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Painted Galion

Started by DeaconKC, August 16, 2012, 10:14:04 PM

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DeaconKC

First post here and am very impressed with the friendly forum you folks have here. Won this "mud puppy" that someone had spray painted at some point on ebay and it arrived today. First, plugged it in and it worked! Then started working with Simple Green to get the paint off. LOTS of elbow grease later it looks really good. Just have to find a dial ring for it.

"Let courage rise with danger, and strength to strength oppose."

Doug Rose

Welcome to the Forum....outstanding job removing the paint. You have a North dial which is not always the case with a North phone. The snap on retainer ring is not the easiest to find. I'll look through my spare parts box........Doug
Kidphone

paul-f

Welcome to the forum!

North sets are a great place to start.  I've always appreciated their elegant lines.  Finding one with a North dial is a special treat.

I hope you find the number card holder soon.
Visit: paul-f.com         WE  500  Design_Line

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LarryInMichigan

Welcome to the forum.  If this is your first vintage phone, you are starting on the right foot.  These are among the collectors' favorites because they are so elegant.  Some polishing of the bakelite with plastic polish, like Novus #2, can make it really shine.

Be warned though that old phones can be highly addictive ;)

Larry

DeaconKC

Thanks for the nice welcome!
I am a vintage junkie, fountain pens and old guns especially. Can't wait to set it up with some pics of some vintage Smith & Wessons. So evidently, these were also made with different dials, or were the dials replaced?
"Let courage rise with danger, and strength to strength oppose."

paul-f

North H-series sets seem to usually turn up with AE or Western Electric dials.  The wiring diagrams usually show all three.

North dials on black sets are usually black or stainless.   Colored H-series sets are in high demand and may have stainless, clear or matching color fingerwheels.  Ivory sets may also have trim on the handset caps.

There are some photos and more info here:
  http://www.paul-f.com/north1.htm

It's been interesting to see the housing copied by others over the years.
  http://www.paul-f.com/north.htm
Visit: paul-f.com         WE  500  Design_Line

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LarryInMichigan

I thought that, since these phones were used by independent phone companies, the telcos installed whichever dials they had or which worked best with their switches.  As far as i am aware, the majority of these phones have frequency ringers because they were used on party lines.  Does you phone's ringer work?

Larry

DeaconKC

Well, tried it out this morning and it does not ring. Where can I find a simple explanation of the different ringers? I hit overload when I searched it!
"Let courage rise with danger, and strength to strength oppose."

LarryInMichigan

Ringers for party lines were designed to ring only when the ringing voltage is a certain frequency.  That way, the telco's equipment could ring only the phones of the subscriber who was being called and not the other subscribers on the same line.  There is  probably information about the ringer printed on bottom of the phone.  If it is not "SL" (stright line) or "20", it will not likely ring for the standard North American ringing voltage of 20 Hz.

Larry

DeaconKC

It has ST Line ringer printed on the bottom.
"Let courage rise with danger, and strength to strength oppose."

LarryInMichigan

It should work then, if the ringer inside is actually a straight line ringer.  Is the clapper arm on the ringer attached to the body with a pivot or a metal reed?  Make sure that one side of the ringer is connected to one side of the phone line and the other is connected to the condenser which is connected to the other side of the phone line.

Larry

DavePEI

Does it really take a gallon of paint to paint a Gallion? :)
The Telephone Museum of Prince Edward Island:
http://www.islandregister.com/phones/museum.html
Free Admission - Call (902) 651-2762 to arrange a visit!
C*NET 1-651-0001

paul-f

Quote from: DeaconKC on August 17, 2012, 10:06:29 AM
Well, tried it out this morning and it does not ring. Where can I find a simple explanation of the different ringers? I hit overload when I searched it!

There is some info here:
  http://www.paul-f.com/NorthRingers.html

Look at the ringer for identification info, as they were often changed after the bottom plate was marked.
Visit: paul-f.com         WE  500  Design_Line

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DeaconKC

Paul,  thank you! The top pic is exactly what I have. Cleaned out the spider webs and other mung, but still no ring.
"Let courage rise with danger, and strength to strength oppose."

paul-f

So you can trace the wiring as Larry suggested with confidence.

You should be able to trace the current path from one side of the phone line through the ringer and capacitor and back to the other side of the phone line.

Since the ringer should ring, the choices are fairly simple.

The wiring is incorrect.
The wiring is faulty (damaged connector or terminal causing a bad connection).
The ringer and/or capacitor are bad.
Visit: paul-f.com         WE  500  Design_Line

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