Removing plastic caps from bakelite handset

[guitar1580]

Oops, didn't mean to put this in the dial section,  thought I was one forum back.  Mods can move if possible.

My tip for the day - Tapping stuck caps with wooden handled screwdriver. 

I just had a really stubborn plastic capped bakelite G handset from the 50s that seemed to have never been apart.  I couldn't budge either cap with first attempt.

The 2 handsets in the pic are just spares.  The grey rubber is shelf liner, and it's really grippy, and also works well for jar lids or just about anything.

On the difficult G, I was going to fetch the hair dryer, but decided to try tapping with my phone screwdriver first, since the dryer was down the street in another building.  I tapped all around both, hard enough, but not too hard.  Wrapped the rubber around, and the one came right off but the other was still stuck.  I tapped around it once more, and it came right off too.  Probably had them both off in less than a minute.

I love this screwdriver.

[Babybearjs]

On mine, After I got the caps off, I sprayed WD-40 on the threads to clean them, never had a problem since. On the E1 I'm really careful because of the skirting used in it. if you over tighten the skirting then you have issues. trying to keep the unit tight and the mouth piece in place... there is a tool specifically for this handset. Do you have one? I see them on E-Bay every once in awhile. I also learned about the F1.... the newer handsets (c. 1970's) have tight threads... they don't match up with older units easily.   

[Dan/Panther]

Both of those handsets can be problematic to remove the caps, especially the E-1. Be careful, E-1 parts can break easily.

D/P

[Pourme]

~

I have several E1's I gave up on out of fear of breakage.

[guitar1580]

I don't have the tool.  I think it's a spanner wrench.  I haven't had to fully disassemble an E.  If I were going to, I think I'd get the wrench.

[guitar1580]

Oops, didn't mean to put this in the dial section,  thought I was one forum back.  Mods can move if possible.

[Babybearjs]

check the TCI library site... if memory serves me right, there is a practice about the E1 handset.