Early 1953 WE500

[brshaffer]

Picked this up at the Lambertville NJ Golden Nugget Antique Flea Market for $5.  

Most dates are early to mid 1953, except the receiver (11/52) and the transmitter (6/59).

It's unbelievably filthy and moldy but it was the earliest 500 I've come across personally and for $5 I had to rescue it.  I actually like them this way--repairing/restoring is what I enjoy the most.  Nothing on this that can't be remedied.  

It dials out (with help) and answers.  The ringer doesn't work even after the G to L1 change, so I'll have to see what's the root of that.

[TelePlay]

Is there a date stamped on the handset cord retainer?

[southernphoneman]

Picked this up at the Lambertville NJ Golden Nugget Antique Flea Market for $5.   

Most dates are early to mid 1953, except the receiver (11/52) and the transmitter (6/56).

It's unbelievably filthy and moldy but it was the earliest 500 I've come across personally and for $5 I had to rescue it.  I actually like them this way--repairing/restoring is what I enjoy the most.  Nothing on this that can't be remedied.   

It dials out (with help) and answers.  The ringer doesn't work even after the G to L1 change, so I'll have to see what's the root of that.

nice phone, as far as the ringer do make sure that everything else is hooked up properly and then turn the phone with the back facing you,in between where the gongs are there is a g spring with a little adjustment needle sticking out, you want to make sure that it is all the way to the right,if you need to I will post a photo, Gregg

[brshaffer]

Is there a date stamped on the handset cord retainer?

Yes, and unfortunately it's '60.  I thought the cord might be original, but oh well.  Still looks original with the stubby grommet.  Makes sense given that the transmitter is '59.  Went in for service.

nice phone, as far as the ringer do make sure that everything else is hooked up properly and then turn the phone with the back facing you,in between where the gongs are there is a g spring with a little adjustment needle sticking out, you want to make sure that it is all the way to the right,if you need to I will post a photo, Gregg

Thanks Gregg, I figured it might be the bias spring, but I hadn't made an adjustment before.  I just checked and the spring was all the way to the left, I'll have to wire it back up and see.

[brshaffer]

Oh another question about this 500, regarding the font on the dial bezel.  This one has a thinner font than a '57 500 that I have.  When and/or why did they change the font to appear bolder?  Was it just to make it more readable or does it indicate something about the manufacturing?

[david@london]

 This one has a thinner font than a '57 500 that I have.  When and/or why did they change the font to appear bolder? 

this sounds unusual to me....... could you show photos for comparison ? thanks.

[Phonesrfun]

Are you talking about the boldness (or lack thereof) of the typeface?  Western Electric made several production related changes to their injection molding process over the years.  The numbers, letters and dots are not printed onto the black bezel.  Rather, the black part has hollow figures for the numbers and letters and then a white plastic is molded into the hollowed-out letter outlines from behind.  That way, the letters never wear off as ones that are painted on do.  Instead, the molded white part and the black bezel all wear evenly over the years.

Older dials, even the ones that were porcelain tended to lose their numbers due to wear and fading over the years.

[rdelius]

I might be wrong about this but I think the part was not made by WE in the earlier years and later WE  produced their own.

[brshaffer]

this sounds unusual to me....... could you show photos for comparison ? thanks.

Sure thing David, pictures are below.

The numbers, letters and dots are not printed onto the black bezel.  Rather, the black part has hollow figures for the numbers and letters and then a white plastic is molded into the hollowed-out letter outlines from behind.  That way, the letters never wear off as ones that are painted on do.  Instead, the molded white part and the black bezel all wear evenly over the years.

This is great to know, Bill!  I have been treating the dial bezels gingerly thinking the letters were silk screened or rubber stamped.  Now if one is filthy I can give it a little elbow grease.

[brshaffer]

Finally got around to giving this moldy oldie some love.  I have to admit I was worried this one wouldn't come out.  The housing was FULL of mold, tons of scratches, and dirt so thick the handset looked brown.

This was my first WE500 breakdown, everything but the switch hook came off.  I also got to try a lot of the cleaning techniques I learned here.  

I hung the handset cord in a bucket of oxi-clean, soaked all plastic parts in water/bleach, and polished the housing with car polishing compound.  All the methods exceeded my expectations; I didn't have to even scrub the handset cord, there isn't a trace of mold, and even by hand I got it to a pretty high-gloss finish.

It turns out the ringer did not work because two wires were reversed: Red/White normally on K and White normally on A were flipped.  The dial needed a lot of work, it barely returned on its own, but it's working great now.

I didn't try the oven & dowel method to re-coil the handset cord.  Being this is in "daily dialer" condition, I won't have to worry about stretching it back out again.

Before & After pics below.
 

[unbeldi]

It turns out the ringer did not work because two wires were reversed: Red/White normally on K and Red normally on A were flipped.

Red should be on L2, not A.

Slate on K, red-slate on A.
Black on L1 (or G for 3-wire mounting, if desired)

[brshaffer]

It turns out the ringer did not work because two wires were reversed: Red/White normally on K and Red normally on A were flipped.

Red should be on L2, not A.

Slate on K, red-slate on A.

Whoops! Thanks. I meant white.  White and Red/White from the ringer was reversed.  Changed my original post to prevent confusion.
I was using this wiring diagram: http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=2600.0

[unbeldi]

Whoops! Thanks. I meant white.  White and Red/White from the ringer was reversed.  Changed my original post to prevent confusion.
I was using this wiring diagram: http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=2600.0

Well, swapping those, the slate-red and the slate wire, doesn't change anything electrically. The capacitor is not polarized.
I think you need to look for the reason and resolution elsewhere.

[Contempra]

Picked this up at the Lambertville NJ Golden Nugget Antique Flea Market for $5.   

Most dates are early to mid 1953, except the receiver (11/52) and the transmitter (6/59).

It's unbelievably filthy and moldy but it was the earliest 500 I've come across personally and for $5 I had to rescue it.  I actually like them this way--repairing/restoring is what I enjoy the most.  Nothing on this that can't be remedied.   

It dials out (with help) and answers.  The ringer doesn't work even after the G to L1 change, so I'll have to see what's the root of that.

One thing that should be making when you buy an old phone with lots of stains or mold is: open it and start by cleaning all the network wire by wire, one at a time. and all contacts where is wire. In my opinion, this is what I do myself and so general, the phone works in perfectly. if the phone does not work properly, I ask to someone here ...

for the housing of the phone, it's another story...In any case, water and dish soap  make wonders in many cases