Getting a stuck receiver end off AE 1A

[ntophones]

Hello,
I've handled tricky E1 handsets, but am I missing something on how to get apart an AE 1A receiver-end apart? I've tried WD40 and heat, but cannot get it apart....I don't own a  strap wrench, nor do I really know if that would help here. Any thoughts? Is there something I'm missing? Doesn't it just unscrew?Thanks.
ntophones

[LarryInMichigan]

nto,

The brass part screws onto the the threads on the handset.  Removing the bakelite part requires a special tool.  I just won an ebay auction for a phone with a (mismatched) handset of this type (http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=290617564589), so I may be getting more experience with these soon. 

A rubber strap wrench is an essential tool for these things.  I bought a pair of them at O'Reilly Auto Parts a while back.

Larry

[ntophones]

Thanks, Larry,
Please let me know your progress with the handset.
I'm not seeing where a special tool would be useful, though. I'm able to rock the bakelite part, but, the brass ring is stuck very tightly.
I'll try to find the strap wrench.
Thanks again,
nto

[LarryInMichigan]

Do not try to remove the bakelite part of the receiver cap.  Since the part of the cap which screws onto the handset is brass, heat should be very helpful.  The metal will expand when heated, but the bakelite will not.  You might want to try gently tapping the brass around the perimeter to try to loosen whatever is binding it to the bakelite.  The strap from a strap wrench should go around the brass.

Larry

[ntophones]

That makes so much sense....now, I need to get a strap wrench!!!!
Thank you so much,
nto

[GG]

The way to apply heat is by using a hair dryer at the 1,000 watt setting, and blowing the hot air more or less equally around the outside of the part in question.  Occasionally stop to try to unscrew the part.  You don't want to get it too hot to touch.  This also works for stuck F1 handsets, even though per Larry it shouldn't. 

Re. the bakelite part of the AE 34 handset's receiver cap: the insert in the receiver can be unscrewed (plus or minus the correct tool) to release the bakelite earpiece from the brass receiver cap & ring.  The underside of the bakelite earpiece has a bunch of holes in a circle, and there are two protrusions on the brass cap that match up with the holes.   The purpose of this setup was:  during manufacturing, the brass part could be screwed onto the handset to the correct level of tightness, and then the bakelite earpiece would be positioned correctly (with the large dimension parallel to the axis of the handset) and then the interior nut screwed in.  This ensured that the earpiece would end up in the correct orientation when the receiver cap & earpiece assembly was removed for servicing the receiver. 

In general I agree with Larry that one shouldn't try to remove that bakelite earpiece from the brass receiver cap / ring.  The key problem here being the lack of the appropriate tool with which to do it. 

[GG]

It occurs to me, I have a friend who is a machinist, so in theory he could easily produce the tool for unscrewing the octagonal brass fitting from inside the bakelite receiver cap.   That would help for folks who are trying to do major reconditioning / refinishing of these handsets. 

Question is, what do y'all think is a fair price for that tool?  Or has someone already produced these, and if so, where can I buy one and at what cost? 

[AE_Collector]

It's called a Monohone Tool. I saw one on ebaY once but can't begin to remember what it went for. I think maybe something around $150.

I have one by the way and will try to remember t opost a picture of it soon. It has two ends to it. One for the nut that holds the bakelite piece to the receiver cap of type 38 handsets and the other end to remove the plunger from type 35 and 50 wall phones.

There is no good reason for the nut holding the receiver together to be real tight so anything that fits into the hole without too much play could be tried to see if it will loosen it. This has no bearing on removing the receiver cap from the handset though.

Terry

[stub]

Hi everyone,
                 Cheap tool!  This has worked for me for several years now.  I use a 3/8 allen wrench with 2 sides slightly filed off. Any 2 sides that are directly across from each other.  It took longer to find the allen wrench than it did to make the tool.
                Here's what I use on the receiver band. Small jar lid remover , my wife still can't find it!       (!!! DO NOT USE ON TRANSMITTER BAND IT WILL RUIN IT!!!)    Just my 2 cents .    
                                                                                                                                          stub

[GG]

Stub, your filed-down 3/8" allen wrench is just (expletive!) brilliant.  I'm going to try that, ASAP.  I'll also want to file the other edges to not be quite so sharp corners, and probably wrap the thing in one thickness of masking tape to be sure.  But I have an AE 34 with a receiver cap that doesn't come to rest in the correctly symmetrical position, so being able to unscrew the center thingie and adjust the position of the bakelite earpiece will solve that problem nicely.

[stub]

GG,
     File it to fit, don't insert the wrench too deep or you will scratch the metal diaphragm.    stub

[ntophones]

Those answers are so wonderful! Thanks for the detailed pictures, too--I need pictures!
I got the strap wrench and unscrewed the brass ring, only to see the dilemma inside! Now, I must decide whether to try filing the allen wrench, or just cleaning with the earpiece still attached.
If one were to clean the parts together, what would you use? Also, what do you use on the flat piece that looks like cardboard and the aluminum looking metal parts??
Thanks.
nto

[stub]

ntophones,
                 Got any pictures for us to see what you have going on? 
                 On mine the earpeice and band, and the flat aluminum piece, that looks like cardboard ,get warm water and dawn dish liquid bath, hair dryer to dry  , then polished with Novus # 2. I use a paint brush to dust out the receiver.  hope this helps.   stub

[ntophones]

Here are some pictures of my phone. The last ones are the receiver taken apart.

[ntophones]

Sounds good--if you can tell, on the receiver parts picture with the stuff all out, the 2 little things that look like staples in the black posts are pretty rusty. Should I worry about that? I know some people clean rust off with CLR or something like that--will it hurt the other stuff in there?
Would it hurt to use Simichrome or Brasso on the thing I call cardboard (I guess it is not), but it, too has rust, or will Dawn take that out. I didn't get a picture, but, the other side of the cap, the paint has come off where it used to be black. I thought about going with brass trim, but, the gold matte is very much prettier, so, I think I'll keep it black, until I am able to track some of those down...I think there is a very fine example in a link of that, though I have lost that at the moment.
I don't want to paint the brass--what about shoe polish on brass? Does anyone know?
Thanks,
nto