WE 12/1951 model 500 arrives

[benhutcherson]

Connect the red and black to the transmitter cup.

Then, get another wire, and jumper it from the the red wire on the transmitter cup to one of the terminals of the receiver. The remaining handset wire(white) will go to the other terminal of the receiver.

Inside the phone, white goes to GN, red goes to R, and black goes to BK.

There are only two complications to doing this, however:

1. Typically, a 4-conductor cord for a G-series handset will have the white wires significantly longer than the red and black. This is because, unlike F-series handsets, the G handsets didn't have contacts running through them for the receiver. On a cord for an F-series handset, all three of the wires will be the same length.

2. Typically, a F-series handset will have a flat hook for a strain reliever, which goes under a screw in the handset. G-series handsets have a big groove molded into the cord which fits between two prongs. In really early G-1 handsets, such as should have been with your telephone, the prongs are molded into the handset. On the vast majority of handsets, they're part of the transmitter cup.

[Dennis Markham]

Brian, I was thinking more about the cord question.  I believe a split network like this phone has would have had a straight handset cord originally.  Early straight handset cords have very short leads, just down stream from the strain relief hook.  The leads do not have to reach the 425B network block because they attach just inside the housing.  I do have a 1950 with the early split network that I picked up from a collector.  He had replaced the cord with a coiled cord made much later.  I was able to locate a replacement cord from another collector with the short leads, intended to connect just inside the phone.  For what that's worth.......

[benhutcherson]

Dennis,
The cord in my '52 set has normal-length leads which would easily reach the network block if need be. The excess length is tucked back under the dial, and the spades attach to the terminal strip as would be expected.

I'm sure that this cord is original to the telephone, as it's straight and the strain reliever is stamped '52.

Here's a photo of how mine's set up-notice the extra length

[Dennis Markham]

Ben, thanks.  I'll have to pull out that cord and see what the crimp date is on that.  There were probably several different variations of that cord.  I happened to get one with short leads.  I had wanted to put it on a 1955 phone I had but when I went to install it, the red and white wires were too short.  Some time later I picked up the 1950 phone and it was perfect for that.

[McHeath]

Gave it a good bath, well the plastic parts that is.  It's in good shape overall, a few serious scuffs here and there but not too bad.  Here is an oddity, the receiver and transmitter metal parts are painted in an olive drab green, a very military color.  Never seen that before.  Plastic shell has the funny smell the old soft plastic has.

[McHeath]

Parts Wanted:

I've also posted this in the classified section, these are the various parts I need to bring this 1951 500 phone back closer to it's original state and fix the shipping damage.  Send me an e-mail to mcheath at aol.com and we can talk price. 

G1 bakelite handset, don't need the internals, just handset and caps.

Straight rubber handset cord for above mentioned handset.

Replacement dial faceplate for an early 50's 500, black naturally. 

Any help would be mucho appreciated. 

[McHeath]

After polishing the case.  There are some flaws on the front, look like someone dripped something like fingernail polish on it and it bubbled up.  Otherwise it came pretty clean.

[Dan/Panther]

You did a great job on that one.

D/P

[McHeath]

Thanks.  It was three coats of polish and then a final of Turtle Wax.  There are some scratches on the case between the horns of the handset, looks like someone tried to scrape off a sticker and gouged the plastic in the process.  I thought about light sanding the area and then slowly working it out with polishes, but in the end just let it stand.  Curious thing about the bubbled spots is that they are soft, you can dent then by pressing on them.

[Dennis Markham]

I have seen those "bubbles" before.  Often it is from the handset cord resting against the plastic for a long period of time.  I have had a few like that.  You will also see those marks on the bottom of some of the phones where the phone was stored with the phone atop the handset cord.  I have been able to remove those with the sanding process.  It takes a little time but they usually clean up nicely.

The case looks great.

Dennis

[McHeath]

Now that's interesting about those bubbles.  Yes they are also on the bottom of the case and the bottom of the chassis has those marks that the cords make when the phones set on them for a long time.  Thanks for the kudos about the case polishing out, I might someday try to tackle sanding those bubbles off.

[McHeath]

Got some great parts from Dennis for the phone, a G1 handset with all elements and 1955 and 54 dates, and a new dial to replace the one broken in transit.  Odd thing about the original dial is that the lettering is very thin, and not quite as white as the other old 500's I've seen.  The backside of the original dial says "2" and "EMCo".  Is this a Western Electric dial?

[Dennis Markham]

There was some discussion a while back on the ATCA List about the EMCo.  I don't remember what Company it was decided made those parts for Western Electric.  If you look on the back of the dial rings for the Automatic Electrics they are also stamped that way so they must have made them for them as well, maybe even Kellogg.  But that's a guess. 

Your original dial ring (I've seen them called dial bezels) may be one of the first ones that were actually an acetate overlay.  If you tried to sand it it would be ruined.  Not like the later sandwich plastic bezels.  I have one of those on a 1950 model 500 that I have.  That is another reason why the damage was such a shame.  People talk about insuring the package but what's the use...once something that is vintage is damaged it's damaged.  Insurance funds won't bring it back.

[McHeath]

Here is a picture of the phone as it now looks with the "new" handset and dial ring.  The center number card is just a black piece of paper at the moment.

[McHeath]

And here is a picture of the office in our home, my wife's 1954 model 500 on the desk on the left and my 1951 500 on the right.