WE 202. Can it be saved?

[Bridie]

Hi everyone, as mentioned in my introductory post, I was given a WE 202 phone years ago.  The date stamp inside the body says 1931.  I started seriously thinking last week of trying to restore it.  Initially the idea was to make it pretty as a showpiece but now I'm seriously considering making it operational to use with a bluetooth gateway.

However....I need your advice.  I don't know if I'm being realistic or not.  You see, I knew the phone was in rough shape when it was given to me but after sitting down and having a good hard look at it and doing some research online, it's even worse than I thought.  For starters, the receiver spacer was broken in a few places and had been glued back on.  No worries - a hairdryer and some vinegar took care of that.  I got the broken pieces and the glue off.  However, I'm unable to remove the cap and aluminum from the handset.  They are both stuck tight to the handset and I fear they may be glued together

Also, there is a crack in the transmitter spitcup.  I was able to screw the spitcup off and the aluminum came with it.  I was able to unscrew the transmitter spacer.  But I can't separate the spitcup from the aluminum.  Worse case scenario, I can just screw the transmitter spacer and spitcup back in and use some JB Weld to fill in the crack, but I'd rather get a new one, especially since the spitcup appeared to be seamed.  The handset itself is seamless.

On both the receiver and spitcup I've tried WD40, hairdryer, strap wrench and various combinations thereof, all to no avail.

Thirdly, the dialer is knackered.  It makes the cool clickity-clack sound when you dial, but it just quickly slides back rather than clicks back.  I had a look and the worm shaft is missing and another part (I think the pulsing cam) is broken.  The porcelain dial is also cracked (it's the lovely old one with just numbers) and would need to be replaced.  In any event, the dialer seems to be Automatic Electric, so would need to be replaced with an Western Electric dialer.

And then there is the body.  It appears somebody slapped some nasty black paint on it and that would need to come off.  I think I'd likely send it off to be beadblasted and powdercoated which will cost $$.

So....am I insane to take this on as a project?  Is this phone salvageable?  I'm hoping yes, as I love this phone and it would look gorgeous after being restored, but wanted to get some advice before I put time and money into the project.  Here are some photos so you can see the rough shape of it.

Anyway, thanks for any advice you can give!

[unbeldi]

Clearly you also need to get rid of the cardboard closure there and get a real metal base cover with leather or felt.
I guess, as with all phone collecting, it all depends on what it means to you.  A fairly intact D1 mount even with an E1 handset can be bought for $50 occasionally, certainly under a $100. If lucky, you get a dial with that too.  On the other hand, it's easy to rack up $50-$100 in replacement parts.  Parts are often more expensive than a whole set. All finished, shiny and pretty, they can go for $200 or more.

[DavePEI]

Hi everyone, as mentioned in my introductory post, I was given a WE 202 phone years ago.  The date stamp inside the body says 1931.  I started seriously thinking last week of trying to restore it.  Initially the idea was to make it pretty as a showpiece but now I'm seriously considering making it operational to use with a bluetooth gateway.

However....I need your advice.  I don't know if I'm being realistic or not.  You see, I knew the phone was in rough shape when it was given to me but after sitting down and having a good hard look at it and doing some research online, it's even worse than I thought.  For starters, the receiver spacer was broken in a few places and had been glued back on.  No worries - a hairdryer and some vinegar took care of that.  I got the broken pieces and the glue off.  However, I'm unable to remove the cap and aluminum from the handset.  They are both stuck tight to the handset and I fear they may be glued together

Also, there is a crack in the transmitter spitcup.  I was able to screw the spitcup off and the aluminum came with it.  I was able to unscrew the transmitter spacer.  But I can't separate the spitcup from the aluminum.  Worse case scenario, I can just screw the transmitter spacer and spitcup back in and use some JB Weld to fill in the crack, but I'd rather get a new one, especially since the spitcup appeared to be seamed.  The handset itself is seamless.

On both the receiver and spitcup I've tried WD40, hairdryer, strap wrench and various combinations thereof, all to no avail.

Thirdly, the dialer is knackered.  It makes the cool clickity-clack sound when you dial, but it just quickly slides back rather than clicks back.  I had a look and the worm shaft is missing and another part (I think the pulsing cam) is broken.  The porcelain dial is also cracked (it's the lovely old one with just numbers) and would need to be replaced.  In any event, the dialer seems to be Automatic Electric, so would need to be replaced with an Western Electric dialer.

And then there is the body.  It appears somebody slapped some nasty black paint on it and that would need to come off.  I think I'd likely send it off to be beadblasted and powdercoated which will cost $$.

So....am I insane to take this on as a project?  Is this phone salvageable?  I'm hoping yes, as I love this phone and it would look gorgeous after being restored, but wanted to get some advice before I put time and money into the project.  Here are some photos so you can see the rough shape of it.

Anyway, thanks for any advice you can give!

Hi Bridget:

Yes, it can definitely be saved, but will take a lot of work.

First I want you to understand, it isn't a full phone - there is no network on a 202, and you need to provide an external network and ringer. So, aside from the restoration, if you plan to use it, you will need to get a subset.

