Metal 302 Stamped H1 in Vermilion 3/46

[rdelius]

The US was gearing up for the war before Pearl Harbor.Supplies were being produced for the Allies.It was a matter of  time before we entered WWll.WE was most likely thinking ahead

[Doug Rose]

David is correct, yet again!! I have found the conclave ccc's and enclosed a few pics. Dated 3/46 everywhere, 4/46 on the transmitter. This is a working phone that needs some TLC. Well beyond my talents. I will put in on eBay on Sunday. Feel free to make an offer, it is a piece of history, but needs some work. If you feel its a challenge you want to take....go for it!!! I hope to see this looking better soon.  Best offer I'll take before Sunday noon, you can't insult me or it goes on eBay...Doug

[unbeldi]

RE: the dispute of cost, modernness, etc, between metal or plastic.

I think there can be no doubt that it was cheaper to produce plastics, whether it being thermoset or thermoplastic materials. The cost benefits abound from raw material sourcing, delivery, molding, handling, and shipping to consumers.

WeCo was not the first to take this direction. Throughout the 1930s consumer products were increasingly made from plastics. Bakelite was a revolutionary product and inspired immense research efforts to produce new plastics with varying properties.  The possibility to produce inherently colored materials, that did not need painting which made products subject to peeling and chipping, was a tremendous economic benefit.

In addition, at the time, 1920-1940s, I do not think that plastic was viewed as "cheap", but rather as a modern advance that permitted colored products with new properties and applications.  I think, this view is hindsight from the experience of cheap products from Asia quite a bit later.

[oldphon]

Happy New Year All-

Regarding the three concentric circles, I know WE outsourced some molding, casting, and forging operations.  Whether it was due to volume, complexity, etc, I'm not sure.  Some items that come to mind, that I've seen are aluminum back plates for mounting single slot pay phones, aluminum back plates for apparatus mountings used for key telephone equipment, three slot vault doors, number rings for 7-type dials, 191C trim plates for going around 630 modular wall plates, and others I can't recall at the moment.  Regarding the number rings for 7-type dials, I have several that are marked "EMCO" in concentric circles.  I believe this is Erie Molding Co., same people that produced the entire housings for the North N-541 sets.

[Doug Rose]

its on eBay ending tomorrow for $50 if anyone feels they can clean the metal shell up....Doug

http://www.ebay.com/itm/291046139312

[Doug Rose]

I opened another box this morning of phones I picked up a few years ago and lightning has struck twice. An amazing Metal 302 dated 6/46, All dates match and it has the CCC, even the dial matches. I had never seen one and now two in a month. the manual one was in tough shape, but this guy is in wonderful shape. I just wiped it off, removed the dial to get a date and put a jack on the original line cord. Next to the CCC is a large I, the other had a K. Not sure what this means.

The only add was the jack and the NOS dial card.

There were defintely metal 302s phones made in 1946....Doug