Bell system

[Private Lugnutz]

Nice work.

 

[DD T/A]

Found these needle nose with some type of film on the end, about a month ago. Fantastic condition.

 

[smalltown]

There needle nose, but also used more often as a wire stripper.

 

[jeffmoss26]

The coating is to keep the pliers from shorting out against terminals while working on a set of wires.

 

[Weekend_warrior]

Found this at a retired Bell System Executive's house. Someone else took the other part of the knob and wouldn't sell it to me. He wanted it for parts and the other knob was just a regular brass end without the logo.

Man this is an old thread, but if you decide to get rid of that knob send me a PM! My dad had an old fixture that was oak and had a bunch of cubby holes in it. When He passed I recognized it from his craft store he owned. I worked there after highschool for a short period. It was full of old door knobs he collected. I took the fixture and carried on with the tradition when ever I spot a cool knob. I happen to work in the phone industry for the past 20 years and have started to collect phone related things. That is defiantly up my alley!

 

[Leviton]

I know its not much compared to what you regular Bell System collectors come up with, but this week I found 4 Bell System pieces in one day. It usually takes me a year to come across that many.
I found:

- Irwin flat head, black plastic handle, 9.75' OAL, marked: "Irwin U.S.A. Bell System C6"

- Stanley push drill (with 10 bits) 9.8" OAL, marked: "Stanley Yankee No. 41Y Made in U.S.A. Bell System-B"

- Irwin flat head, yellow plastic handle, 9.6" OAL, marked: "Irwin U.S.A. Bell System C6"

- Klein, custom nose pliers/cutters, marked: "Klein Tools Bell System".

Any idea what the pliers are for?

 

[jeffmoss26]

Nice! The pliers are for crimping scotchlok connectors.

https://www.anixter.com/content/dam...m-scotchlok-connectors-and-tools-brochure.pdf

 

[NYBODYMAN]

I saw my dad for XMAS and he asked if I wanted a Bell System Tool he had laying around. It's a lineman's wrench. It's currently buried under the kids toys in a box but this is what it looks like.

 

[Leviton]

Nice! The pliers are for crimping scotchlok connectors.

https://www.anixter.com/content/dam...m-scotchlok-connectors-and-tools-brochure.pdf

Thank you for the identification Jeff.

 

[jeffmoss26]

They are an important tool!

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Hard to believe my last contribution to this thread was 3 months ago! Remedied that right quick and in an interesting way this morning at the flea market with these two finds.

First of all, I have never seen this wrench before. Not sure what to call it. I have a smaller one like it, also forged, but it's not Bell System. I have seen them in and around the oxy-acetylene world, but those are not forged. This thing is a real wrench. Technically, not a Triple Open End (since two openings are borrowing the same end), but I'm going with that anyway. No branding.

I have never seen the cutter either. It has a very small, very fine serrated wheel in it, which those guards are protecting. I'm not sure what it's meant to cut, but I plan to do some reading when I get a chance. Also not branded, but it has a small flat diamond logo.

Both are BELL SYSTEM C, which is vintage, but slightly later than I collect (A and B).

 

[Robertel1]

Hard to believe my last contribution to this thread was 3 months ago! Remedied that right quick and in an interesting way this morning at the flea market with these two finds.

First of all, I have never seen this wrench before. Not sure what to call it. I have a smaller one like it, also forged, but it's not Bell System. I have seen them in and around the oxy-acetylene world, but those are not forged. This thing is a real wrench. Technically, not a Triple Open End (since two openings are borrowing the same end), but I'm going with that anyway. No branding.

I have never seen the cutter either. It has a very small, very fine serrated wheel in it, which those guards are protecting. I'm not sure what it's meant to cut, but I plan to do some reading when I get a chance. Also not branded, but it has a small flat diamond logo.

Both are BELL SYSTEM C, which is vintage, but slightly later than I collect (A and B).

Hi Lugz,

Great thread, thanks for posting really neat “stuff”.

The cutter is for splitting Drop Wire evenly. Down the middle.
Drop wire is the wire used from the pole to the residence. It is a single pair of wires that terminate on the binding posts at the Ariel terminal and run to the residence and terminate at the Protecter.

Drop wire is stiff, you push the wire into the open end of the cutter until you can grab it on the other side of the top guard and pull until you have the desired length you want. Then just pull in reverse to remove from the cutter. Works great !.

After the installer/repairman becomes experienced they usually give up on the tool and just use Bell System Snips. Easier and faster, but not as precise a cut. Oh well.

Thanks again for showing the neat tools and collectibles you find. I have over 80 years of Bell System Tools, starting from about 1929 and earlier. Great quality tools. My Father started with the Bell System in 1929, he put in 40 years, and I started work with Ma Bell in 1965, and I put in 40 years. I have way to many Bell System Tools. When AT&T broke apart in 1984 you wouldn’t believe the equipment and tools that was scrapped. Millions of dollars.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

The cutter is for splitting Drop Wire evenly. Down the middle. Drop wire is the wire used from the pole to the residence. It is a single pair of wires that terminate on the binding posts at the Ariel terminal and run to the residence and terminate at the Protecter.

Drop wire is stiff, you push the wire into the open end of the cutter until you can grab it on the other side of the top guard and pull until you have the desired length you want. Then just pull in reverse to remove from the cutter. Works great !.

After the installer/repairman becomes experienced they usually give up on the tool and just use Bell System Snips. Easier and faster, but not as precise a cut. Oh well.

Thanks for this explanation. You saved me some research, and I would much rather hear from someone who actually used it than a book. When do you think it was made? I have never been able to find a good precise timeline for mapping the System A, System B, and System C tools to, other than very early (prewar), early vintage (wartime and 50's), and later vintage. Post some of your vintage tools when you get a chance.

 

[Robertel1]

Thanks for this explanation. You saved me some research, and I would much rather hear from someone who actually used it than a book. When do you think it was made? I have never been able to find a good precise timeline for mapping the System A, System B, and System C tools to, other than very early (prewar), early vintage (wartime and 50's), and later vintage. Post some of your vintage tools when you get a chance.

Early Drop Wire was originally tar and paper insulated. Then they invented Neoprene and and that’s when the tool was invented. Don’t know the exact year, probably after the war, late 40’s early 50’s.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Thanks.

 

[NYBODYMAN]

My dad says that the wrench was used for attaching propane and nitrogen tanks.

 

[snapmom]

Cable Puller?

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Makes sense, NYBODYMAN. I mentioned tank wrench, good to know precisely. Thanks to your dad for me!

 

[Outlawmws]

snapmom, maybe a stiff cable bender?

 

[theoldwizard1]

Then they invented Neoprene and and that’s when the tool was invented. Don’t know the exact year, probably after the war, late 40’s early 50’s.

Neoprene was invented in 1930. It did not really catch on until WWII when they realized that it worked better than rubber for fuel lines and did not use natural rubber, which was in short supply.

 

[Robertel1]

Thanks TOW1,

Neoprene weathers well, but eventually the outdoor elements especially the sun, take their toll and Neoprene will loose it’s insulating properties.

 

[NYBODYMAN]

I was at a local courthouse for work and saw an old wooden phone booth in the hallway. I was poking around and noticed that there was a desk lamp mounted to the side of the booth. I wonder if there was a small desk attached below it at one point. You can see the pull cord underneath it. Very interesting and it had the Bell System logo on it.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

You didn't have a screwdriver with you?! (Just kidding. That would make a funny headline though: Local Law Enforcement Officer Nabbed Stealing Courthouse Property.)

 

[NYBODYMAN]

HAHA...No thanks my friend. Only have 6 years, 11 months, and 12 days left. But who's counting?

 

[JjKk40]

Went digging through my Dads old telecom stuff. He has a ton and some of my grandpops stuff from back in the 40's -50's I gotta find.

 

[bert1945]

Found this tool with my Bell System stuff. Don't think one has been shown here before. I guess it is a wire stripper made by A. W. Mfg. Co. of Poughkeepsie, NY

 

[Private Lugnutz]

No, I believe that is the first one posted. A.W. Mack also made brace type bits for them.

 

[JjKk40]

More Bell stuff i came across.





image upload

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Nice! I have Forsberg hack saws, but not Bell. And I have yet to find a Bell folding rule.

 

[Cooter Brown]

Hi Lugz,

Great thread, thanks for posting really neat “stuff”.

The cutter is for splitting Drop Wire evenly. Down the middle.
Drop wire is the wire used from the pole to the residence. It is a single pair of wires that terminate on the binding posts at the Ariel terminal and run to the residence and terminate at the Protecter.

Drop wire is stiff, you push the wire into the open end of the cutter until you can grab it on the other side of the top guard and pull until you have the desired length you want. Then just pull in reverse to remove from the cutter. Works great !.

After the installer/repairman becomes experienced they usually give up on the tool and just use Bell System Snips. Easier and faster, but not as precise a cut. Oh well.

Thanks again for showing the neat tools and collectibles you find. I have over 80 years of Bell System Tools, starting from about 1929 and earlier. Great quality tools. My Father started with the Bell System in 1929, he put in 40 years, and I started work with Ma Bell in 1965, and I put in 40 years. I have way to many Bell System Tools. When AT&T broke apart in 1984 you wouldn’t believe the equipment and tools that was scrapped. Millions of dollars.

