Help with a WE 302 phone and a Fan.

[Creighton]

Hi All,
A friend gave me a brass bladed (4) Westinginghouse vane oscillating fan. The motor is tagged DC. Probing about with the Fluke confirms this. Needs new brushes but should be good to go. Anybody know of a reliable small turnkey AC to DC converter?

In same deal was a Western Electric 302 "Lucy" phone. Looks like the ringer is shot. Can't find anyone selling tested/working parts.

Picking up 13 old Underwood typewriters on Sun. Anybody interested?

Thanks in advance!!
Creighton

[Kilroy]

A 302 is on the wishlist,  I'm jealous.
For phone parts, try phoneco Inc, PhoneCoinc.com
I was happy with the repairs/resto they made to my WE payphone,  and they carry parts.
You may also want to search Amazon.com  for  'Old-Time Telephones' by Ralph Meyer, it's a great guide for understanding and retoring old  telephones.

[johnieG]

You may not need one, many of the old universal motors with carbon brushes of the 30's & 40's are rated for both D.C &  A.C use. unless its one of those little bitty ones that would go into a truck or automobile of the day, it should run on A.C. just as well,  I'm curious if there was a voltage rating listed? 110 volts or so?  what plug end is on the cord? they were different for A.C & D.C back then, is the cord rubber, or twisted cloth or cloth covered? this will provide a good clue.

many of the early 20's motors were rated for D.C. only, as the battle was still on between Thomas Edisons D.C. Dynamos' & G.E.'s A.C. alternators, also rural voltage was usually 24 volts D.C. while city voltage was 110 volts. but enough history.

How do you tell if it's a "universal" A.C./D.C motor? Glad you asked! you have to take a peek at the commutator end of the motor, this is the end that the brushes make contact with, if the brushes mount side-by-side & the contact points on the motor shaft are two "rings" of brass, then this is most likely a D.C. motor only, if the brushes mount oposite each other, say at the 12:00 oclock & 6:00 oclock position & the contact point (communtator) is made of many little segments of copper contacts, this is most likely an A.C./D.C. rate motor

the proof is in the pudding, once you get the brushes replaced, you can pulg it into an A.C. outlet if it runs , you're good to go, but if it just "hums" & the shaft does turn easy by hand (locked rotor) unplug it quick, it a D.C only motor

why do I know all this silly electrical history? because I also collect antique Xmas lamps or the 1900's - 1960's too! hey, you gotta decorate the holiday coke machine with something nice, or the Coca Cola St.Nick won't leave you nothing but YooHoo!  

[sodaworks]

You can also try Dan @ Hello Central in San Luis Obispo, Ca. for phone parts. He restored my pay phone.

[collecture]

johnieG,
Others have said it, but you continue to amaze me!

[Eric]

Working for AT&T....I'm a phone guy too... And the 302 is my favorite.... I have the first 1936 model (all metal housing, short plungers and vented back) a complete all dates matching 1937, '38, '39 and '41 all the pre-war all metal bodies.. the 41 is dates 11-5-41 just three days before Pearl Harbor!.....send me some pictures of what you think is wrong.... I may have parts for it they are easy to fix and wire.
Is it an all metal or thermoplastic body... what are the dates stamped....PICTURES!!!!!! Love that phone..
the 302 was the first to have the bells housed inside the phone thus eliminating the old bell boxes that bolted along the base boards or sat under the phones.... Where are you located state wise...
Dave Johnson restores/paints my older phones and he's in Connecticut... He sells on eBay under Oldtimephones
and has a website www.oldtimephones.com
He's been restoring phones forever and is also a collector of phones...
He love what he does and it shows.
Kilroy watch for a 302 on eBay... you can get a deal on them from
time to time.

[Kilroy]

Eric,
The 302 isn't hard to find, but the cash that isn't going to bills  ususally is  '>

[Eric]

Hear that Kilroy!... I'm having siding, gutters, soffit, eletric work done on my house... WOW!.... fun money is hard to find right now... and there have been some awesome things pop up and all I can do is watch someone else buy them.... (ORANGE KIST cooler).... '>

Also Pearl Harbor was on the 7th which makes that phone of mine 2 days before ... But it won't let me edit it...

Creighton... if Dave doesn't have time to fix the 302 and if I have the parts, I will, just send it to me.

[Kilroy]

pssst Eric, December 7, 1941, not November 7th.   '>

[Eric]

Ha!!!!!! Wow! Guess 12-5-41 mean December doesn't it....