Replacing parts always difficult?

[Netdewt]

I just took delivery of my new black 1961 WE 500. The cord looks less than original, but not in horrible condition, and one of the handset caps was spray painted from beige. How hard is it to find replacement parts?

[Jim Stettler]

Black caps are easy to find, It gets hard when you are looking for specific colors w/ specific date.
Jim

[Craig T]

I just took delivery of my new black 1961 WE 500. The cord looks less than original, but not in horrible condition, and one of the handset caps was spray painted from beige. How hard is it to find replacement parts?

Email Steve Hilsz to start with. Black parts should be pretty easy to come by.

http://www.navysalvage.com/

[Netdewt]

I took it apart and tested it. Everything says 61 except the dial pad... I couldn't decipher those numbers, maybe 70 though. It gets a dial tone and dials fine.

Another thing thats sort of broken is the dial center ring and backing. It's all bent up so it doesn't sit flat. It has a shoddy acetate too, but that's not a huge deal.

[Dennis Markham]

Is it the later model 9C dial?  Those rings that you have to push down on the tab to release the finger wheel always break.  Or is does your phone have the metal finger wheel?  If that's the case then it's not a 9C dial.  The metal wheels only fit on the #7 series dials.  It will fit a #6 dial but a #6 won't fit on a 500.

[Netdewt]

Oh, ok. It's a metal finger wheel. The dial center is just all bent up from being messed with I think. It came with a number card that says "White House" with a picture of the White House below it. My guess is that a grandma let her grandkids play with it or something. They were otherwise gentle though.

[Jim Stettler]

Oh, ok. It's a metal finger wheel. The dial center is just all bent up from being messed with I think. It came with a number card that says "White House" with a picture of the White House below it. My guess is that a grandma let her grandkids play with it or something. They were otherwise gentle though.

That was probably a white house telephone.
  I have seen the white house dial center avliable on some of the dial center sites.

I have a White House telephone in really nice condition and another one that I think came from the security office, I consider the grime and nicotine on the second one as patina.


Jim

[Dennis Markham]

The dial center is just all bent up from being messed with I think.

Netdewt, I was getting confused by what you were referring to when you said dial center.  I was thinking below the finger wheel.  I understand now.  You were talking about the dial card retainer ring that holds the dial card, number card, dial center...in place.  You can find them on eBay or I'm sure Oldphoneworks has them (but eBay ones will be cheaper).  Just keep in mind some are plastic.  I think the metal ones look nicer and are more original to the earlier models.

[Netdewt]

Oh, ok. It's a metal finger wheel. The dial center is just all bent up from being messed with I think. It came with a number card that says "White House" with a picture of the White House below it. My guess is that a grandma let her grandkids play with it or something. They were otherwise gentle though.

That was probably a white house telephone.
  I have seen the white house dial center avliable on some of the dial center sites.

I have a White House telephone in really nice condition and another one that I think came from the security office, I consider the grime and nicotine on the second one as patina.


Jim

Really? Here's the listing pic:


Also, the dial is in good condition except for the paint. Should I repaint it myself or get a new one?

[bingster]

If you gather up all the phones that have White House dial cards on them, they'd probably add up to a hundred times the number of telephones that have ever actually seen service in the White House.  Those things are everywhere.

[Netdewt]

Strange... and it came from Buffalo, NY.

[Jim Stettler]

If you gather up all the phones that have White House dial cards on them, they'd probably add up to a hundred times the number of telephones that have ever actually seen service in the White House.  Those things are everywhere.

I got both of mine several years before I found any dial centers on-line.

Years ago a collector bought the Whitehouse phones thru a goverment auction. They used to be advertised in the ATCA newsletter.

I don't think very many people besides collectors change out dial centers.

JMO
Jim