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Who's FRED, and why's his name inside my phone?

Started by Jester, January 03, 2018, 12:39:01 PM

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Jester

Found this curiosity stamped over the right foot in my yellow 500.  Any thoughts?
Stephen

LarryInMichigan


WEBellSystemChristian

On one of my Med Blue's, someone signed the bottom of the base with "Jerry". My Med Blue two tone (created, not authentic) is signed with "Tom". Both were written in pencil, and both signatures were written similarly. None of my other phones are signed like this, and both phones came from completely different eBay sellers.

Definitely a mystery... :o
Christian Petterson

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

jsowers

I've seen the insides of a lot of 50s 500 sets and never seen FRED before. Something tells me they stopped his little five minutes of fame rather quickly. Normally one thinks of young women on the assembly line at the Indianapolis plant, but I've seen pictures of men working where the housings were stored on pallets.

Maybe this one went off the line for some kind of repair and Fred got it? Thanks for the picture, Stephen. What's the date on the bottom so we can try to find another one?
Jonathan

TelePlay

I've noticed that there are more than a few pencil marked components/parts in 302s and some 500s and somewhere some time ago, it was stated that it was the initials of the person who installed or replaced the part. Not full names, just initials or a mark that everyone knew was a particular person.

I'd guess this was either a quality control mark or a person who did it for no reason other than thinking of who would be the first to see his initials. With the "FRED" being applied with an ink/paint marker, it has to be a bit more than than a "just for fun" mark.

Jester

The base is dated 10/55.  What struck me as odd was the factory stamping used and the location of it appears deliberate.
Stephen

Babybearjs

I've never seen that before.... were the assemblers allowed to "Sign" their work??
John

jsowers

Quote from: Babybearjs on January 04, 2018, 12:06:35 AM
I've never seen that before.... were the assemblers allowed to "Sign" their work??

The assemblers were women in the Indianapolis plant where all 500 sets were made in the 1950s. Look at these WE ads. Do you see a Fred?

Maybe Fred was in a refurbishing plant? Very hard to tell.
Jonathan


Jester

#9
One thing is certain.  This is the only phone I've ever had come to me with its own personal name!
Stephen

twocvbloke


RotarDad

#11
I have also seen many sets of initials on 500 sets. Usually written inside the base in pencil (?) somewhere near the area of the rear feet.  I've seen at least a couple ringers with small handwritten markings as well.  Some of the bases were refurbed, which broadens the potential explanations, but it makes sense that these are QC marks of some kind.

The FRED stamp is very unusual.  I do have one refurbed base with a vermillion date stamp inside the base in front of the ringer (in '60 I believe).   I bet Winnifred snuck in a one-off with her stamp from the accounting department ... ;)
Paul

AE_Collector

Is it an Italian made 500? "Fixed or Repaired Every Day".

Terry

Jester

#13
Terry,
No! But I have one license built by FoMoCo.  Just kidding-- couldn't resist! 
Signed,
Mopar Fan. (Jester) ;D
Stephen

rtp129495

FORD = Fix OR Repair Daily! LOL yea, with one small variation with the "E" and "R" "O" placement/Deletion.