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1955 Western Electric 500 Moss Green ALL MATCHING PARTS YEAR

Started by WesternElectricBen, March 22, 2013, 10:15:17 AM

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WesternElectricBen

Hello, not sure if this would be a find of the month thought its pretty cool. Not the coolest but still pretty cool, and pretty gross. Check out the pictures.

Story: I was on vacation in Florida (pretty nice compared to MN) and the rain started to poor, what better of an idea but to go to a antique store. The store was great for phone collectors, tons of phones!! And lots of wood and some candle sticks... anyway...

I see this drab moss green 500 barried behind a nice orange itt 500 and a 554 (probably from same house) and see it. I pull it out, check the earpice, sure enough its soft plastic, open it up and all of the components match 12-55!!! Usually you find phones that are just matching years.

I tell the women I want it, it was marked for 35 but I got it for 25. Then she says, "oh isn't this a nice orange phone." I say yes but I'm thinking, ya, if you like worthless phones. haha

Anyway I get back to the condo, sqower the place for a screw driver, nope. Then I go mcgyver on it. And take a measuring cup and open it up. Sure enough the parts all match.

Anyway: this is pretty cool and I'm making a big deal over something relatively regular.

Pictures posted:

LarryInMichigan

It looks like you got a great find for a great price.  It will look great after a nice cleaning and polishing and cord recoiling.  Are the cords black or gray?

Larry

WesternElectricBen

Quote from: LarryInMichigan on March 22, 2013, 10:26:53 AM
It looks like you got a great find for a great price.  It will look great after a nice cleaning and polishing and cord recoiling.  Are the cords black or gray?

Larry

They are gray. Which I think is right.

Ben

ESalter

Those gray cords are worth $25 by themselves.  You definitely got a good deal.  I'm betting you will be able to re-wrap the handset cord to looking very nice again.  If you haven't heard about it before, look into using Nu-Vinyl on the cords.  I swear by that stuff, it works miracles on old hard cords.

---Eric

WesternElectricBen

Quote from: ESalter on March 22, 2013, 01:28:38 PM
Those gray cords are worth $25 by themselves.  You definitely got a good deal.  I'm betting you will be able to re-wrap the handset cord to looking very nice again.  If you haven't heard about it before, look into using Nu-Vinyl on the cords.  I swear by that stuff, it works miracles on old hard cords.

---Eric

Thank you, I was wondering if they had a product because the way I do it is winding the cord around my finger then a pen. Doesn't work so well, I'm going to try that out!!

Ben

LarryInMichigan

There have been a number of posts over the years about recoiling a cord by coiling it around a dowel heating it and then cooling it.  Reversing the direction of the coiling will make it much tighter.  I will have to try the NuVinyl stuff.

Larry

WesternElectricBen

Quote from: LarryInMichigan on March 22, 2013, 03:01:36 PM
There have been a number of posts over the years about recoiling a cord by coiling it around a dowel heating it and then cooling it.  Reversing the direction of the coiling will make it much tighter.  I will have to try the NuVinyl stuff.

Larry

Can you link one of those topics to me?

Thanks.

LarryInMichigan

Quote from: WesternElectricBen on March 22, 2013, 03:55:01 PM
Quote from: LarryInMichigan on March 22, 2013, 03:01:36 PM
There have been a number of posts over the years about recoiling a cord by coiling it around a dowel heating it and then cooling it.  Reversing the direction of the coiling will make it much tighter.  I will have to try the NuVinyl stuff.

Larry

Can you link one of those topics to me?

Thanks.

Here is one of them: link.

unbeldi

Well, it seems to be the month of GREEN. I guess spring is here.

I will take that 1955 off your hand if you don't want to deal with it, lol.

It seems rather odd that all of the 1955 colored phone I have or have seen, are from Oct. through Dec., mostly however November. That applies to black ones too, actually. Of the dozen or so 1955s, only perhaps 3 or so are from the first 3 quarters.

Please do read the cord part numbers and dates of the gray cords.  The are stamped into the metal retainer piece on the phone end of both cords. I usually have to use magnifying glasses to read those, or even a loupe, if there is corrosion on it.


southernphoneman


WesternElectricBen

Quote from: unbeldi on March 22, 2013, 05:54:30 PM
Well, it seems to be the month of GREEN. I guess spring is here.

I will take that 1955 off your hand if you don't want to deal with it, lol.

It seems rather odd that all of the 1955 colored phone I have or have seen, are from Oct. through Dec., mostly however November. That applies to black ones too, actually. Of the dozen or so 1955s, only perhaps 3 or so are from the first 3 quarters.

Please do read the cord part numbers and dates of the gray cords.  The are stamped into the metal retainer piece on the phone end of both cords. I usually have to use magnifying glasses to read those, or even a loupe, if there is corrosion on it.



Maybe if it was a different phone you could buy it thought I think the one is special. That is pretty odd when I get back home I'l have to look at my 1955's.

I took a look at the handset cord and it says 55 not sure on the line cord, its so dirty and messed up!!

Ben

WesternElectricBen


ESalter

I should have gone into more detail about the NuVinyl but didn't have time.  It's a translucent white spray, about water consistency.  Spray it on a paper towel then wipe it on vinyl cords.  It makes them shine and helps prevent them from hardening or oozing out plasticizers and getting gooey like some of them do.  Over time it really does soften up old vinyl cords(or upholstery).  It does have silicone in it, so be sure you're careful about what you get it on. 

As for re-wrapping cords I wrap them around an aluminum pipe the right diameter and then warm them up with a heat gun(carefully, obviously).  After letting them cool naturally I pull them off the aluminum and 9 times out of 10 they're back to the condition where I want them.

---Eric

WesternElectricBen

Quote from: ESalter on March 22, 2013, 07:42:06 PM
I should have gone into more detail about the NuVinyl but didn't have time.  It's a translucent white spray, about water consistency.  Spray it on a paper towel then wipe it on vinyl cords.  It makes them shine and helps prevent them from hardening or oozing out plasticizers and getting gooey like some of them do.  Over time it really does soften up old vinyl cords(or upholstery).  It does have silicone in it, so be sure you're careful about what you get it on. 

As for re-wrapping cords I wrap them around an aluminum pipe the right diameter and then warm them up with a heat gun(carefully, obviously).  After letting them cool naturally I pull them off the aluminum and 9 times out of 10 they're back to the condition where I want them.

---Eric

Great thanks!!

Ben

southernphoneman

pictured below is a white western electric 500 from 1982 that i purchased last year on ebay.this phone was restored by retired telephone employee from pennsylvania. the dates on it all match.