5302-G, so it's a great example of Bell recycling as it is... the handset parts range from 1940s through '58  ....what to do....?

[Dennis Markham]

Eman, once you remove the ringer, take a look at the bracket below.  What often happens is the rubber around the ringer supports dries up and cracks causing the ringer bracket to "float" inside the phone.

What I have done to make a simple yet effective repair is to go to the local hardware store and pick up some O-rings.  I bought several sizes until I found ones that worked the best.  I just chipped out all the old dried up rubber with a screw driver and then popped new O-rings over the supports.  It does the trick.  

The ones here appear to be a little too "fat" but they worked fine.  You can find them in the plumbing department.

[Eman]

The bracket is definitely loose as the ringer is tightly attached to it. I was considering drilling the rivets for when I repaint the base, but after seeing Dennis' reply I think i can fix this without drilling anything.

The round feet are quite nasty. They all have cracks, however they are screwed on, so no drilling to remove them. Or so I thought, took the screwdriver to remove them and the bolts cracked. Looks like I'm gonna have to find a set of 302 feet now.

Hookswitch plungers are unfortunately just black bakelite, took a bit of work to get them to stop sticking tho.

I have some left over Dupli-Color Acrylic Enamel paint that I used to paint a 554 backplate, I liked the results, so I'm thinking of using the same stuff on this.

GG: I think I'd leave your 5302 as it is, seeing as its marked 5302...