North Electric Find

[Fabius]

Found in a local (La Porte, IN) antique shop. North Electric oak 2 box for $150. Has marked North receiver, transmitter and name tag. Correct mag and bells. I'm not into buying big wood phones any more but this one seems 100% original and just needs a cleaning and light Howard's refinisher. The price was reasonable.

[Russ Kirk]

I like the phone. I wonder why the desire and prices for wood phones in falling.

[Fabius]

Maybe because some wood phones are big and many have to be mounted on a wall to be displayed? Desksets and candlesticks can be display more easily.

[Pourme]

I was thinking the same thing....

[AL_as_needed]

Unless converted, they are lacking a dial and that kinda cuts down the practical usability end as well. Not  sure about you guys, but I require all my phones to be fully operational to take/make calls as any other new phone would.

[Ktownphoneco]

I really don't think it's mounting the sets on the wall that deters people from buying them.     I still restore and sell a few wooden sets, and if I restored this set, I would estimate at least 40 hours of labor plus materials, including sand paper, stain, and 4 coats of whatever exterior finish I decided to use.    Sanding and polishing all of the original nickel parts and re-plating.        Sanding and re-painting all of the parts originally painted black.   Then put everything back together.     I wouldn't ship this particular set in anything else but a wooden crate.    All of that tends to discourage anyone but a die-hard collector, and only if it's a set he or she really wants or needs to help complete a collection.     The attached picture is of a much less labor intensive 1912 Northern Electric & Manufacturing Company Limited N1317 wall set.   It may look simple enough to restore, but there's a lot of time goes into it.
Have a great day.

Jeff Lamb   

[Doug Rose]

Jeff....outstanding job. You put way more time than I did.

This Kellogg had a coat of Howards and pics taken....done. Sold for  $290. This is a real small woodie, so shipping wasn't too bad. Janet is a master packer. If I had the room, I would have kept it.....Doug

http://www.ebay.com/itm/302093990966?

[Ktownphoneco]

Thanks Doug.    Could you do me a favor please, and take a picture of the Howard's container.     I can't recall having seen the product, and I'd like to get a can / container, and play with it, and perhaps work it into the finishes that I use.    It did a nice job on your set.

Al mentioned having the ability to place calls / dial numbers.      Here's a few pictures of a Northern Electric Company Limited N1317 set made in 1918.      The fellow I restored it for had bought the set himself, and asked me to restore it, and put a pulse dial in it so he could actually use it as a fully functioning telephone for his kitchen.    I used a switchboard dial pedestal as the dial mount, with a Northern 5H dial attached to it.      I made additional custom brass terminals located just below the hook switch as connection points for the dial, and a reproduction cloth covered mounting cord as a dial harness.    I added a friction operated brass cabinet lock between the door and the inside of the right vertical box side so that the door could be closed and latched.     A few pictures and the full "pdf" file with all photos are attached.

Jeff

[Ktownphoneco]

Doug R., disregard my request for a picture of Howards wood re-finisher container.     Doug Duffy just sent me a link to the product.

Jeff