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Snagged my first Mercedes Dial on an AE 21 Candlestick off of eBay

Started by TelePlay, June 27, 2016, 09:37:29 PM

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TelePlay

Took the photos some time ago but finally got around to doing the best I could to put then into a before and after format.

The stick and dial were one purchase, the subset a second purchase. Lost count of the purchases needed to obtain parts or stuff to make parts and the hours spent refurbishing the two main parts.

In the end, the stick and subset cost about $70 including shipping and another $250 or so was needed for main parts, IIRC, including the correct transmitter and receiver, induction and two cloth cords and then there were all of the rest of the small parts used for whatever purpose. I left the subset as found, left the dings in place and kept the back paint which seemed to be original. The brass face plate balances the dial.

So, this phone as it sits on my desk is an official member of the "300 Club," a phone in which more than 3 times the original purchase price was dumped into it to get to the end product. Some would call it a money pit and on a bad day, I might agree.

Anyway, it was a fun, learning experience and while I now have not a perfect as built in the factory telephone, it's close enough for me, and very close if you don't look under the hoods.

oldguy

Very nice John, lots of work, end result outstanding. I'll have to start working on my AE 21, after seeing yours.
Gary

HarrySmith

Harry Smith
ATCA 4434
TCI

"There is no try,
there is only
do or do not"

Doug Rose

John....Beautiful, meticulous work. You should be very proud. Outstanding piece...Doug
Kidphone

TelePlay

Thanks for the compliments. It was fun and it turned out okay.

This is my favorite photo of the phone. Only thing I did not do was polish the finger wheel. Left it as received after cleaning. Just didn't want to mess with taking that dial apart.

Pourme

John,

Knowing what you went through to to get to get that phone to this point is impressive. You have preserved a piece of the past to live on for future generations to see and enjoy. Very nice & a job well done!
Benny
Benny

Panasonic 308/616 Magicjack service

Dan/Panther

Nothing better than an excellent restoration. And this is one. Great work, great fabrication. So many good pieces have been relegated to the landfill, because the owner does not have the skills to accomplish the work that you have done.
I firmly believe that nothing is beyond repair.

D/P

The More People I meet, The More I Love, and MISS My Dog.  Dan Robinson

TelePlay

A comment in this topic quite some time ago was critical of me calling this restoration, the total conversion of a stripped AE candlestick made into a lamp phone into a working phone with finding and rebuilding the correct subset, epic in that someone like me who had a fully equipped metal working shop was far ahead of the average forum member who would not have the power tools and equipment available to them that I had at my disposal to resulted in my hijacking my own topic with a discussion of my limited tools, work area and creativity.

Those replies have been split off and placed into this stand alone topic which has turned into a series of comments and replies showing what I have, what I have done and what I am doing with my total 2 square feet of work bench space.

     http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=19073.0

The new topic is a statement of fact with images and is meant as encouragement to new forum members who have little or no experience working with tools and chemicals.

This candlestick lamp phone conversion along with other things I have done or am doing are posted there as a statement of what can be done with not much in little space, nothing more.

NikeTelephone

Just Beautiful, wow!!! .. hope Mine turns out Half as good! Thanks for the Encouragement! :)
Phones, Who Knew! :)

FABphones

#114
Just found this older thread. An incredible transformation. Very thorough. Beautiful work on both pieces.

Bumping for others to read. Thanks for sharing.
A collector of  'Monochrome Phones with Sepia Tones'   ...and a Duck!
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Vintage Phones - 10% man made, 90% Tribble
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