But, nothing is unobtainable. If you are needing parts, make up a list, and post your wants in the Wanted section on the Forum. With luck you may pick up parts you need here.

Yes, the dial is Automatic Electric - not that unusual - back when the cities here were first automated, they would order their dials to convert non dial phones from whoever had the lowest prices. Therefore, MT&T installed a lot of AE dials on WE and NE phones. However, given the problems the dial has, you are probably best to buy a new one, or at leat send it off to Steve Hilsz to have it rebuilt.

You are correct, bead blasting and powder-coating is one way to refinish the metal part of the phone. However, it you don't mind DIY, you can use a chemical paint stripper to strip the phone, then redo it with primer and spray paint. Some paints are better than others, but it will likely be cheaper than powder-coating.

You should be able to find handset parts to replace the bad caps. You will also need a proper base plate - the one on your phone is home-made. The correct base is felt covered and "Cups" into the base. Again, something that can fairly easily be found.

So it is whatever you feel up to doing. I have seen a lot of 202s in worse shape fully restored by first timers. and they turn out beautifully!

Dave

[Bridie]

Thanks so much for your advice, unbeldi and Dave, it is very much appreciated.  Yes, that crappy cardboard bottom definitely has to go.  I'm so glad to hear this phone can be restored!  I'm willing to put time and money into it, but wanted to be sure I wasn't being unrealistic.

Thanks for telling me about the subset, Dave.  I'd forgotten about that, so I'll add that to the wishlist I'd initially written down the other day.  I'll post it tomorrow on the Wanted list.  I suspect a new phone would likely be cheaper, but I'd really like to restore this one to its former glory.

I guess I should rip off the cracked transmission spitcup and get a new one.  Would you recommend going with an original piece or one of those repro pieces I've seen at online shops?  I can get a receiver ring/spacer to replace the one that had been broken and glued.  But I'm flummoxed about the receiver cap.  I hate the thought of breaking it to get it off as there's nothing wrong with it other than being stuck to the handset and aluminum.  Maybe I'll try putting it in the oven on low heat for a few minutes, as has been suggested here.  Or taking it to work and getting a burly co-worker to have at it with the strap wrench.

So mystery solved then about why this WE has an AE dial - thanks for the info!  I like the idea of sending it off to be rebuilt; it would be a shame to bin it.

I'll start researching the best paint for the body and have a go.  I also want to replace the curly plastic cord it came with (which I'm assuming isn't the original from 1931) with a cloth cord.

Thanks again!

[DavePEI]

Hi Bridget:

I would recommend going with original parts if you can find them (and just about any 202 part can be found used). You will find lots of information on rebuilding these on the Forum. While with luck, you could find a new phone for less than it might cost to rebuild one, I honestly feel that what you learn from doing it yourself can be worth a fortune and more than makes up for any difference in cost.

As far as getting the handset apart, you will find a lot of information on various tricks which may work. Alternate cycles of freeze/heat, WD-40, and best of all, a strap wrench - all work, but I have a feeling you will have to resort to a strap wrench of better a pair of them. These can really lock together! Honestly, a strap wrench is safer than the original handset tool designed for the job.

What happens with these is the metal the handsets is made from corrodes between the threads over a period of time, and that is what makes them hard to remove. A small amount of grease spread lightly over the threads when you re-assemble them can make them a lot easier to disassemble them in the future.

Without looking back at your photo, it is quite likely you won't have to remove the cap - you should be able to replace the ring without removing it. Reproduction cords ate available from Oldphoneworks in Kingston, Ont - they use the original braiding machines to make them, and they look very good on the phone.

Dave

Thanks so much for your advice, unbeldi and Dave, it is very much appreciated.  Yes, that crappy cardboard bottom definitely has to go.  I'm so glad to hear this phone can be restored!  I'm willing to put time and money into it, but wanted to be sure I wasn't being unrealistic.

Thanks for telling me about the subset, Dave.  I'd forgotten about that, so I'll add that to the wishlist I'd initially written down the other day.  I'll post it tomorrow on the Wanted list.  I suspect a new phone would likely be cheaper, but I'd really like to restore this one to its former glory.

I guess I should rip off the cracked transmission spitcup and get a new one.  Would you recommend going with an original piece or one of those repro pieces I've seen at online shops?  I can get a receiver ring/spacer to replace the one that had been broken and glued.  But I'm flummoxed about the receiver cap.  I hate the thought of breaking it to get it off as there's nothing wrong with it other than being stuck to the handset and aluminum.  Maybe I'll try putting it in the oven on low heat for a few minutes, as has been suggested here.  Or taking it to work and getting a burly co-worker to have at it with the strap wrench.

So mystery solved then about why this WE has an AE dial - thanks for the info!  I like the idea of sending it off to be rebuilt; it would be a shame to bin it.

I'll start researching the best paint for the body and have a go.  I also want to replace the curly plastic cord it came with (which I'm assuming isn't the original from 1931) with a cloth cord.

Thanks again!