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My first ever... CALL DIRECTOR!

Started by WesternElectricBen, November 20, 2013, 08:53:31 PM

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WesternElectricBen

Quote from: ESalter on November 23, 2013, 04:31:11 PM
Both of them I got from that same seller are 634's also.  You're lucky, both of mine came with chopped off silver satin cords.  My eventual intention is to hopefully make an adapter of some sort to make them capture lines like a normal Call Director would, it just won't be able to place them on hold.  I don't know for sure, but I don't know why that wouldn't be possible if one has a bunch of relays to make do whatever I want.  Someday when I get that far, I'll let you know if it works.  Like Dave said, that way the phone itself wouldn't be modified. 

When you take the cover off you'll see how the button strips work and interlock with eachother, I'm sure it'll be easy to figure out why the center row it stuck.  If you have any questions, post pictures, I'm sure there are a bunch of us that can help you along.

Also, you might find some sort of cobbled on connector inside it somewhere.  both of mine came with a short piece of cord hanging out of the phone with a 1/4 phono jack on it.  It was for a microphone and it was hooked in parallel right across the transmitter wires from the handset.

---Eric

Eric,

I got it open and haven't seen any trace, at least not yet. Though I have restored the casing.

I would like to see if you got yours working, but after I finish this one, I want to get one I can use on my 1a2.

How much did he charge you for shipping, Dan/Panther and I are both in agreement that the shipping is way to high and the sellers discription was totaly inappropriately written. Ex: "great shape besides.. dirty cord"

He deserves negative feedback if he doesn't want to give me at least 10 dollars back.

Ben

ESalter

Looks like the green one cost me $46.00 plus $13.40 shipping and the gray one was $20.00 plus $15.30 shipping.

---Eric

WesternElectricBen

Quote from: ESalter on November 23, 2013, 04:45:57 PM
Looks like the green one cost me $46.00 plus $13.40 shipping and the gray one was $20.00 plus $15.30 shipping.

---Eric

Huh, thanks Eric for letting me know, this will defiantly help.. If he responds, he doesn't seem to be a "people person."

Ben

WesternElectricBen

More progress, I put the cords in bleach and they turned out great. Pictures coming. I even used brasso on the little chrome brackets.

Esalter and I are going together and he is going to try to save the original faceplate, but for now he will be scanning in one of his. Thanks again, Eric!

I also thought I'd share some pics of the inside if you are not use to Call Directors. Not as much as a wire mess as you'd think.

Ben


WesternElectricBen

Alright, here are the cord pictures. They have made an amazing change, just look back at this thread and picture 2 of my last post. The cords use to be black, now they are a beautiful green.

Also forgot to share that I got the handset and capsules bleached.

Ben

ESalter

The old vinyl cords are usually very forgiving to almost everything except magic marker.  I've also found that sometimes the satin silver mounting cords on keysets are actually old colored cords that have been painted.  Denatured alcohol will remove the silver and you'll have an almost new looking colored cord!

The button strips, the screw at the top of each row, if you loosen that each strip will pivot out and "unplug" from the base of the phone.  That'll allow you to take apart and clean both the interlock mechanism and the clean and polish the clear buttons and guides so they look nice and new.

You're definitely making good progress, the plastics look great!

---Eric

WesternElectricBen

Quote from: ESalter on November 24, 2013, 03:08:00 PM
The old vinyl cords are usually very forgiving to almost everything except magic marker.  I've also found that sometimes the satin silver mounting cords on keysets are actually old colored cords that have been painted.  Denatured alcohol will remove the silver and you'll have an almost new looking colored cord!

The button strips, the screw at the top of each row, if you loosen that each strip will pivot out and "unplug" from the base of the phone.  That'll allow you to take apart and clean both the interlock mechanism and the clean and polish the clear buttons and guides so they look nice and new.

You're definitely making good progress, the plastics look great!

---Eric

Eric, thank you, I first thought you were talking about the flexible silver cord but now I know what your saying! My red 565 has a silver cord and I've always wonders why its been a bit flaky. (paint wise) Now I want to strip it down.

I noticed those blue plugs, and i'm glad you could confirm. I deffinitly want to take apart the mechanism as its quite sluggish.

Thanks again!

Ben

Dan/Panther

Ben;
It looks better then I thought it would.
Keep us updated.
D/P

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

WesternElectricBen

Don't worry, I will.. Luckily we have wed-fri off, so I can work on this and get close to finishing it.

I sent off the face plate to Esalter today.

Ben

kleinkaliber

Hey Ben,

I just got done watching the movie Bullitt with Steve McQueen. You need to watch the first few minutes of it if you get a chance. I think I saw your call director! (Lots of phones throughout the entire movie, 302s, 500s in many colors, three slots, etc.)

WesternElectricBen

Quote from: kleinkaliber on November 26, 2013, 11:40:13 PM
Hey Ben,

I just got done watching the movie Bullitt with Steve McQueen. You need to watch the first few minutes of it if you get a chance. I think I saw your call director! (Lots of phones throughout the entire movie, 302s, 500s in many colors, three slots, etc.)

Ah, I'm like you and I can never watch a video with out looking at phones. Il check it out when I get a chance.

Thanks for thinking of me!

Ben


WesternElectricBen

Thank you Contempra, though your link doesn't seem to be clickable.

Restoration video for last weekend: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E4Uyno2ZfFg

Ben

WEBellSystemChristian

Brace yourselves, everyone...Ben has a Western Electric Call Director, IN GREEN!!! :o



Christian Petterson

"Whether you think you can or think you can't, you're right" -Henry Ford

WesternElectricBen

Hehehe, my three favorite things!!

It will look good on display on top of my PC or a shelf to be build over

Ben