WE 20AL with a *329* Transmitter

[Doug Rose]

A few weeks ago. Janet found a painted stick, three coats to be exact plus its black base. Being a vacation day, what better way to spend than stripping paint. Stick seems to be brass, but seems like it is mixed with another alloy. Came out nice, but the stripper took layers of skin, even with gloves on. Isn't the 329 transmitter one of the earlier ones?...Doug

[Doug Rose]

few more pics

[Sargeguy]

It looks like the base/shaft and cup were nickel-plated at one point

[dencins]

Original 20AL was brass painted black.
The 329 was original to the 20AL.
The 329 transmitter was the insulated replacement for the uninsulated 229.

Dennis

[Sargeguy]

Are any of the parts steel/stick to a magnet? What are the dates on the base?  I've never heard of any other alloy used, except the steel 40AL.  My guess is that it uses recycled parts from a nickel-plated phone, which would explain why it had multiple coats of black paint.

[Doug Rose]

thanks for all the replies....a magnet DOES stick to the base and the shaft, but not the transmitter assembly or the hookswitch. This was painted white, then gold then silver over the original black. The color is hard to describe and the pictures do not show it. The face plate shaft and base all seem to be the same alloy. Bronze? The perch and the hookswitch are brass. It is different...Doug

[Sargeguy]

Your phone looks like it has parts from a 40AL. If the base and shaft are magnetic, then the odd coloring would be the famous "Bower-Barff" finish.  I don't have one, but I think the BB finish was darker, so it may have been sanded off.   Especially the faceplate.  What are the patent dates on the base?  I have a 40AL perch if you would like to trade.  

[Doug Rose]

Your phone looks like it has parts from a 40AL. If the base and shaft are magnetic, then the odd coloring would be the famous "Bower-Barff" finish.  I don't have one, but I think the BB finish was darker, so it may have been sanded off.   Especially the faceplate.  What are the patent dates on the base?  I have a 40AL perch if you would like to trade.  

pat date Aug 16 04 Sept 13 04 Jan 26 15....I'll let you know on the 40AL.

Could this be the "Bower-Barff" finish. Heard alot about it, but never actually seen it....Doug

[teka-bb]

Here is a picture of two W.E. candlesticks with the Bower-Barff finish:



It comes from this page:
http://telephonecollector.info/collectionsite/candlesticks/

[Doug Rose]

Well...its definitely not Bower-Barff. Its like a reverse finish, like the brass was added to it after. Like the way nickel is plated after. Different, not real shiny the way you can get brass after Noxon and fine steel wool. A dull finish and it feels a tad rough, not real smooth the way brass does when refinished. Thanks for the pictures of the  Bower-Barff, now I know what it is....Doug

[rdelius]

Sometimes the nickle was sandblasted to roughen the surface to make the paint stick.A magnet might be attracted to the brass stem or base because of the steel parts underneath.A steel base will have a 1915 patent only.
Robby

[Doug Rose]

Sometimes the nickle was sandblasted to roughen the surface to make the paint stick.A magnet might be attracted to the brass stem or base because of the steel parts underneath.A steel base will have a 1915 patent only.
Robby

thanks Robby....makes sense. I'll take it apart and check it out. Thanks for the patent info....Doug

[wds]

Doug, I have a couple of the 40AL's, one has a single patent date of '15, bower barff finish over steel.  The faceplate is like yours, 329 with the nickel plated brass that looks like it was sandblasted.  The phone had been painted black, and I stripped it all off exposing the original finish.  The "329" plate on the transmitter is a real nice polished brass, but the faceplate is that rough nickel.  I have another 40al, with a newer 329w faceplate, polished nickel.  It has the  bower barff stem, but the brass base plate with the patent dates of 04,04, 15.  I wonder if the brass base plate with the '04 '04 '15 patent date was a recycled 20al base plate for use on the 40al?  I always wondered why the 329 faceplate had that rough finish.  Nice to see someone else with the same plate. 

[Sargeguy]

Since the patent dates don't hold up, I'll go back to my original guess that it was nickel plated.  As far as the mystery of how 20AL parts are nickel plated, look no further than the hole drilled in the top of the cup mount.  This phone was once a lamp.  Probably a frankenphone. 

[Doug Rose]

"Frankenphone" what make this a "Frankenphone"? All WE parts from the same era. Does a WE 302 with a replaced F1 become a "Frankenphone"? My definition of a "Frankenphone" is mixed parts from different companies that DO NOT go together. I see nothing "Frankenphone" about this stick.

Yes, some idiot probably made this a lamp. The hole and the three extra coats of paint point to it. But why leave a transmitter and receiver.

Patent dates don't hold up? Not sure I get this, might not hold up for a steel phone that Robby said would just have a '15 patent, but this is a real 100% WE stick.

Again, there is no nickel on this. It is a brass color, but does not look like a normal brass stick. Not rough, but not smooth like a brass stick would be. The transmitter, shaft and base all feel this way. The perch and the hookswitch are brass and feel the way brass should feel. The Transmitter cup is a more nickel color, but does have the brass look to it. The screws are bigger than normal screws that hold the transmitter face to the cup, so I feel they went together.


Is "Frankenphone"  a term that would apply to any phone that is not 100% as found from factory? In my humble opinion, this is not a "Frankenphone" but then again, only my opinion....Doug