German SA28 refurb

[countryman]

For some reason I adopted a SA 28 desk phone in rough condition. I turned out that it is complete and in good working order, except the transmitter and the handset cord. With some new paint it's good to go another 90 years now
I gave it the plaited cord I made recently. For the other project, a wood phone, I ordered green shoelaces to make another cord.
I'm not completely sure who made the phone. The handset is DTW but it might be swapped out. Date is 1930 or '31.
When taking apart the old German dials it is important to put two M3 bolts (or 1 bolt and 1 toothpick) into the screw holes when removing the fingerstop. Otherwise the spring will unwind and you have a mess.
The aluminium dial center was badly corroded and needs replacement. An east German cardboard dial center had been put over it and must have been a trap for moisture to gather underneath.

[HarrySmith]

Looks good. Nice job on bringing it back. You should add it to the "Notable Refurbs" topic.

[Witty]

Amazing restoration. Way to go!

[Doug Rose]

You brought it back to life! Great job.

As Harry Mentioned, Notable Refurbs ....Doug

http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=17486.msg180689#msg180689

[dsk]

Looks better than new!

[FABphones]

Big improvement, and thanks for the tip re the dial.

I did a side-by-side of your 'before and after' images for you.

[david@london]

What a totally superb restoration....highly *notable* in fact!

[countryman]

I just received a new number ring and dial center. Thanks Albert!

[Doug Rose]

WOW!  What an amazing refurb. The Dial center and number ring just make the phone!

Outstanding job. I do not have the talent or patience to do what you did. You should be very proud....Doug

[Etienne]

I wonder about something. On german phones, it seems that the finger stop is nickel plated only when the fingerwheel is ivory or transparent (GDR dials) (NS38) or nickel plated itself (until N30), otherwise it is always painted black. Yours has a bakelite fingerwheel and a nickel plated finger stop, and seems to be a Post model. Would that be original? Of course, this phone was in use in the GDR, must have remained in service much longer than originally foreseen, and been serviced with whatever was available.

[countryman]

Well observed!
But I suppose those details do not follow a stringent scheme. It may depend on the exact manufacturer and date. The dial of this phone is marked Carl Lorenz and the handset is DTW. Supposedly the phone was assembled by DTW, but I could not find a positive confirmation for this assumption yet. Here's a pic of the glued in diagram. It does not reveal the actual manufacturer, or does it? I'm not sure.
Likewise a number of variations of the handset occurs. This one is completely smooth, others have different styles of decorative seams .
The German Wikipedia article also shows both versions of the fingerstop:
https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tischfernsprecher_W_28

[dsk]

Pretty often the capacitor has lots of info.

[tubaman]

@Etienne - a good observation indeed. I've just looked at my various German phones and it holds true on those that a nickel finger stop goes with a nickel dial and black dials have black finger stops.

[dsk]

Here are my German phones with that type of dial. Not good photos, just taken in a hurry.  Only one in use regularly.
I do not understand what's turning the photos 90 deg. 

Only the first one in daily use.

dsk


< edit 02-12-22 : images removed, rotated, reattached >

[5415551212]

That is an amazing restoration.
Did what did you use to refinish the shell?