Restorating an AE "F" Type Navy Phone

[Slal]

Hi Everyone,

Spent hours searching net for inside photos of AE "F" type phone and or restoring one. 

Didn't find anything so decided to start a topic. ; ) 

Hopefully I'll be able to refabricate missing lock mechanism.  (Photo 1)  Square rod & aluminum flat should arrive tomorrow.

In the meantime, have it disassembled as far as I can for painting so just one question.

Without taking a cutting wheel to it & replacing with hex nut...

Suggestions on how to get that circular lock nut off?  (photo 2)

Pipe wrench with 1mm rubber pond liner (to prevent bite marks) + having body clamped in shop vice actually risked bending the body!  Decided to stop where it's at now.  (photo 3)

thx

--Bruce

[rdelius]

I restored many of these sets while at COT.Find a hardened pin -drill bit will work  that fits snugly
in the holes and with the telephone set in the position shown pull the pin  toward you .You might need to help it with some force.keep moving the ring and moving the pin to a new hole. Dont worry about the dial mount moving,there might be a pin that fits in a hole to keep it in place

[Bill]

I'm not quite sure what I am seeing. I think you are referring to the small circular area that appears to be recessed into the rim of the brass "wheel". If so, can you describe (or even better, photograph) what is inside that circular area?

My guess is that you are facing a tamper-resistant screw, aka security screw. There are many different kinds of tamper-resistant screws, and the matching drivers are easily available. For example, check out Item 95680 at Harbor Freight, and look at the expanded illustration. This is a set of 32 screwdriver bits for tamper-resistant/security screws.  The one you need might be in here, and for $12, could save you a lot of hassle.

Bill

[rdelius]

There is no security serew. That ring with holes unscrews just like any bolt. Just put a pin in the holes to get a grip so you can move the pin toward you. I took  apart lots of these to restore and this part is one of the easiest parts

[Bill]

RDelius -

OK, I get it now. I was really off base - trying too hard, I guess. Thanks for pulling me back to reality. You are right - it should be an easy remove, either by clamping the silver-gray square part (outside the enclosure) in a vise and turning the brass ring, or by putting a pin (maybe a Phillips screwdriver?) into one of the holes in the brass ring to lock it in place, and turning the silver-gray square part with a big wrench. As the OP noted, I wouldn't try to grip the enclosure in a vise.

If it resists, would a few drops of penetrating oil between the brass part and the body (inside and outside the enclosure wall), or on the threads inside the enclosure, be of any help?

Bill

[Slal]

Any excuse to get another tool. ; )

Even with oil it was kind of stubborn.  Cheap screwdriver started to bow, so went with allen wrench & mallet.  Firm tap and 'wallah!'  Discovered is indeed pin in dial housing & holes in body to mount it at different angles.

Might see how it looks with handset on left hand side & dial in front.  People could see "Bureau of Ships" on right panel that way.

Anyway, thanks for the help.

Ready for my least favorite which is getting paint out of all those nooks & crannies.  That should keep me busy for a while.

--Bruce

PS:  Rdelius, what does 'COT' stand for?  Just curious.

[AE_Collector]

COT = Chicago Old Telephones (I think)

It didn't look to me like the dial housing neck was actually threaded like a pipe. At least I couldn't detect any angle on the threads that were showing. But in the end, it is threaded, correct? The "nut" spun off of it with a lot of help?

That is one heavy duty AE 183 Space Saver!

Terry

[rdelius]

For more polishing fun, you can polish the chrome plated parts after stripping off the plating.I also replaced any non brass screws with brass ones

[Slal]

Yes, will probably just buy new bolts/nuts all around.  Never encountered ones that seem to be 'crimped' or something.  They were a *devil* to remove because flathead screwdriver would lose its bite & damage bolt.  Required some upper body strength to remove all of them.  Nuts don't want to easily thread back on again either.  : 0 !   

"COT"... Wonder if also called "Chicago Telephone Company?"  Fellow I was referred to as an expert on these things claimed he used to own a company by that name. 

