Author Topic: Does anybody have a Christmas project lined up? (Read 1758 times)

Matilo Telephones · « **on:** December 19, 2013, 06:10:39 PM »

Now with the holiday season coming up I seem to have some extra time to work on my phones. I'm wrapping up my last 2 projects and then I can start on something new.

Now I have to decide which phone I'm going to work on.

Shall I do one of my special and rare Heemaf 55's or shall I do some work on my red Unifoon (ABS touch tone).

Anybody else doing a holiday project?

WEBellSystemChristian · « **Reply #1 on:** December 19, 2013, 06:21:11 PM »

The project I'm working on isn't exactly a phone, but my entire collection! I'm cleaning my room, packing my old stuff away in the crawl space, and bringing in the phones!! I'm making it into my own little telephone museum, but I have to do it before Christmas.

Kenton K · « **Reply #2 on:** December 19, 2013, 06:46:45 PM »

For me, I will be repainting a 1937 302. Fun times ahead.

WesternElectricBen · « **Reply #3 on:** December 19, 2013, 07:48:09 PM »

I will hopefully finish off my 1964 yellow 500, and get at least 2 more done. (simple projects that is.)

I will also be finally hanging up my payphone!

Ben

Contempra · « **Reply #4 on:** December 19, 2013, 07:56:41 PM »

Sure Arwin.. I have a chocolate Brown Contempra 1986 to restore ( a little job , not much ) and an old clock.....but no camera for taking photos

HarrySmith · « **Reply #5 on:** December 19, 2013, 09:15:32 PM »

I am working on a SC Fatboy. A customer is buying ot as a Christmas gift for his wife.
I did not have much time to start with and it ended up needing more work than I thought. I finally have it back together and almost working properly. I ended up having to service the dial which I wasn't planning on then I had to replace the frequency ringer. I first wired it up without the dial while I was servicing it and everything functioned fine. Then I installed the dial, wired it according to the factory wiring diagram and it didn't work! Next I wired the dial according to my diagram, as it was when I took it apart, and it works but I had a problem. I was getting a loud pop when operating the switch hook and also a loud pop for every dial pulse. I switched one wire and the pops are a lot less. I think the noise is acceptable, I am not sure the dial is wired properly but it is working! A new problem now, intermittently when lifting the handset the volume is very faint, if I lift the body off the base slightly, the volume increases. I have checked the insides a few times and I cannot see where anything would interfere. Any thoughts or ideas on how to proceed? I am running short on time!

WesternElectricBen · « **Reply #6 on:** December 19, 2013, 10:02:23 PM »

Now that I think about it, my Mother has always wanted a Brownie camera like her parents had. So I bought one off of eBay, for 20 inc. shipping. I plan to clean it up and give it to here as well as a personal card.

She already has 2 other cameras (one being her great grandfathers camera, I think) and one she bought at an antique show. She is a photographer so she will just take pics of them, but not with them.

Maybe I can find some pics in a while.

Ben

LM Ericsson · « **Reply #7 on:** December 19, 2013, 10:42:40 PM »

I will have to see what I get for Christmas!!!

twocvbloke · « **Reply #8 on:** December 19, 2013, 11:53:20 PM »

Won't be a christmas project as such (not being sent across the pond 'til tomorrow, we both kept forgetting about it and some other bits accompanying it being sent over!!), but I should have a black 1953 WE500 winging it's way over the atlantic from a friend of mine in the US which will most likely arrive after christmas (I'll give the USPS and Royal Mail/ParcelForce a medal if they get it here before!!

), so probably more of a new year project I guess...

Best bit is it isn't modularised and has a G1 handset, so can't wait for that one to arrive...

Sargeguy · « **Reply #9 on:** December 21, 2013, 12:47:47 AM »

In the last couple weeks I have been busy. My wife signed me up for a studio show and I neede to get several phones ready for sale. The show generated a couple of people who want me to restore phones. I have also been cleaning out the sun porch where I keep much of the collection and moving it to the basement so we can set up the Christmas tree there. This has turned up a few stagnant projects that I have been able to move forward with: B-1s, D-1s, 302s, 320, 333, 334, 533, 51-AL, etc. I am also organizing the duplicates and spare parts and fixing them up in order to sell some of them off.

Matilo Telephones · « **Reply #10 on:** December 23, 2013, 06:07:37 PM »

Nice to read so many of you do have a special x-mas project or something like that.

I finally have decided what I'm going to do.

I remembered an old idea I had. Saw it in the collection of another phonitis sufferer. He made from a damaged phone a cut away phone. That looked great. Thought I'd do something similar.

But not now. Too little time. And I probably should do most of the cutting outside and not in my hobby room.

So, I'll finally convert my red Unifoon from pulse to tone. Something else for a change. Not bakelite, not metal, but some good old ABS. It has been a while.

See pic. I have 2 reds. The do not have the # and * keys. Although they do have a key pad, they dial pulse and not DTMF. The white one does.

The PTT (our GPO) did offer the red in pulse and tone versions. Also there is no color coding on the labels on the underside. So swapping the colored cover is no problem. It will be indistinguisable from a factory original red one. Even the date stamp (1981) on the white one corresponds with the period that the red one was available.

I'll post some pics as I go along.

WesternElectricBen · « **Reply #11 on:** December 23, 2013, 06:13:45 PM »

Well, that looks like a good prodject, Matilo Telephones.

I got the Brownie Camera in the mail today, so I treated the leather and cleaned off the face plate and I'm ready to wrap it for my mother.

Ben

Contempra · « **Reply #12 on:** December 23, 2013, 08:42:21 PM »

Quote from: WesternElectricBen on December 23, 2013, 06:13:45 PM

Well, that looks like a good prodject, Matilo Telephones.

I got the Brownie Camera in the mail today, so I treated the leather and cleaned off the face plate and I'm ready to wrap it for my mother.

Ben

hmmm !... If it works, okay you packaged it but what the surprise will be if your mother try it and the device does not work.

..... it's a joke Ben don't worry I know you like your mother .

WesternElectricBen · « **Reply #13 on:** December 23, 2013, 08:45:44 PM »

Hehe, well, I honestly am not sure if it works. The thing I'm worried about, is it is not like the one she had.

But I'm sure she will appriciate it with a personal touch that I added to it. All she is going to do is take pictures of it.

Ben

Contempra · « **Reply #14 on:** December 23, 2013, 08:56:52 PM »

Quote from: WesternElectricBen on December 23, 2013, 08:45:44 PM

Hehe, well, I honestly am not sure if it works. The thing I'm worried about, is it is not like the one she had.

But I'm sure she will appriciate it with a personal touch that I added to it. All she is going to do is take pictures of it.

Ben

Ben, you can be sure that care that brings a mother to his own things is undeniable I can assure you. I'm sure she will be happy.

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