New Life Games LLC
Other Hobbies and Interests that our NLG members enjoy => Other Hobbies and Interests => Topic started by: shortrackskater on June 20, 2016, 06:28:21 PM
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Well I bought another! This time, it was a three slot payphone. Actually I got about a month ago off fleabay. And I did something stooopid and bid/won this thing assuming it was complete! I didn't bother asking the seller for a picture of the INSIDE... duh! :duh:
Since it had no keys I just ASSumed it was locked but it wasn't. The phone arrived and I quickly realized the top was open and, when I looked inside there were a few sort of important parts missing, like the coin relay and hopper! Later I learned that the nickel counter and switch were gone from the upper housing as well. It did work as an extension but wouldn't dial out.
All this was posted on the classicrotaryphones.com forum and I got some great help. And, over the last month I've learned a little about hoppers (very small ones) coin relays, switches that have little pendulum coin thingys that flip and flop (okay I know nothing about those, only that I have one on my phone) and all sorts of other information. I also learned a little more on locks, those damn things! The vault door was locked and after some time I was able to drill into one of the two screws attached from the inside. I easily drilled a small hole in it and after a few seconds the screw "screwed itself" in and dropped inside, which was what was intended. However the other screw was hardened and I broke two cobalt drill bits - oops. I ended up pounding a slot in it using a centerpunch and got the screw to turn with a regular screwdriver. BUT... it bound up in the case as I realized that I had "mushroomed" the head when I pounded the slot in it. UGH! So I went to Home Depot, bought a small cutting wheel, brought it home and cut it into a much smaller cutting wheel to put on my cordless drill. I was able to shave off the mushroomed part and then cut a much deeper slot in it. That did the trick and I was able to screw that one inside. I removed the two outside screws and got the back off. Thankfully there was no lid on the coin can and I was able to squeeze it through the back. It's a VERY tight fit but it came out without any damage. :yes:
Here's a few pictures of my "Frankenphone" upon arrival. Notice some stuff missing! I'm calling it that because it has an upper AE LBP 8255 and lower Gray case. It was advertised as a Gray, but the guy didn't say anything about the top being AE. And, my fault for not asking...
More to come...
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Looks good, glad you're in the phone biz. Can you hear me now????
Dave
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Next is my "modified" cutting wheel that was able to shave around the mushroomed screw bottom, as well as cut a nice deep slit... wait... SLOT... in it.
Once I got those darn screws off, the housing came away from the back and I was able to get the coin can out. If a lid had been on it, I would have had to "surgically remove" the can since it wouldn't all fit. BUT... no lid! So it slid out, but it's a very tight fit! (Oh I could add something funny here, but I'll keep it PG). I sprayed a bit of WD40 and it came out with no damage.
Once I got that out, I removed the poor keyless expensive lock!
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I bought a 29s key thinking the lock would work but the keyhead thing was sort of floating. I removed that lock and saw it had the rivets filed off. I tried to take the top off. It came off and all the parts exploded on the work bench. There actually weren't that many parts. I thought it had been modified to be a "dummy" lock but I realized it wasn't. It had all it's proper weird looking parts. With help from Google, I found one picture of that lock with it's top off. I was able piece mine together and it worked. I super glued the top on and now it seems fine, so far. The lower 10L lock is a different story. Expensive lock. I don't quite understand about why aftermarket key blanks are not to be found (or re-made) but they are. One of the very knowledgeable had been walking me through all this stuff (wiring, explaination, etc) just told me to send him my lock and he'd "make it work." A week later I get a rebuilt lock, with the proper original key as well.
Locks are in and work. Phone dials out and audio is all good. Soon as I want to put out the $$$, I'll buy the coin controller and then see how it works as a real pay phone. :yes:
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Finally - the finished phone.
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I got mine installed today. Even hooked it up.
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Looks great! Dang... I need to put mine somewhere, not the garage!
How is it mounted on the wall? Just find the studs I assume?
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Looks great! Dang... I need to put mine somewhere, not the garage!
How is it mounted on the wall? Just find the studs I assume?
The right side (facing) the 2 screws are in the stud. They have large tapered head holes so you can use a big screw. The left side I used the self drilling sheetrock anchors from Lowes. I got the biggest ones I could find. They're advertised to hold like 79#. They work really good.
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Mounted! I actually had no place on any wall in the room so it's screwed into a sturdy wooden cabinet. This one's not going to come off!
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I have a "cell-fusion" device that connects my iphone via bluetooth to both my AE payphone and my WE 304 desk phone. The device was intended to use your land line phones as a satellite cell phone, but I left the land line part out. However, I tied in an A B switch so I can connect both antique phones to either the land line (A), or to ring when my cell rings (B). When I'm on the A line, the landline, I can dial out on both which is fun! On the B side, I can only receive, but it's fun to hear the ring on my WE since it does a double ring. (The payphone has no ringer) Unfortunately, I can't dial on my old phones with the cellular line. But I like my creative idea and it gives new life to old phones! Haven't I heard that "line" somewhere? :Scratch-Head:
Had to add my final shot... added a picture to cover over a sticker that I removed and added a cover for my line wire.
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No one even noticed my cool desk phone and the Underwood typewriter...
:sleep: :sleep: :sleep: