Western Electric Type 67 2-Box Antique Telephone - In need of full restoration

[Sargeguy]

There are three different types of Barkeepers' Freind-powder, gel and spray.  They are all cheap, $1.50-$2.50.  I started by mixing the powder with water and smearing it on.  That worked but was messy.  The gel was easier. The spray was the easiest to use, it creates a foam coating.

1) Clean the piece with water and a scru brush, use Murphy's oil soap for stubborn dirt.

2) Apply Citru-Strip over the entire surface, especially the sides of the doors and backboards.  I put the Citru-Strip in a squeeze bottle

3) Wash piece, making sure all the stripper is out of the holes, then put in oven on LOW for 10-15 minutes

3) Apply a generous coat of Barkeeper's Friend.  Make sure the wood is completely stripped of all shellac so the acid can contact the wood surface. 

4) Wash piece, then back in oven on LOW for 10-15 minutes,  If you get a blotchy appearance, repeat steps and 3

[Butch Harlow]

One thing I have definitely learned as a member of the CRPF is that ordinary products have different uses. I have always been a fan of beekeeper's friend because of my insistence on clean, dry stainless steel.
I can't wait to see the finished product here, it seems you're off to a heck of a good start.

[Sargeguy]

Here is the backboard, It has a few splits and water damage at the binding posts, so I decided to redo it.  In order to remove the binding posts, remove the screws on the front.  Next, from behind, take a flathead screwdriver and pry the lead solder off of the bottoms of the post.  Use a metal ruler as a fulcrum so you don't damage the wood.  Once you've removed the solder, push the post through the front and remove the binding post.

[Sargeguy]

I refinished the box. I used a mix of Restor-A-Finish mahogany, dark walnut, and golden oak.  I applied a few coats. 

I then moved on to the gluing. Screw one side back onto the backboard, leaving some play so you haveabout 1mm gap. Loosely fit the other pieces into place and apply glue into the gaps in the finger joints. I used TitleBond II wood glue applied into the finger joints with a large syringe.  Then fit the pieces into place.  At this point I use the clamps. You need at least four clamps.  I used six, but eight would have been better. Once they are in place screw the other boards to the backboard. It can be a little tricky, and you need to move quickly, adjusting the fit. The object is to get smooth corners.  Let the whole thing dry for a few hours at least. 

(note: I forgot to take pictures)
 
Next used the Preval Spray System to apply several layers of heavily thinned amber shellac.  Between coats I lightly block sanded using 800 grit sandpaper.  The process is a little tedious, the object is to get a smooth flat finish in which the shellac fills in the wood grain.  This was impossible on the door, because it was slightly warped, so I switched to a softer block.  After the last coat I used abrasive cloth to deaden the shine from the shellac so that it looked aged.

[Sargeguy]

The nickel plating on the binding posts and escutcheons, and the hook was in pretty poor condition and could not be saved. When I re-nickeled them I tried to go for an aged, worn look that matched other parts of the phone.   Despite the restoration, his phone dates to the 1890s, and there are parts that show it. Slapping super shiny parts onto the phone would look weird when juxtaposed with older original nickel.   I'm not trying to restore it to new, I'm trying to approximate the state it was in before it was left in the chicken coop.

[RB]

   I'm not trying to restore it to new, I'm trying to approximate the state it was in before it was left in the chicken coop.

Well, it didn't work...lol
That thing looks beautiful!
Nice work for sure

[magicbrain]

The nickel plating on the binding posts and escutcheons, and the hook was in pretty poor condition and could not be saved. When I re-nickeled them I tried to go for an aged, worn look that matched other parts of the phone.

Great job so far - What process are you using to create the aged nickel plate look?

[Sargeguy]

I clean the piece but I do not strip off all the remaining nickel. When I plate  I use a higher voltage, 5 volts, which gives it a duller appearance. I polish with #000 steel wool instead of buffing out. If a piece looks too clean I will drop it in a liver of sulfur solution (my wife uses in her jewelry making) to give it an artificial patina. Another common mistake I see in restoring these old phones is plating things that were never intended to plated in the first place, like screws and washers. 

[Sargeguy]

I have figured out a few things about this phone as I have been working on it.
-The backboard and box date from the 1880s and featured a Blake Transmitter and a smaller #2 or #4 box originally.
-The TYPE 67 box dates form the 1890s as evidenced by the large wheeled magneto, which was phased out by 1899.
-The front door has been replaced.  It is not stamped "WESTERN ELECTRIC", is of inferior quality wood (lots of knots), does not have the correct ringer for this phone, and is missing the holes where an instruction sign would have hung. Some models of this phone did have a glass front door, but this phone does not have the nickel plating that is associated with that type.
The large black box was a later addition (PATENTED DEC. 1904) It is a paper condenser used to ensure that other parties on the same line could use their phones if this was left off hook. 

[wds]

Amazing restoration. 

[Key2871]

Wow what a change! Nice work.

[Sargeguy]

Always check your gongs! I found one that was marked "W.&S."  Not sure what it means, but I"ll take it.

[Stubbypylon]

Walt Aydelotte once stated:

"While I don't know for sure, I am of the opinion That This was one of the 1st Bell manufacturers who operated out of Meriden and Bridgeport Ct. in the late 1800s.  I have a couple sets of these bells and both came on very early Bell Contractor phones.  I know that Wilmot & Hobbs was another business entity who operated out of these 2 manufacturing towns, but their bells were usually  out of steel.  I Speculate that the W in W & S was represented by Wilmot of Wilmot & Hobbs."

[Sargeguy]

Thanks, I was just looking through my old e-mails and found the same info from Walt.  Now I need another one!

Another possibility is "E.A. Williams & Son" or "Willams & Son" who manufactured brass gongs in Jersey City, NJ in the late 1800s.

[Sargeguy]

Finished cleaning up the magneto.  I used naphtha and a variety of wire brushes to clean up the dried oil on the generator and, after chipping away the remains of the wasp nest, soaked the magnets in rust convertor. I repainted the magnets with flat black spray paint and then aged them with a naphtha soaked steel wool pad. I oiled the shaft and it is working properly.  Still need to test it's output.