Outlawmws
Well-known member
Two Bell System's from yesterday - Anyone have a clue who made the metal polish? you are looking at the only markings on the can:
Driver is Stanley wood handle
Driver is Stanley wood handle
Bell system
- Thread starter Shelbylex
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Private Lugnutz
Well-known member
You might get lucky poking around inside the telcom archives. Or searching the indexes on "polish." Link in post #1. I remember seeing something about polish in one of my forays, but I believe it was furniture, not metal.
Nice find!
Almost martial or generic in its paucity, which is par for the course for them.
Private Lugnutz
Well-known member
How old do you think that can is and how much reading time do you want to spend on this?
Breaking into my best NJ mafia accent..., "Let me make you an offer you can't refuse."
I present a 1972 Congressional Hearing on Organized Crime that I just found on Google Books searching the term "Bell System Liquid Metal Polish" linked HERE. It provides a brief history of Bell's metal polishing requirements (phone booths and equipment sent back for repair!), spends a lot of time discussing "KS-19432", their specification for a solution they developed and tested internally, in their labs, in 1962, and then contracted out to Magnolia Chemical Company, Dallas, TX, for production, before ABRUPTLY switching to a commercial solution in 1964, called "Poly-Clean", distributed by All-Purpose Chemical Company, East Orange, NJ (of course!), chief sales agent Rocco Mazza, made by GNR Corp., Palmer, Mass.
All-Purpose and its methods of merchandising Poly-Clean to supermarkets, school districts, government facilities, and Bell are the subject of the hearing!
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Outlawmws
Well-known member
No clue as to age, but this was a place that was clearly a "been there forever" home, and way older part of town. I was told they hauled Four 20 yard dumpsters out before the sale!
Private Lugnutz
Well-known member
I don't know what, if anything, they were using to clean phone booths prior to 1962. But I would say the chances are pretty good that's either their homegrown solution or the mafia's!
Miss the Pontiacs
Well-known member
Was trying to taper off buying anymore phones online. But since I’m not overly disciplined, so oops I did it again.
This one a little more compact was similar to one installed in our newly built farm house around 60 years ago. My Mom had the local rural man (Wilf) install it in a closet between the kitchen and living room. The closet had sliding doors and was referred to as the phone booth. I sent a pic (phone) of it to a buddy(rural man’s youngest son) who was Wilf that installed it originally.
Cool story was that Wilf and a few other local guys actually owned the rural telephone company. My guess once it was expanding the province bought them out and they did well financially. Wilf had the local exchange right in their family home where his Wife Alice managed the equipment and operators.
This one a little more compact was similar to one installed in our newly built farm house around 60 years ago. My Mom had the local rural man (Wilf) install it in a closet between the kitchen and living room. The closet had sliding doors and was referred to as the phone booth. I sent a pic (phone) of it to a buddy(rural man’s youngest son) who was Wilf that installed it originally.
Cool story was that Wilf and a few other local guys actually owned the rural telephone company. My guess once it was expanding the province bought them out and they did well financially. Wilf had the local exchange right in their family home where his Wife Alice managed the equipment and operators.
Private Lugnutz
Well-known member
That's the cutest family idiosyncracy story I've heard in a long time.
RTM
Well-known member
here is a pickup from a few weeks back, (just noticed it was post #2000 in this years' thread) finally had time to sort them out. This was a tough one: where to post>? M. Klein, Pliers or Bell Systems. This thread won.
A pair of wire nippers, with the stripping notches cut in the jaws. Code marked Delta NML, so Q1 1963, not quite older than I am, but close enough to still be quality. Being new to figuring out ages on Klein tools, I first read the code as AMNL, and that didn't go far
. But popping into the M. Klein thread got me through
A pair of wire nippers, with the stripping notches cut in the jaws. Code marked Delta NML, so Q1 1963, not quite older than I am, but close enough to still be quality. Being new to figuring out ages on Klein tools, I first read the code as AMNL, and that didn't go far
. But popping into the M. Klein thread got me throughGarageHobbyist
Well-known member
Kind of a neat Bell Related find today. General Telephone and Electronics trucker hat. They were independent and purchasing other telco companies until Bell Atlantic acquired them in 2000.
ArmyVW_GuyInTX
ALLIANCE MEMBER
GarageHobbyist
Well-known member
what are the details on the one with the large numbers? I like the looks of it.
Miss the Pontiacs
Well-known member
I’m at the lake at the moment, I’ll check it out when home. I’m guessing that one is around 30 years old. There maybe some date on it however.
I presume you are talking about this phone.
Some info from the web.
The Cateo 2901 is a specialized, hearing-aid compatible big-button phone built for seniors, the visually impaired, or individuals with dexterity issues. It features high-contrast keys, amplified sound for noisy environments, and a built-in speakerphone for hands-free conversations.Key Specifications & FeaturesBig, Easy-to-Read Buttons: The high-contrast numeric keypad is designed for comfortable dialing.Amplified Sound: Includes an adjustable built-in amplifier and tone control to make voice frequencies clearer for users with hearing difficulties.
I presume you are talking about this phone.
Some info from the web.
The Cateo 2901 is a specialized, hearing-aid compatible big-button phone built for seniors, the visually impaired, or individuals with dexterity issues. It features high-contrast keys, amplified sound for noisy environments, and a built-in speakerphone for hands-free conversations.Key Specifications & FeaturesBig, Easy-to-Read Buttons: The high-contrast numeric keypad is designed for comfortable dialing.Amplified Sound: Includes an adjustable built-in amplifier and tone control to make voice frequencies clearer for users with hearing difficulties.
