Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Fitting a 1960's or 1970's Vintage Wall Telephone (Part 1).

This is an explanation of how to physically fit, or safely remove British 1960's (model No 711) or 1970's-1980's (model 741) vintage wall telephones to a wall.



1) The fist step is to locate and unscrew (half way out) the telephone case retaining screw on the bottom of the wall telephone. See the pictures below.




2) Next carefully lift the case starting from the bottom of the telephone, as it hinges at the top (however keep the telephone case parallel to the base plate). This can be tricky if you have not done it before.

TIP: It helps if you hold the telephone switch hooks down and press gently down on the vintage telephone dial while lifting the case from the bottom. See the position of my hands in the diagram below.


3) The vintage wall phone case should now lift completely off. See diagrams of the telephone below.




4) The retaining screw for the separate metal T shaped wall fitting is a single bolt/screw at the bottom, however it is hidden behind where the curly handset cord enters the telephone. So you need to slide the telephone handset cable grommet to the right, as shown below.


5) You should now be able to unscrew the single bolt that holds the T shaped bar to the vintage telephone. As shown below.


6) The telephone is hinged a the top, so simply lift from the bottom as shown above.

7) With the T shaped bar separate fit this to your wall with the appropriate screws for the type of wall it needs to fix onto.


8) Slide the curly handset cable grommet back into its original position.

9) The 741 or 711 Telephone can then be hung onto the T bracket at the top, and the retaining bolt tightened at the bottom.


10) Refit the wall telephone case, making sure the cut out in the plastic dial surround ring is in line with the metal finger stop, see below.



Tip: Holding the switch hooks down and pressing on the dial usually makes fitting the case easier.


11) Finally tighten the case retaining screw at the bottom.


12) These instruction should help, either remove these old telephones from the wall or fit them to a new position.

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