Key sets - Pic added

[guitar1580]

I recently started adding to my phone collection again, and one of the areas I've been taking an interest in is multi line key sets.  I've ordered my first two 6 button sets that will arrive next week, a WE 302 style 460, and a WE 500 style 564HD with metal dial wheel, round buttons & bakelite handset.  I may look for some colored ones in the near future.

I also have several in a box way in the back of the attic of one of my buildings from around 25 yrs ago and don't recall exactly what they are.  I've had back problems and haven't crawled up in there for a while, but I'm getting anxious to see what and how many there are.  I'm pretty sure they're Western Electric, and with the 25 pair cable connectors.

I had bought a black 554 from a woman at a flea market, and she told me she was a set decorator for movies, and if I wanted to come to her place in Pittsburgh, PA, she had more phones to sell.  So I went up to the Burgh, in one of the downtown neighborhoods, and she really didn't have much at all.  I got the key sets for cheap, just so it wouldn't be a wasted trip, and figured maybe someday I would be interested in them.  That day has arrived.

They were kind of cumbersome with the big cables and connectors so I packed them away, along with a real nice wooden cased military field phone.  I don't even recall how many there were, seems like 3 or 4.

So whomever is into this branch of phone collecting, let me know ... some day I may need parts, and whenever I dig these out, maybe I'll trade one for a model that I don't have to someone who needs this model.  I seem to recall them being in very clean condition.

JT

[guitar1580]

I dug out the old key sets today.  They range from 1966 to the mid 70s.  They're all Western Electric except the touch tone one is a Stromberg Carlson.  I brought a few back to the house to start cleaning up.  They're in decent shape and a few have some nice dial center cards.  Looks like they came from the Pittsburgh & Lancaster PA area.

[Babybearjs]

you know, its funny...these have been some of the best phones for me to restore and put back into service in my home. my system, which I revamped this last summer is all up and working great... I really wish the phone company had pushed colors more and not just black over the years... but these sets can be changed, if you can just get the color kits which are getting ever so elusive... so, are you going to use them, or sell them? I've got tons of black... but am always looking for parts!

[guitar1580]

Hey John.  Thanks for adding the pics!  I was starting to think that maybe this thread was going nowhere.  Those are some nice looking phones you have, and definitely an impressive system.  How many separate lines do you have for the extensions?

Those 564s with the clear dial wheels were in the first office I worked in out of college, a beige and a green that I remember well.  Is that white or beige at the bottom?  I'd like to end up getting some colors, and a white one.

I'm probably not going to use mine a lot, but I guess you never know.  I'm going to clean them up and check the condition.  I may get rid of a few of the doubles, or may keep them for parts too ... or maybe trade one or two for something similar but a little different if possible.  I haven't even had them apart yet, and am anxious to get working on them.

Can you tell me, does the key set come off easily to clean under the window where the extension numbers go?  edit: nevermind, I just pulled them apart.  I see have have two styles.  The older ones that have those small clips ... looks like those clips would be easy to break.

And can I just clip the leads from my test jack onto the terminals on the network to test to see if it works, rings, etc?  I don't plan on removing the large cables, but they sure do need a good cleaning with the 409.

I'll be updating with better pics, and when the 2 new ones get here.

JT

[Babybearjs]

those are the beige sets... both NOS, got them a few years ago for less then $25.00 each... one is a 1960's ITT (round buttons) and the other is a newer ITT (1970's) I have 3 green phones, 1 with round buttons and the other 2 are newer... and  of course, black... I just got my red phone and was hoping to be able to grab my first yellow, but someone out bid me. I also have my first blue phone, its kind of a frankenphone as I ordered just the shell as-is and had to swap out the color from one of my beige touch tones... I started out loving the 400 series and have several of them... some with brass and 1 with chrome accents...  I call them my "Executive Edition" series. they never came with the accents, but I just had to spruce up the old phones to add some pizzazz! anyway, The key phones seem to be my favorite since they offer so much diversity. speaker phones, adjunct dials, buzzers, buttons, and God knows what else... truly a very versatile phone. you can even add a neon lamp under the hold key for message waiting feature (special wiring required).  I'm on the hunt for a blue and a yellow 564, and a yellow 2564 phone to complete my series... even if I only buy the shells... I have plenty of bodies to swap out parts with... right now I have some 564's on hold for $5.00 each... hopefully I'll be able to grab them for future parts...  I've got 10 Stations on my 1A1 system, 3 incoming telco lines and a whole house intercom. I have a 207C Intercom module for the system that I'm going to be adding 3 208 Ktu's to this next year... all I have to do is mount this monster of a unit and wire it up... intercom lamp flash and signalling... the thing weighs about #50 pounds and is going to be a bug to install... But a few years ago I had it up and working  and now understand how it interfaces with the system... keeps me busy and out of trouble!

[guitar1580]

That is a hefty looking piece of gear.  Looks like you have a good collection and top notch system goin' on. 

I like that green one with the matching dial box.

