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by **vaughn** on Tue Aug 20, 2013 9:37 pm

That looks very nice so far :yes:

by **dcon6019** on Thu Aug 22, 2013 7:43 pm

Started working on the call box that will be mounted on top of the pedestal today. Removed the inner mechanism and started working down through five or six layers of paint.

Notice the "Omaha Orange" shade of paint coming through in places. I didn't think I would like the color, but it has sort of grown on me. I think I will stick to the original Baltimore paint scheme on this project, but if I happen to run across another one of these, I think the orange color might be pretty cool. Besides, I've been told this color was specific to Baltimore so in some ways it would still be very historically accurate.

Still need to get the logo cleaned and a few other tight spots.

by **mcha9797** on Thu Aug 22, 2013 8:43 pm

Cool project, looking forward to more pic's!! :thumbsup:

by **dcon6019** on Thu Aug 22, 2013 8:44 pm

With the exception of the cole key guard, the call box is ready for primer. By the way, Baltimore removed the lower doors on all the cole key guards that were in service in the city. I am not sure if this was because the department got tired of replacing glass, or maybe it was for safety. Either way I am looking for a lower door to complete this box. I have the lock set that matches the inner mechanism door, I just need the lower section. If anyone has one they would like to trade or sell, let me know.

I started on the inner mechanism as well. This is a three fold mechanism. Someone snipped the supply wires short so I soldered on some extensions and added some shrink wrap for good measure.

I cleaned out the inner mechanism box and cleaned the glass and the mechanism.

All back together, I just need to cut the blank key to match the original baltimore key I have. I have found that it is nice to have a key that you can file and make fine adjustments to for each individual lockset.

by **techtiques** on Thu Aug 22, 2013 10:44 pm

Baltimore used most of those aluminum instructional door boxes -- although a few were used elsewhere -- including here in Milwaukee. Is your keyguard aluminum or iron? The aluminum ones typically had aluminum glass holding doors. The iron ones usually had brass glass holding doors -- although some were all cast iron..

Note where the hinge-halves are on the keyguard body. Yours looks like it takes a glass holding door that has hinge-halves that fit outside the keyguard hinge-halves. There were keygurds made with hinge-half positions that are reversed -- with glass holding doors with hinge-halves that fit inside the keyguard body hinge-halves instead.

Sometimes it's easier to just replace the whole keyguard. Lots of cities removed the glass holding doors -- so doors are scarce -- if not rare and highly collectible. :2Cool:

-- and the doors are not all interchangeable.

That particular cast brass number plate is unique to Baltimore. Most cast brass number plates around the country originally went into service with the background painted black -- and the high spots of the numbers and border, and the 4 edges -- sanded off to reveal the natural brass color. They would have been laquer clear-coated to slow down the darkening of the brass.

"John" would know for sure if Baltimore's were that way too. I suspect they were, but he'd know for sure.

by **dcon6019** on Thu Aug 22, 2013 11:44 pm

techtiques wrote:Baltimore used most of those aluminum instructional door boxes

Yours looks like it takes a glass holding door that has hinge-halves that fit outside the keyguard hinge-halves.

That particular cast brass number plate is unique to Baltimore. Most cast brass number plates around the country originally went into service with the background painted black -- and the high spots of the numbers and border, and the 4 edges -- sanded off to reveal the natural brass color. They would have been laquer clear-coated to slow down the darkening of the brass.

"John" would know for sure if Baltimore's were that way too. I suspect they were, but he'd know for sure.

The keyguard for this call box is cast iron. You are correct, the hinges for the door would go on the outside. I spoke with "John" yesterday. I wanted to confirm if there was a pedestal mounted call box at the location specified by the running cards for this call box. I thought it might be possible that the call box was simply bolted onto the pedestal by a collector at a later date. He was able to confirm that the 8446 call box was pedestal mounted. He has its neighbor 8445 in his personal collection. I have a friend that requisitioned a Baltimore call box that was in service and purchased it from the city. His four digit number plate is like you described with the black on brass, and the numbers and edges sanded down. By the way, this particular box is completely cast iron, door incuded. I know that most of the newton mass boxes were aluminum but this one must be one of the early models that was cast when they were still turning out cast iron.

by **techtiques** on Fri Aug 23, 2013 2:48 pm

That's the very first cast iron shell I have ever seen with the raised screw bosses on the back. It was made using a pattern that was normally used to make aluminum shells.

by **dcon6019** on Fri Aug 23, 2013 6:12 pm

techtiques wrote:That's the very first cast iron shell I have ever seen with the raised screw bosses on the back. It was made using a pattern that was normally used to make aluminum shells.

I double checked with a magnet today just to make sure I wasn't mistaken. The shell is definately cast iron. There are however two small aluminum threaded bolts affixed to the inside of the shell near the bottom on the inside. These accept the terminal block that connects the wiring from the three fold mechanism, to the wiring that went out under the street. Other than that the rest of the shell, door included is cast iron.

Also I had a question for you about the cole key guards. On my other call box I have a complete cole key gaurd. The upper housing is cast iron and the lower portion is brass. I made the assumption that the brass lower section was a replacement added at a later time because the materials were different. If I understand your earlier response correctly, this was the original configuration. Was there a reason the lower portions were not cast in iron like the uppers?

by **techtiques** on Fri Aug 23, 2013 7:31 pm

Only a guess -- but brass weathers differently than iron. Iron gets scaley (Sp?) and might not allow the glass to slide out. Neither brass or aluminum corrode this way. The glass sliding out easily part is the whole point of the Cole patent.

by **dcon6019** on Sat Aug 24, 2013 8:35 pm

Today I was able to put the first coat of oil based satin on the pedestal.

Also primed the call box door, shell, and number plate.

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