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I just won a 5302

Started by LarryInMichigan, December 02, 2009, 07:59:26 PM

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LarryInMichigan

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=110462412006
( dead link 08-09-21 )

I am surprised that it didn't go for much more.  Am I missing something?

Larry

bingster

You're missing a high pricetag!  It looks right from here. Nice find!
= DARRIN =



bellsystemproperty

I like that phone too, nice find. I was considering buying the one you won, but I prefer G type handsets as they are more comfortable to use for long periods of time. You did get a good deal because I saw one like it recently sell for at least $50. The hoard of phones never stops growing. ;D

LarryInMichigan

G handsets are certainly more comfortable to hold, but I already have a house full of them, so I should be able to change handsets if I grow tired of the F1.  F handsets are more stylish than Gs, and still more comfortable than candlestick receivers.  I have had a long conversation or two holding a heavy brass candlestick and receiver, and it can be tiring.  People must have has stronger arms 90 years ago, or they had shorter phone conversations.

Larry

bellsystemproperty

The older handsets were probably designed so people would have short phone conversations. ;) In my house all of my rotary phones are hooked up (were hooked up until the PBX burnt up yesterday), so for myself I try to choose comfortable phones. I don't like to leave them sitting in a shelf, but I'm starting to run out of room, and I have to place them in strategic clusters.  Inside the 5302 it has 302 parts, which is strange but makes sense considering how Western Electric wasted nothing. You should upload some pictures of the phones internals when it arrives.

AET

I was watching this phone on eBay and decided not to bid. Glad it went to a forum member. Congrats!
- Tom

Dan/Panther

#6
First one I've seen with rubber feet. Another bonus Larry, it's got the adjustable ringer. You did good. That is an F1 handset, and not F1W ?
D/P

The More People I meet, The More I Love, and MISS My Dog.  Dan Robinson

McHeath

I think you need to ship it to me so I can inspect it, then I will give you a full report of why it was so cheap. ;)

Good buy.

LarryInMichigan

McHeath,

I'll be happy to send it to you as long as you pay the $199.99 shipping charge ;)

Larry

LarryInMichigan

The phone arrived several hours ago, and it is the dirtiest phone I ever bought.  The interior was filled with dust, filthy spider webs, and several decomposing spiders.  I couldn't stand it, so I dismantled most of it and cleaned most of the parts.  below are some pictures.  As you can see, the base and ringer are dated 12/46, the network 4/46, the dial 6/47, and the transmitter 9/45.  The dial face  is dated 2/60, the receiver 11/49, and the receiver and transmitter caps are from 1955.  I connected the phone, and it did work.  I was able to dial out, but the ringer did not ring.  I will wait until everything is cleaned and reassembled before investigating the ringer.  The white paint spots which are all over the shell are not coming off easily.  I am afraid that I may need to sand them off.  I managed to remove all of the paint from the handset with paint stripper (3M Safest Stripper).  The handset bakelite is in good condition.  It is an F1 with the groove and hollow core.  The dial center had a hard plastic cover over it.  It was probably clear originally, but is is now cloudy yellow, cracked, and dirty.  Underneath it was a the normal dial center card holder ring etc., but no card.

Larry







Phonesrfun

Larry:

Nice phone, in spite of the dirt.  But generally, I'd rather buy a dirty one and work on it myself than get one that has already been reconditioned.  For me, the thrill of the hunt is working on them.  But, I hate sanding and painting!

Just remember that the 5302 used soft plastic shells.

-Bill
-Bill G

Dennis Markham

#11
Larry, I'm sure you noticed already, but I'll mention this anyway.  In looking at your photo of the ringer the bias tension spring is all the way to the right (as I look at the photo).  Sometimes just moving that to the center notch will improve the ringing....assuming it's wired properly.

As far as the white paint, I have removed paint speckles like that by soaking the cover in warm sudsy water for a long period of time, then removing the paint spots with a finger nail.  When the paint gets soft it does come off this way.  It will be time consuming obviously because there are so many but it saves having to sand it to get the paint off.   If it's soft plastic (which I think it is) I'd even try putting a little Easy Off on a rag and going over the phone to remove that white paint.  Again, making sanding a last resort.  A lot of polishing with Novus2, using enough friction to warm the plastic will also get that paint off.  It'll take a while but it should come off.

McHeath

Having sanded several phones myself I'd vote for any other option.  It's a bear, and just plain tiring hard work to sand and then polish a phone. 

keysys

Quote from: Dennis Markham on December 05, 2009, 09:12:28 PM

As far as the white paint, I have removed paint speckles like that by soaking the cover in warm sudsy water for a long period of time, then removing the paint spots with a finger nail.

Similar to Mr. Markham's suggestion, I've been able to remove those tiny dots of paint by running the speckled parts through the dishwasher - rinse only cycle, no soap.
I begin scraping with a fingernail while the parts are still warm.  The heat softens the paint, they scrape off, almost peel off.  However, I would be cautious if the water temperature was excessively hot.

Phonesrfun

I use the dishwasher a lot, but use the energy saving dry cycle.  Heated drying can melt the plastics.
-Bill G