Just won this one on ebay. I was actually just looking around and the phoneitis addiction took over :)
h ttp://www.ebay.com/itm/Art-Deco-Western-Electric-354-telephone-phone-antique-vintage-wall-302-cousin-/171759273037?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2047675.l2557&nma=true&si=etL3XhJYm9Zama6tt8h9fNCI4TI%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc
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EDIT: Photo added for posterity and link shortened to:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Art-Deco-Western-Electric-354-telephone-phone-antique-vintage-wall-302-cousin-/171759273037
Ah, that was you who won it.
Well, it's nice to find one with a back board.
Post some inside pics when you get it.
Was it you who was bidding against me? :) I almost didn't make the last bid, I decided almost literally at the last second to up it a couple bucks.
Quote from: mdodds on April 25, 2015, 10:04:28 PM
Was it you who was bidding against me? :) I almost didn't make the last bid, I decided almost literally at the last second to up it a couple bucks.
No, I did not participate. Was happy just watching.
Well, I usually just watch too, but sometimes for no apparent reason one will reach out to me. I noticed it mentioned a frozen dial. Are these usually able to be freed up?
Quote from: mdodds on April 25, 2015, 10:17:35 PM
Well, I usually just watch too, but sometimes for no apparent reason one will reach out to me. I noticed it mentioned a frozen dial. Are these usually able to be freed up?
Yes, I have occasionally simply put the entire dial into the ultrasonic cleaner for 15 minutes. Well, after removing the finger wheel, number plate, and dust barrier.
Never thought of that!
Quote from: unbeldi on April 25, 2015, 10:23:07 PM
Quote from: mdodds on April 25, 2015, 10:17:35 PM
Well, I usually just watch too, but sometimes for no apparent reason one will reach out to me. I noticed it mentioned a frozen dial. Are these usually able to be freed up?
Yes, I have occasionally simply put the entire dial into the ultrasonic cleaner for 15 minutes. Well, after removing the finger wheel, number plate, and dust barrier.
Or you could go the whole 9 yards and just take it completely apart, clean every single piece, oil everything that moves, polish anything that's plated or painted, and reassemble carefully... but who has the time for that?!? :P I usually just clean a dial that's stuck, and free anything that's caught in a gear.
I was looking at that one too because of the backboard. I decided I have enough 354's for now so I didn't bid.
I'm glad you didn't :) The phoneitis bug has resurfaced recently and I am rebuilding a modest collection. I have never had a 354, and I was actually looking for an AE wall phone (one of the side hangup models from the 50's - 60's) and that 354 showed up in a search. I paid a little more than I wanted to, but still got it fairly reasonably I think, especially with the backboard.
Hopefully it arrives tomorrow and I can try out my new bottle of Novus 2.
I don't think you paid too much, it's a good looking phone that was a good deal, especially with the backboard! Congrats! Keep us updated on the restoration.
BTW, I am in need of a wood backboard for one of these, I have a backboard on my manual one and would like to add one to a dial model.
I love 354s, I have a couple as well as a 352, 356 and a 252. $39 is a pretty good price for one with a backboard, if it's complete and un-cracked, like this one appears to be. When you take it apart, don't leave the housing off the base for too long or it may shrink and be difficult to get back on. If it is shrinks, warming it up is the best way to get it back on. Same thing if it is stuck to the base.
It's a pretty cool phone :) As you can see from the pics it apparently was face down in muddy water at some point. The base is actually in pretty good shape, but the inside front and the dial were completely encrusted in mud.
I like unbeldi's idea of using an ultrasonic cleaner for the dial, but I don't have one yet, so I completely disassembled the dial, cleaned each piece and gear separately in soapy water using a toothpick to clean the gear teeth (tedious!), then rinsed and dried everything, reassembled and lightly oiled the moving parts with Wahl clipper oil and it worked!
Getting the transmitter cap off the handset took repeated soaking of the threads with PB B'laster and a rubber strap wrench, but it finally let loose. After a good cleanup of the threads everything screwed back together fine, and the transmitter and receiver themselves seem undamaged.
I cleaned the dial contacts and hangup switch with contact cleaner. My next step is to wire everything back up and see if it works or needs some new parts.
Does anyone know how to clean up the dial screw terminals? They're a bit corroded, but I'm afraid of damaging the switch contacts by getting too aggressive.
So far a fun project!
I unscrew them and put them in a rock tumbler for 24 hours with cut stainless steel shot, that usually does the trick. Of course it helps that my wife is a jeweler and has all that stuff. Parts #6 dials are available cheap, so I would not worry about damaging them. Remove the screws and the area should be easier to clean, then buff each screw head with a steel brush, then sand (if you want).