WE 553A

[WEBellSystemChristian]

I had bought a 553A with a 2AA dial from ebay last year, and it was in rough shape. It was repainted from a spray can, and whoever painted it didn't do a great job (drips and sags, rust underneath the paint poked through on the left side). I was thinking about powdercoating it, until I tried polishing the existing paint...

It turned out the paint looks really good after being polished; it shines! The painter painted over the nickel cover hinges and cover screw. I used a dab of EasyOff, and the paint practically fell off. A little Brasso, and they look great. I touched up the rust on the cover with a paint marker (I know, pretty cheap way of handling rust issues), and added a printout card from Telephone Archive.

The dial plate looks unused; no scratches, wear, rust, anything!

The receiver was also cracked, badly. It's now epoxied together, and sanded smooth. The crack is still visible, but at least it's strong and in one piece now!

[HarrySmith]

Looks Great! Nice job! I have been looking for one like that. I would prefer a different transmitter, not a bulldog.
What is that it id leaning against? Looks like a large gear of some sort.

[WEBellSystemChristian]

Thanks!

The gear was found at a farm-style junk yard sale, along with several others. We assume it was attached to some sort of farm machinery. My dad and I restored it, and it now sits on a custom-built wooden pedestal on our coffee table. This thing weighs about 40 or 50 pounds!!

[Mr. Bones]

Nicely done, beautiful job on the finish, Christian!

I don't have a WE in this flavor yet, but someday... I do have a very similar AE set, though. Thanks for the motivational post!

Best regards!