Highly Sought After Old Rose Thermoplastic edition Western Electric 302. Western Electric 302 - Old Rose Edition! History This wonderful working example of 1930s design is sure to fit into your period decorating scheme. The Model 302 desk telephone was introduced in 1937. Created by famed industrial designer Henry Dreyfuss, the first versions had a die-cast zinc housing, however, demands for metal during WW2 necessitated a shift to thermo-plastic housings on later models. The 302 series was the first Western Electric desk telephone to contain the ringer and induction coil within the phone. Previous desk models required a separate subscriber set or bell box that was attached by the line cord. While the 302 series telephone is predominately found in black, it was also produced in nine colours. When the thermoplastic housings became the standard, the colours were moulded in the plastic of that colour rather than being painted on as was the case of the die-cast phones. Over the years the metal version of this phone has often been plated with various metallic finishes such as nickel and chrome. The Model 302 was manufactured until 1955 and during it's lifetime it was the workhorse of the phone system. The Restoration Process Dial – The dial has been fully disassembled, cleaned, lubed and timed to ensure years of trouble free service. The outer edge of the dial has been stripped and repainted with a gloss black enamel. Unless the dial is removed, this is something you will rarely ever even see, but this is how it would have come from the factory. The number plate has been cleaned and a perfectly matching overlay has been applied. Cords – The phone has been outfitted with brand new cloth covered cords that are made in house on the same type of equipment originally used by the phone companies. They look amazing. The line cord has a modular connection to facilitate a modern connection to your wall jack. Shell – The shell has been painstakingly put through a multi-step restoration process which includes sanding with 400, 800, 1000, 2000 grit. This ensures that there are no scratches, dents or dings. The shell is them carefully buffed on our two step buffing wheels. This takes out the fine abrasions left by sanding and leaves the plastic with a smooth factory fresh finish. Finally we apply a three step plastic restoration compound. This leaves the plastic with a beautiful high gloss finish. Handset – Handset has been ultrasonically cleaned to get all embedded debris. It is then sanded with the same process as the shell and buffed back to its beautiful original shine. Base – The base is completely stripped of all its components and painted with a high gloss black. The components are then cleaned, tested and reinstalled. Feet – The feet are disassembled and sand blasted. They are then rewrapped with super soft pig skin suede leather to ensure it does not damage the table it proudly sits on. The phone goes through extensive testing before to ensure it is in perfect working condition prior to shipping. Dial Options Number 6 - default - The last technology jump for 3 inch dials. A smooth return and light weight for dialing highlight this choice. It is sturdily built and very reliable. Number 5 - The predominant dial of the 40's and 50's was replaced by the number 6 for a more universal fit. The number 5 dial features a "whirr" sound upon its return and a good weight for dialing. Number 4 - This is the first 5 contact, 3 inch dial. The real joy of the dial lies in the highly sought after "clickity-clack" sound that was eliminated with the introduction of the number 5. What was eliminated from customer complaints, is now one of the features that collectors look for most in hunting out the vintage phones.