Great stuff. My grandfather started with Western Electric in 1922. He was laid off during the depression, but they called him back in the mid 30s. After he was re-hired he was attached to Bell Labs. He retired in 1962.

My father started with Western some time after he got back from WWII. After five years he transferred from Western to Southern Bell, and retired with full benefits in 1984, mostly because of divestiture.

I have a fair amount of Bell and Western tools, as well as some stuff from Grandad's time with Bell Labs. They'd give him a project and a tool budget, and he bought the tools he needed and didn't have in the shop. These were generally expensed and after the job considered disposable--I'm talking about stuff like Starrett metrology tools.

When he was attached to Bell Labs he also worked on the Voder project--which was the first voice synthesizer. It debuted in 1939.

http://www.whatisthevoder.com/


After I got out of high school in 1980, I went to Southern Bell and applied for a job. I was told that because of my last name, I'd never get a job there because people would not want to be accused of nepotism. I was super disappointed, but didn't say anything to Dad. A couple of years later the same guy called me and said come on down, there's a great job for you. By then I was on another career path.

Here's a pic of Grandad during the war, at Florence Army Air Base. My dad was in the Pacific at the time.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Thanks for sharing that intimate family history, Cooter. The Army activity I work with used to have several collaborative R&D projects with Bell Labs in Holmdel, NJ. At your convenience, I'd love to see your tools, especially any we may have never seen on the thread yet.

 

[jeffmoss26]

I too have a hacksaw but don't think I have ever seen the folding rule!

 

[JjKk40]

Wow Cooter thats some great history of your old man and grandpops! My Grandfather helped bring in the lines into Levittown NY when it was 1st built after the war (ww2) then years later my Dad climbed those same poles! When my grandfather retired (don't know the year) Ma'Bell gave him a set of Bell hard hat lamps!
I'll find more tools and ill post them up!

 

[Cooter Brown]

Thanks for sharing that intimate family history, Cooter. The Army activity I work with used to have several collaborative R&D projects with Bell Labs in Holmdel, NJ. At your convenience, I'd love to see your tools, especially any we may have never seen on the thread yet.

I'll try to get some stuff up. I've been out of my home for a couple of months due to hurricane damage--when I get back in I'll post some pics.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Thanks. Your name sounded familiar, and a search on the thread revealed you have already posted some things. I just forgot.

 

[ElBrooklyn]

Hi there — I’ve been lurking on this page for a year or more, as I’ve picked up a few BellSys odds and ends at some tag sales. Nothing too unusual: a hammer, brushes, screwdriver, pliers. But today I had to finally create a GJ account and post up. A farmer on the East End of Long Island listed these for sale as “loppers” a few weeks back for $10. From the lo-res photo I thought they were maybe 12-18 inches, and I couldn’t see any identifying marks. I hadn’t seen cutters with the double-bull blades before, so they caught my eye. But $10 and a 20-minute drive didn’t seem worth it.

This weekend, tho, she lowered the price to $5. I couldn’t resist. Turns out they were a massive set of 36-inch shears, marked Bell System and HK Porter of Somerville MA. A little research reVealed them to be cable cutters, and they appear to pre-date a similar set of cutters offered in HK Porter’s 1961 catalog.

If anybody has any additional info, I’d surely appreciate it.

 

[PSCo1867]

For fine tuning, this 9" Bell Hammer was ready and willing. It belonged to an in-law who worked for Western Electric in Baltimore during the 40s thru the 70s.

 

[Cooter Brown]

Thanks. Your name sounded familiar, and a search on the thread revealed you have already posted some things. I just forgot.

It's been a while! Here's a link to my participation in the thread, with some pictures:

https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/search.php?searchid=44022753

I've got more stuff that I haven't taken pictures of, including a couple of meters, one of which is a NIB Triplett.

Here are some screwdrivers. Some are Bell System stamped and some are engraved with the Western Electric "R" numbers. Some Stanley, some Bridgeport, some Yankee. Not sure what the perfect handle ones are. Some of these are probably from my Grandfather from when he opened a "fillin' station" after he was laid off in the Depression.

 

[jeffmoss26]

sweet!

 

[Private Lugnutz]

For fine tuning, this 9" Bell Hammer was ready and willing. It belonged to an in-law who worked for Western Electric in Baltimore during the 40s thru the 70s.

Nice. Good shape. Inconspicuous marking.

I've got more stuff that I haven't taken pictures of...

We're a patient crew.