Anyway, weather's turned cold & aluminum arrived, so skipping to really fun part-- refab the handset lock.

Square rod is 3/8" so hopefully no biggie to knockout space for the lower part to slide up (unlocking handset.)

Problem is the lever or 'arm' that bolts onto square rod.  Am told it slides to the left and has a spring that returns it to...

Locked position?

Two questions as I puzzle this one out.  Might be over-thinking this.

1.) Does anyone have an "F" phone or know how the locking mechanism worked? 

2.) Dimensions of lever or 'handle' part? 

(Ordered 1.5" x 1/8" x 24" aluminum flat.  Looks like that's too wide, so am going to have to rip it or buy narrower stick.)

thx

--Bruce

[Slal]

Cold rainy Sunday so what better than to play in the workshop?

Am operating in the dark so some of the following are educated guesses.  Feel free to chip in.  ; )

Photo 1:

If anyone else ever does this: save yourself the trouble and buy some standard nuts. 

The ones that come on this phone seemed to be stamped so they cannot vibrate loose & fall off.  All well and good for the navy, but a real pain for working on it.

Had thought copper tension arm was just there to keep lever (lock) assembly from sliding around.  Discovered it might be a kind of lock or catch mechanism as well.  You can hear it snap and engage as bar is moved to left.  A spring (mounted on lever part) probably returns bar to the right and locks handset again.

Photo 2:

A bit off on length of bar and its cutout, but results seem promising. 

Am not looking forward to as many as 6 bends for aluminum flat that will mount onto the bar.  Experimenting with cardboard before ripping aluminum with saber saw and then getting out dremel tool.

Wanted a project phone-- guess I got one.  ; )

--Bruce
 

[rdelius]

I thought you would have fun with that set.I never kept one so I cannot take a photo of any parts.I think that sliding lock you are making would have a slight taper  and a locking lip on the left? to interupt the taper.the unlocking lever screwed to the front where it was tapered.
You unlocked the handset by pushing the lever inward ,Spring tension would pull the locking bar over and the cradle would slide up through the notch.Hiltz who does dials might have better discription than me.

[Slal]

Thanks for the tip.  Knowing how the lever works will help me think before cutting anything. 

Too cold to do much in shop anyway, so plenty of time to kind of get a plan in mind.

thx

--Bruce

[Slal]

Little warmer Saturday, so fun with saber saw & dremel tool to name just a few.

*** If anyone ever tries this: Drill holes for the bar first.

Also, 1/8" aluminum may not bend a full 90 degrees.  Check for stress fractures.  Too much drilling / machining after several bends...  'Snap!' 

Broke off where I'd bent it at too great an angle.   

Anyway, the one shown here isn't 100% authentic of course, but does the job. 

Can now tidy up handle & paint parts that should be gray.  The fun continues!  : )

--Bruce

[Slal]

Finally finished this beastie.

1.) Notes for reassembly:


Make sure to have soldering iron & diagram handy.  Two wires on the coil and one on the AST were so old or weak that they broke!

2.) Sequence:


a.) Work from bottom to top in putting front hardware & tension spring back on.  The two hex nuts at very bottom are difficult to get to. 

b.) condensers / bracket

c.) coil

d.) thread top part of wiring harness that will go into dial housing through the circular brass nut.  (If you don't put it in now and install the "pot" first, you'll find the brass nut won't fit in there...)

e.) thread top part of wiring up through dial housing and install.  This seemed to give me more room to work threading and tightening circular brass nut.

f.) dimmer unit or "pot" for lamp.

g.) bottom connections - handset & terminal block

h.) hook switch

i.) solder any broken welds.

Disposables:   Went through most of a Dremel EZ-Lock grinding wheel and just a tad of solder / flux.

________________
Acknowledgements:
S. Hiltz for recommending guy who works on "F" phones, "Stubs" for diagram, "RDelius" for input on how handle works, and "RM" for chatting with me & e-mailing a couple of photos of what handlebar looks like from the bottom.

[TelePlay]

Very nice, looks great. And quite the tutorial; well documented work.