Clip stuck in finger wheel... again

[Karen]

Have you noticed some finger wheels have tiny holes that are next to impossible to get off?  I usually just use a paperclip to get them off but this is not the first phone that I had to get pliers to get the clip out, and it didnt even work.  I broke the paperclip off in the wheel before too, which then makes me wonder if theres any way to get it off after you do that.

What do you guys use on these?  Do you know what Im talking about or is this just a me-problem?

[paul-f]

It's just you!   


O.K.  I confess.  Some of the rest of us have been there, too.

http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=4645.msg59317;topicseen#msg59317

Before using the tool, it's helpful to check to see if the releasing tab can be seen through the hole.  If it's out of alignment, you need a manual adjustment before the tool can work.

[Karen]

Haha...  Its just weird that the hole itself is more narrow in some.  Even without the pin bending, I still cant push it through.  Ill have to keep an eye out on ebay for one of those. 

[Dennis Markham]

Karen, sometimes the larger paper clips are just too large.  I've had better luck with the smaller ones, which are thinner.  But I've had them get stuck as well.  The #9 dials seem to be more difficult releasing the finger wheel.  The clips on the #9 dials break easily too, so be careful.  Sometimes you can reach in from under neath with a long thin blade, like a knife or finger nail file and release the clip.

[Karen]

Dennis, Ill have to give the smaller ones a chance. 



HAH! Got it!  Should not have taken that long, but hey.. I take the successes I get

RIP paperclip.

[paul-f]

Congratulations.

Clear fingerwheels were made by dozens of manufacturers, including some offshore companies who made them for replacement parts.  Needless to say, they all didn't have the same quality control as the Bell System.

Tolerances or bent metal components can combine to make a tighter than normal fit.  Sometimes after releasing the tab a little extra force is required to get the FW turned enough counterclockwise to pull off.

[Karen]

Yeah, Ive noticed some replacement ones take some extra effort to pull back.   Its these ones that take me an hour to get off that I cant stand! 

Thanks guys for your help.

[Adam]

Clear fingerwheels were made by dozens of manufacturers  ...  Needless to say, they all didn't have the same quality control as the Bell System.

That's not a Western Electrtic phone, it's ITT isn't it?  I think only ITT 30-type dials had that hex-head screw under the finger wheel...

[JorgeAmely]

What do you guys use on these?  Do you know what Im talking about or is this just a me-problem?

Karen:

Use a safety pin instead. The metal is harder.

[twocvbloke]

I use a sewing needle on my red WE500 to get the finger plate off the dial, one of the thicker needles, that worked a charm, coupled with a pair of stubby pliers...

[Greg G.]

I've been using safety pins since I posed the same question a while back, but sometimes that little tab that you're pushing down on is bent and it's going to be a struggle regardless of the tool you use. 

[TelePlay]

About 9 months ago, a discussion of using a pin vise with an appropriately sized drill inserted in the pin vise in reverse worked well for removing finger wheels.

The one I bought works well in that the hardened steel drill that exactly matches the hole in the finger wheel can be used as needed for each phone.

Here's a link to that discussion.

http://tinyurl.com/82s9flv

And, you can always use the drills as a drill if you need to make a very small hole.

[paul-f]

And you can use the drill bit to enlarge the hole in the fingerwheel if it's too small!

[HowardPgh]

That hole above the clip is conical in cross section. Bigger at the surface and smaller at the bottom.

[twocvbloke]

That hole above the clip is conical in cross section. Bigger at the surface and smaller at the bottom.

I'm guessing that was to aid the dial wheels removal from the injection moulding machine, or something like that...