Antique phone advice

[Swedesboro Castle]

Hello everyone,

I'm working to restore an antique phone. It's a Kellogg circa 1899. The bells on the outside of the phone were silver when I bought the phone. I noticed flecks of yellow and the more I cleaned, the more yellow they appeared. I tested with a magnet and it didn't stick which suggested they might be brass.

A guy at an antique store told me that the phone bells were likely brass but coated with a silver varnish. He said it is nearly impossible to remove that varnish.

Does anyone know a good method to reveal the brass? Even a drill, fitted with a wire brush has little effect. I got one bell to shine gold, after an hour with the drill brush - but I have yet to attempt the second bell. I was hoping to "goop" a liquid on the bell, and wipe away the varnish. However, I would prefer the less toxic method and that includes not sending the varnish airborne with a drill and wire brush.

Thank you

[Mick_VT]

I believe it is japanned brass, and would not have been shiny when new.

[Texas_Ranger]

I'd suspect a galvanic nickel finish rather than anything else if you say they were silver. That could be removed by reverting the galvanic process. You can get DIY plating kits or you could find someone to do that for you. I'd rather have them re-nickeled to be honest.

[Swedesboro Castle]

Thank you for the replies. They helped me focus my Internet search. I found a website about old phones: http://antiquetelephonehistory.com/blog.php

This explained the situation:

"Do you have a telephone with some nickel parts where the nickel plating is shot? The choices we face are limited. We can leave the nickel as found; strip and buff the part back to it's brass base (old phones were never supplied in bare polished brass); paint it black; have the part professionally plated; plate it yourself.

Self-plating is not difficult. Many collectors use an inexpensive Texas Platters Nickel Kit."

[Mick_VT]

Opps - I totally missed the silver bit - I was thinking black

[Swedesboro Castle]

ha ha. At least you were "thinking" - I'm over here grinding off the nickel plating to get to the brass and THEN come to find out that the old phones never were supposed to have brass bells. Well, in the true Victorian spirit - I will be unique and have an antique phone with brass bells!

[1918ColonialRevival]

The shiny brass look didn't really come around until the 1950s outside the nautical world. Before that, pretty much everything with brass from phones to radios to furniture to door hardware was either raw brass that darkened with age, japanned, plated, or "antiqued" (artificially darkened). If you want it to look authentic, I would either repaint the bells silver or have the nickel plating redone.

[Swedesboro Castle]

Thank you for that insight. I've decided to not be lazy about it and correct the bells with nickel plating. Also, I appreciate your personal website along with the others on this forum who have sites that show the work they do and how they do it.

[CS in Low Hud]

This company is a good resource for old phone parts, repairs and even purchasing refurbished antiques: http://www.phonecoinc.com/

I have an old 1940's Stromberg Carlson Eastern Electric phone in the living room, and they have been very helpful with keeping it working.


Chris

[phil]

I have an old deco wall phone I found it was in good shape electrically except I had to switch some wires because it was for a different kind of phone system. It worked until I decided to cut the cord and just keep paying for my cell phone. I think I could actually get a voice over IP connection for 15 dollars a month to make it work again. I miss the bell. I could hear it outside while I am cutting the grass so could all my neighbors. it's so seldom you hear a real bell these days . I hooked up my doorbell which is a really loud bell too. it makes everyone jump but at least I hear the door. Im never sure which door though , two doors one bell. I think I should add a different bell so I'd know which door was ringing.