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62 Black 500

Started by Greg G., June 13, 2014, 10:57:08 PM

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Greg G.

This is the second of 9 phones of the lot.  Mostly dates from 10-62 except for the ringer (III 62) and the line cord (61).  The receiver element doesn't work though.  I tried cleaning the contacts, but that didn't work either, bummer.  Handset caps have a hard time coming off, need a hair dryer on them each time, especially the receiver cap.  Dial is in suprisingly good shape, rotates and returns very well, I was surprised.
The idea that a four-year degree is the only path to worthwhile knowledge is insane.
- Mike Row
e

Greg G.

#1
More pics.
The idea that a four-year degree is the only path to worthwhile knowledge is insane.
- Mike Row
e

WesternElectricBen

Nice find, Briny. I just bought a '51 500 from eBaY for 28.00

Ben

Greg G.

#3
Let it age a bit, it will come back to life.  I've been organizing some of my phones that have been piling up.  This one has been sitting under my work desk since I got it.  I had a note about the receiver element on it, but just to make sure, I plugged it in.  Nothing wrong with it now, works fine.  It just needed a kinder, gentler environment.  Seriously though, is it possible that it just dried out or something?  Only problem now is the receiver cap fits very tight and won't go all the way on.  I tried some vaseline on it, still fits tight.  I think it's warped.
The idea that a four-year degree is the only path to worthwhile knowledge is insane.
- Mike Row
e

Kenton K

Quote from: WesternElectricBen on June 13, 2014, 11:48:06 PM
Nice find, Briny. I just bought a '51 500 from eBaY for 28.00

Ben

I saw that, It was a J/K right?

Greg G.

Quote from: Kenton K on December 05, 2014, 01:59:30 PM
Quote from: WesternElectricBen on June 13, 2014, 11:48:06 PM
Nice find, Briny. I just bought a '51 500 from eBaY for 28.00

Ben

I saw that, It was a J/K right?


A what?  No, just a plain ol' black 500.
The idea that a four-year degree is the only path to worthwhile knowledge is insane.
- Mike Row
e

Kenton K

Quote from: Brinybay on December 05, 2014, 02:13:54 PM
Quote from: Kenton K on December 05, 2014, 01:59:30 PM
Quote from: WesternElectricBen on June 13, 2014, 11:48:06 PM
Nice find, Briny. I just bought a '51 500 from eBaY for 28.00

Ben

I saw that, It was a J/K right?


A what?  No, just a plain ol' black 500.

Sorry, I was talking about Ben's 500.

-Ken

andre_janew

Would it be possible to see what it looks like all put together?  I'd like to see if the wheel on the dial is metal or plastic.  I'd also like to see if it has clear plungers like my dial-less 1962 500C.  Mine has a 1967 case, however.  I don't know when they started putting clear plungers and clear plastic dials on black phones.  That is why I'm asking.

Greg G.

Quote from: andre_janew on December 10, 2014, 05:14:10 PM
Would it be possible to see what it looks like all put together?  I'd like to see if the wheel on the dial is metal or plastic.  I'd also like to see if it has clear plungers like my dial-less 1962 500C.  Mine has a 1967 case, however.  I don't know when they started putting clear plungers and clear plastic dials on black phones.  That is why I'm asking.


Wheel is metal, plungers are black.  Hard to say about the clear plungers because we found a 49-500 in the Seattle museum that has clear plungers.
The idea that a four-year degree is the only path to worthwhile knowledge is insane.
- Mike Row
e

WEBellSystemChristian

Quote from: andre_janew on December 10, 2014, 05:14:10 PM
Would it be possible to see what it looks like all put together?  I'd like to see if the wheel on the dial is metal or plastic.  I'd also like to see if it has clear plungers like my dial-less 1962 500C.  Mine has a 1967 case, however.  I don't know when they started putting clear plungers and clear plastic dials on black phones.  That is why I'm asking.
They started around mid-1966. I'm pretty sure WE did this to increase standardization among colored sets vs black sets.
Christian Petterson

"Whether you think you can or think you can't, you're right" -Henry Ford

Kenton K

Quote from: WEBellSystemChristian on December 10, 2014, 08:26:19 PM
Quote from: andre_janew on December 10, 2014, 05:14:10 PM
Would it be possible to see what it looks like all put together?  I'd like to see if the wheel on the dial is metal or plastic.  I'd also like to see if it has clear plungers like my dial-less 1962 500C.  Mine has a 1967 case, however.  I don't know when they started putting clear plungers and clear plastic dials on black phones.  That is why I'm asking.
They started around mid-1966. I'm pretty sure WE did this to increase standardization among colored sets vs black sets.

I thought they started using clear plungers in ~1960. Let me check my own sets.

KK

RotarDad

Based on my own experience and what I've learned from this forum, I believe all black 500s had black plungers (except perhaps some very early sets), until '64 or '65.  I had a soft plastic '64 shell with clear plungers , and I also had an early '65 ABS shell with clear plumbers.  Black phones were soft plastic until about '65.  I also had a May '65 #9 dial.  For black 500s, I believe the transition to ABS, clear plungers and #9 dials with closed center plastic wheels happened in that '65 period.
Paul

Kenton K

My matching date '62 has clear plungers. The shell is dated 62. So it had to be before 62 when they switched to black plungers.

KK

RotarDad

#13
KK - Interesting.  Great info.  Besides that Tenite '64 shell I found, I have not heard about clear plungers on an early 60s black 500.  I guess there is always the possibility that someone swapped them, but those parts were available in the factory back in '53 when color first appeared.  They certainly could have been factory-installed.  I wonder if anyone else has a dates-matching soft plastic black with clear plungers?

One more thought....I have a 4/61 and a 3/63 shell, both Tenite and both with black plungers, so both types would have been installed, not an immediate switchover.
Paul

RotarDad

I also just remembered a dates-matching 7/63 black set I restored as a gift. It too had black plungers.  I have heard others on the forum say the transition from Tenite to ABS happened over several years for black sets, but I haven't personally seen evidence of that.  However, the plunger mix does sound similar...
Paul