History The Automatic Electric Model 40 Monophone was introduced in 1938. This combined phone includes all the components required to operate within the casing, eliminating the need for an external network subset and ringer. The AE40 is a graceful example of art deco design. These rugged phones were made of solid Bakelite and were available in a variety of colours with various trim options. 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. The finger wheel & dial card ring has been freshly chrome plated. A brand new die cut dial card and acetate cover have been added as well 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. You can choose from either black or brown cloth cords. 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 Bakelite with a smooth factory fresh 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. As a finishing touch, we have added chrome plated handset bands Base – The base is completely stripped of all its components and sealed with clearcoat. The components are then cleaned, tested and reinstalled. The phone goes through extensive testing before to ensure it is in perfect working condition prior to shipping.
