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AE Nickel Plated Step Base Candlestick

Started by magicbrain, March 02, 2019, 05:12:28 PM

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magicbrain

I received my AE nickel plated step base candlestick purchased on ebay that had been turned into a lamp.
The good - It is in nice shape with the plating in very good condition & the base still contains all its parts.
The bad - The transmitter has been gutted with the cup drilled to mount the lamp socket.
They actually used the original transmitter wires to connect the socket to the hook switch.





Bruce

magicbrain

#1
If anyone has the internal parts I need for the transmitter please let me know.
The receiver that came with it is the type that uses a WE U1 element, but I think I have the right type for it - Correct me if I am wrong.


Bruce

kleenax

Quote from: magicbrain on March 02, 2019, 05:32:33 PM
If anyone has the internal parts I need for the transmitter please let me know.
The receiver that came with it is the type that uses a WE U1 element, but I think I have the right type for it - Correct me if I am wrong.



Those transmitters aren't too difficult to find; you should be able to pick one up at most any of the phone shows. Collector Walt Aydelotte most probably has one; he has about every transmitter & cup you can think of!
Ray Kotke
Recumbent Casting, LLC

kleenax

Quote from: magicbrain on March 02, 2019, 05:32:33 PM
If anyone has the internal parts I need for the transmitter please let me know.
The receiver that came with it is the type that uses a WE U1 element, but I think I have the right type for it - Correct me if I am wrong.



That receiver looks to be the correct one, with the marked American Electric cap. As for your dial, I have one on eBay right now that is MUCH nicer ;-)  https://www.ebay.com/itm/323716482697
Ray Kotke
Recumbent Casting, LLC

TelePlay

IIRC, the dial appears to be a Mercedes without the number card holder.

tubaman

Quote from: magicbrain on March 02, 2019, 05:12:28 PM
...
They actually used the original transmitter wires to connect the socket to the hook switch.

Eek!
I suppose with 120V electrics this isn't so bad, but I got a GPO candlestick that had been 'lamped' a few years ago and they'd done the same on that - and our electric is 240V.
The case wasn't earthed either so any fault would have made the whole thing live!
:o

kleenax

Quote from: TelePlay on March 03, 2019, 12:53:31 AM
IIRC, the dial appears to be a Mercedes without the number card holder.
It is indeed, but it's ugly! ;-)
Ray Kotke
Recumbent Casting, LLC

magicbrain

Quote from: TelePlay on March 03, 2019, 12:53:31 AM
IIRC, the dial appears to be a Mercedes without the number card holder.

This must be the slightly later type 23 dial - As it has the standard threaded mounting holes, which the mercedes dial does not have?
Bruce

Western Bell

Quote from: magicbrain on March 04, 2019, 10:19:29 AM
This must be the slightly later type 23 dial - As it has the standard threaded mounting holes, which the mercedes dial does not have?

Well, not so. This similar Mercedes dial did have those holes and it had 2 long, slotted thumbscrew machine screws holding it to the base.



and here showing the holes unmounted



and both sides of a complete example dial



which except for the missing number card holder on yours looks very much the same to me, unless I am not seeing something major.

This drawing might have been of the earlier Mercedes or Sundburst (very rare dial) models for it does not show the threaded mounting screw holes in the dial



but the mounting screw holes may not have been needed for that drawing, so omitted, or the holes were added after the drawing was produced. Don't know. That's just a guess on my part.

Unlike the common, these days, unsupported opinion type one line reply, just trying to provide information in a reply to help any members who may be interested in this dial or want to learn about it in case they ever find one of these early and somewhat rare Mercedes dials - this IIRC is the second version of dial from AE with the 3rd version being the most common and unchanged over the years.

Maybe AE_Collector can add some dates for the AE dial model numbers here to create a time line of very rare to common AE dials.

The candlestick that had this Mercedes with the number card holder was said to be an AE Type 21 and the dial is a was said to be a Model 1918 Mercedes. So, the 1918 Mercedes did have threaded mounting holes and yours might also be a Model 1918, a somewhat rare and pricey dial just by itself. The Sunburst was the first AE dial, IIRC.

Attached is a comparison of the 1918 Mercedes example dial on the right and your dial on the left.

Hope my taking the time, about a half hour, to research this on the forum for you helps and may dispel any clouds of confusion. If any of the above is wrong, please post a reply correcting the incorrect or misstatement.

I know I appreciate it when other members take the time, make the effort, to provide more than a "like" or an unsupported "guess-opinion" in a topic to help me learn more about these classic rotary phones as I continue to enjoy the hobby. I don't post much but when I find an informed, detailed and supported reply, it really makes the hobby even more fun by making it more easy to learn.

HowardPgh

I think I have one of these phones to help you in your restoration of this one. I got it years ago and set it aside and never did any thing with it. I know its missing its baseplate and the dial is broken. But the transmitter appears intact and the innards of the phone is there. I think the receiver is still with it.
I will post pictures later when I get home from work.
Howard

HowardPgh

This is a picture of the phone I mentioned in my last post. The transmitter is different (3c),it is bigger than the transmitter on yours. The dial is missing the pawl for the ratchet. The receiver is a DC type, it has a hunk missin near the top edge. Magic rain if you're interested in this please PM me.
Howard

magicbrain

Quote from: Western Bell on March 04, 2019, 04:07:12 PM
Hope my taking the time, about a half hour, to research this on the forum for you helps and may dispel any clouds of confusion. If any of the above is wrong, please post a reply correcting the incorrect or misstatement.

I know I appreciate it when other members take the time, make the effort, to provide more than a "like" or an unsupported "guess-opinion" in a topic to help me learn more about these classic rotary phones as I continue to enjoy the hobby. I don't post much but when I find an informed, detailed and supported reply, it really makes the hobby even more fun by making it more easy to learn.

Your reply is very much appreciated & just the kind of feedback I was hoping to get about this dial.
Too bad these early AE dials were not marked somehow to help identify them - Guess they didn't realize we would be collecting these phones 100+ years on - But researching & gathering information can be half the fun.
I know one thing though, your picture taking skills are far superior to mine.
Bruce

rdelius

The type 23 dial has a slightly larger fingerwheel then the earlier types. I do not remember one  with a nickel fingerwheel or the earlier number card retainer with a screw although they would fit

HarrySmith

Although AE phones are not my "thing" I do ocassionally work on them and I have found the dials very confusing to try to identify. Thanks for taking the time to add this information. Very helpful.
Harry Smith
ATCA 4434
TCI

"There is no try,
there is only
do or do not"

Jack Ryan

Quote from: TelePlay on March 03, 2019, 12:53:31 AM
IIRC, the dial appears to be a Mercedes without the number card holder.

It is an AE Type 23 dial.

Jack