[Babybearjs]

I was lucky with that one... had the phone and got the shell and handset from another collector in Connecticut and was bale to grab the dialer from another person on E-Bay. just had to change out the shell from a beige to the green and wire in the dial after changing out the dial to a regular #8A dial. had to scrap the inside of the dial because it had a motor in it which drove the unit. I'm going to put in a 6 Conductor cord on it to be able to include the lamp (Wait Light) the unit is back in service in my bedroom.

[guitar1580]

I got the two new ones in yesterday.  Neither look like they were used much.  I snapped a few pics.  I haven't even cleaned them yet, but I think the white paint specks will come off.  I hooked them up and got them both working.

The 564 is mostly dated 1963, has the soft plastic cover, bakelite h/s, black plungers, metal dial wheel, like the earlier 500 models.  It dials fine, and it transmits & receives loud and clear.  Does not ring at this point, and I'm not sure if it's set up to ring.  The plastic caps on the bakelite h/s were really stuck.  I was about to get the hair dryer out, but tapped on them with my wooden handled screwdriver, gripped them with a piece of rubber, and they came right off.

The 460 is mostly dated 1941.  I had to reverse the polarity and it got a dial tone too.  The receiver sounds weak, but transmits great.  Dials out but the dial is slow and needs lubed.  A few of the buttons don't function properly, and feels like something needs cleaned / lubed.

I'll be cleaning them and polishing them over the next few days, along with those old dirty ones I dug out of the garage.  These two are going to clean up real well.  Maybe will get better pics then.

[Babybearjs]

Great pictures! I have both phones too! you 460 is wired for a 1A system, mine are all for the 1A1 system. the 564 is cool too! on mine, its date 1961, my birth year... and all I did was to update the key assembly from a 589 to a 636 unit. I added a touch tone adapter to mine... (Plus updated the shell...) I also added some brass accents to my 464...

[guitar1580]

Those both look sweet!  I like the brass on the older phone.

[poplar1]

Guitar1580:

Move the red and black ringer wires to 1R and 1T screw terminals. These already have the blue-white and white-blue wires of the mounting cord ( line cord). Then the 564/565 will ring on the first line if you connect dial tone to 1R and 1T.
.

[Babybearjs]

On my phones, I went ahead and changed out the line cord to something a bit more "Home" Friendly. Knowing that the amphenol Plugs were designed just for commercial use, I  went ahead and took 2 25Ft. RJ45 Ethernet cords, Cut them in half, and stripped back the jacket. then I spaded the wires to made the internal connections. all my wall jacks are multiple RJ45 keystone jacks. the wiring in the wall is 25 pair so all the wiring is basically the same, except broken up into 4 pair lots. if you ever use this method of rewiring a multiline phone, just remember that on the Ethernet cords, the Green/Orange pairs are REVERSED so, the wiring goes Blue, GREEN, ORANGE Brown. the wiring at the jacks are wired as designed... Blu/Org/Grn/Bwn. this wiring method makes the house more "User Friendly" but has its quirks too! Plus, the cords are 12.5 feet long... the amphenols are only 5. this gives me a bit if length when needing to locate the phone from the counter to the table and so on... (Being able to move the phone around..)

[guitar1580]

Guitar1580:

Move the red and black ringer wires to 1R and 1T screw terminals. These already have the blue-white and white-blue wires of the mounting cord ( line cord). Then the 564/565 will ring on the first line if you connect dial tone to 1R and 1T.
.

Thanks guys.  Thanks Poplar, I'm going to try that. 

Today I'm working on cleaning up 3 of the ones in the original pic at the top of the page, then I'll be testing them.

[guitar1580]

I got 2 of the old multi line phones cleaned up, and am working on a third. 

They were really dirty.  The one on the left had an odd mineral deposit stain on the handset and left side of the housing from 25 years of condensation / evaporation.  I polished the stains out for the most part, but I have a couple of areas that I'm going to further polish.  I haven't had time to hook them up yet. 

The one number strip above the buttons was missing, so I made a quick one from a manila file folder & black ink pen, and that's why there is no "hold" label.  Need to find a repro.

They're cleaning up pretty well.  I gotta crawl back up to the attic and get the last two.  Later I will lube the dials and clean the key switches.

Does anyone have any suggestions on cleaning the switches and contacts for the buttons?

Josh

[Babybearjs]

Josh, on mine I always just spray everything down with WD-40. its good for lubing the mechanics of the phone and is often used as a contact cleaner. it also works good for getting stickers and other tapes off the plastic. it won't hurt the plastic at all whatever you do DO NOT USE Goof-Off! this will destroy the plastic! i'M happy for you having a key system. good luck with it. good luck in getting colored key phones... my collection consists of mostly black, beige and some green. my brown ITT phone is a real nice addition, the red WE 564 I paid too much for and lost my bid on a yellow one... better luck next time... I'll probably find one when no one is looking... then I'll get it at a great price. On the phones, I always completely break them down and hand wash all the plastic parts. then I reassemble them and add whatever accessories I want to or just leave them be... as far as Designation strips go, I use the template that I got online from another collector who had the excel spreadsheet template available.  (name escapes me right now) I used card stock paper to print out the strips. and if you need dial center cards, go through Old Phone Works... they have the best selection. Good luck with you collection! Keep phones phones in service!