So, What Type of WE Dial Is This, Anyway?

[SUnset2]

I got this dial cheaply on Ebay, not sure what it was.  From the pictures, it looked like a 4H with a plastic fingerwheel, which didn't make sense.  Now that I got it, it makes even less sense.

The back of the dial is stamped 4H, and it looks like it was modified from a No. 2 dial.  The fingerstop, however wasn't updated to a No. 4 style, and is marked 2AB.  A spider with the large hole for a No. 6 dial was screwed on (centered rather well) so that it could use the plastic fingerwheel.  The metal number card backing was they type used on a No. 6 metal fingerwheel.

Somebody must have thrown this together from a bunch of spare parts.  It couldn't have come out of the Western Electric refurb shop like this.

I'm not sure what to do with it.  I'm thinking of putting a metal fingerwheel on it, and using it on a candlestick that currently has a No. 5 dial on it.  Though electrically, it's set up for a cradle phone.

[MMikeJBenN27]

The switch pack is missing one of it's leaves.  It won't work this way, but there are dial spiders for plastic finger wheels for 4 and 5 dials.  You are probably correct - somebody threw this together out of their spare parts.  Steve Hiltz will be able to fix the switch pack.

Mike

[poplar1]

I'm thinking of putting a metal fingerwheel on it, and using it on a candlestick that currently has a No. 5 dial on it.  Though electrically, it's set up for a cradle phone.

A 2H, 4H, or 5H can be used instead of a 2A on a desk stand (50AL, 51AL, 151AL, etc.) Just strap the BB and R dial terminals together.

Below photo of a 2A dial converted to a 4H  from
https://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=16350.msg170210#msg170210
Note: the terminal to the right of BB should have the "W" marked out and be restamped "R."

[SUnset2]

I hadn't noticed the missing leaf.  It looks like it was removed completely, not broken off.  This dial gets weirder all the time.