Hi all,
I am rewiring a 1910 bungalow that has a butler call button in the center of the dining room floor that use to ring a bell located in the kitchen. The bell and transformer are still there on the kitchen wall covered with a quarter inch of paint. Anyone know where I might be able to find a replica? The transformer/bell unit is mounted on a steel plate and looks like it was open, no cover. The button is brass, half dollar size, recessed into the floor and use to have a small rod sticking up about a quarter inch that you hit with your foot to summon the butler. The customer wants it to be as close to original as possible. Any help appreciated
Brian

Sparky,
Maybe this is one for your extreeems.

YOU RANG?!?!



[This message has been edited by sparky66wv (edited 08-15-2002).]

Brian,
perhaps a meticulos rebuild/rewind/refit of the original components?
(yeah,extreeme.....

i'm doubtful of any direct 1910 replacements, or tech support........

Any way you could do some pictures? Some of the private cars I deal with have a button every few feet in every room, with a panel that shows which room the button was pushed. With some picturs maybe some of us would recognize something. Sounds like a neat resto job to me.
Trainwire

Could you convert the whole system to a low voltage sytem and adapt the old components. They would look the same but have 12v guts in them.

Try www.restoration.com. They have a wooden bell button and may have the parts you need.

Hi.

Can't specifically help, but maybe through one of the links below you could either find the item or contact somebody who would be more familiar with it.

http://www.oldhouseweb.com/
http://www.houseofantiquehardware.com/
http://www.acornmfg.com/
http://thephones.home.att.net/PhoneRelatedItems.htm (bottom of page, foot switch)
http://www.antique-door-bells.com/doorbells.html
http://www.historichouseparts.com/
http://robinsonsantiques.com

Thanks for all the ideas and links. I went to the links and ordered catalogs. Sorry Train I have no way to send pictures. Might be able to get my daughter in law to do it though. I suppose as a la$t re$ort I could re$tore the original unit$! A$ a matter of fact, the more I con$ider thi$ option, the more I like it $$!

Probably mentioned in an older thread, but I got to rebuild/rewire and move the location of an old Doorbell system that was in a kitchen of a $130K kitchen renovation I was involved in. The doorbell system would drop a number down into a window of this box flush-mounted in the wall corrosponding to the door that was being rung.

It ran on 24VAC, so it was all fairly easy to work with, and was in very good shape except for the wiring itself.

Being a third year apprentice at the time, and having this project dropped into my lap, I felt pretty good about getting it done and having it work correctly.

I guess it was my first real experience with "control work" unaided (albeit, checked afterwards).

Ah, memories... BTW, When's Joe getting the nostalgia page up?

I mentioned this in another thread, but I came across an old Butler Bell system in a Victorian house last year. The owner wanted it kept in place and made fully functional.

The kitchen panel -- glass in a wooden surround -- had a dozen or so solenoid swinger arms all neatly wired to brass terminal blocks along the edge. Only about two circuits worked due to the old (probably 1920s) cable having deteriorated so badly. All 12V with a series bell. It took many hours of unplanned for work, but I got it going in the end.

Good question -- Joe? Bill?