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Private Lugnutz
Well-known member
GarageHobbyist
Well-known member
Oddly enough, I was at an estate sale today and the gentleman must have worked for GTE because there were a ton of different mugs, even a milk glass FireKing from a GTE training event. I only grabbed this one based on appearance.
The only other Telcom related item was a Brown Slimline handset marked “Property of Bell Systems” on the bottom, but it wasn’t in great shape so I unfortunately left it.
I looked at every hand tool I could find in the place and nothing had Ma’s name on it.
The only other Telcom related item was a Brown Slimline handset marked “Property of Bell Systems” on the bottom, but it wasn’t in great shape so I unfortunately left it.
I looked at every hand tool I could find in the place and nothing had Ma’s name on it.
BELL SYSTEM PRACTICES AT&T Co Standard, SECTION 074-256-115-2, Issue 2, July 1979, TOOLS; SCREWDRIVERS, OFFSET-DESCRIPTION
AECO H-21766, Offset Double-End Screwdriver.
A small, purpose built Offset to meet Bell’s requirements; “For use on the 197- and 198-type switches and step-by-step type relays.”
Have no idea who “AECO” is
AECO H-21766, Offset Double-End Screwdriver.
A small, purpose built Offset to meet Bell’s requirements; “For use on the 197- and 198-type switches and step-by-step type relays.”
Have no idea who “AECO” is
Attachments
AECO is: Automatic Electric Company
Automatic Electric Company (A.E. Co.) was an American telephone equipment supplier primarily for independent telephone companies in North America, but also had a worldwide presence. With its line of automatic telephone exchanges, it was also a long-term supplier of switching equipment to the Bell System, starting in 1919.[1] The company was the largest manufacturing unit of the Automatic Electric Group.[1] In 1955, the company was acquired by General Telephone and Electronics (GT&E). After numerous reorganization within GTE, the company's assets came under the umbrella of Lucent in the 1990s, and subsequently part of Nokia.
Thanks!!
cody1325
Well-known member
Western Electric 5302; if I'm not mistaken with the F1W handset.
1950s, mostly. If I'm not mistaken, they couldn't make 502s fast enough to meet demand. Thus, they mostly just rebuilt 302s and put them in new shells when people wanted newer phones.
Cost me around $5 at a local antiques store about a year ago. We were GTE until 2000 (Verizon merger) but most of WV for a long time was Bell System.
Believe it or not, I actually bought this one to put in the basement, but decided to preserve as-is with some old Bell System promotional diecasts. It's been out of use so long, it still has terminals on the back. I know there's kits to rewire it, but decided to leave it alone. I'd like to clean it up a bit more, and maybe polish some of the non-Japanned brass bits; but am not sure if that's a good idea or not.
Truck is a bell promo--Tonka Scramblers from the late' 70s, early '80s. There's almost no wear, and I'm assuming it spent most of the time in a Bell employee's office.
1950s, mostly. If I'm not mistaken, they couldn't make 502s fast enough to meet demand. Thus, they mostly just rebuilt 302s and put them in new shells when people wanted newer phones.
Cost me around $5 at a local antiques store about a year ago. We were GTE until 2000 (Verizon merger) but most of WV for a long time was Bell System.
Believe it or not, I actually bought this one to put in the basement, but decided to preserve as-is with some old Bell System promotional diecasts. It's been out of use so long, it still has terminals on the back. I know there's kits to rewire it, but decided to leave it alone. I'd like to clean it up a bit more, and maybe polish some of the non-Japanned brass bits; but am not sure if that's a good idea or not.
Truck is a bell promo--Tonka Scramblers from the late' 70s, early '80s. There's almost no wear, and I'm assuming it spent most of the time in a Bell employee's office.
four.cycle
Well-known member
I recently acquired a couple telephone service kits, both of which contained an assortment of tools and parts used by telephone repairmen. These are the combined contents of those kits, minus the "standard" pliers and screwdrivers.
The last photo in the string shows the Jensen carrying case most of this was in. I've stripped out all the "telephone" stuff and this case will go to my buddy with the pliers and an assortment of screwdrivers and other stuff.
The last photo in the string shows the Jensen carrying case most of this was in. I've stripped out all the "telephone" stuff and this case will go to my buddy with the pliers and an assortment of screwdrivers and other stuff.
Attachments
GarageHobbyist
Well-known member
Came across another Illinois Bell Matchbook
I picked this one up on FB Marketplace today. It was advertised as a lineman cable splicer but I haven't found much on it yet. I have seen a couple other examples online using a later Proto ratchet. On the bottom there appears to be an Indiana Bell asset tag which covers the part number. In the deal I also ended up with a Western Electric 445A reflex klystron vacuum Tube and a vintage pager/beeper.
Edit: From what I've seen from a couple eBay listings this is a ratcheting metal rolling forming tool used for splicing or connecting telephone or telegraph wires by rolling a sleeve into intimate contact with the abutting ends of said wires. Patents 1896512 & 2010651.
Edit: From what I've seen from a couple eBay listings this is a ratcheting metal rolling forming tool used for splicing or connecting telephone or telegraph wires by rolling a sleeve into intimate contact with the abutting ends of said wires. Patents 1896512 & 2010651.
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I sent a pic to my dad....35 years with NY Telephone. I'll adviseI picked this one up on FB Marketplace today. It was advertised as a lineman cable splicer but I haven't found much on it yet. I have seen a couple other examples online using a later Proto ratchet. On the bottom there appears to be an Indiana Bell asset tag which covers the part number. In the deal I also ended up with a Western Electric 445A reflex klystron vacuum Tube and a vintage pager/beeper.