Replies

1. 
   DavidxDoud | Jun 10, 2005 08:57pm | #1

   I've taken similar assemblies out of systems installed in the late '30's/early '40's -

   my fathers house to be specific - wired 1937

    

   "there's enough for everyone"
1. 
   rez | Jun 10, 2005 09:05pm | #2

   When did electrical wiring in homes begin to become commonplace?

   A person with no sense of humor about themselves is fullashid 

1. 
   BillHartmann | Jun 10, 2005 09:10pm | #4

   When electricty became available.In some rual areas that was not until the 30's or later.But my guess is that in general 1900-1910.There where also rotory switches. Where I have seen them they have been surface mounted. So I am thinking that they where pre push button switches.

   Edited 6/10/2005 2:12 pm ET by Bill Hartmann

1. 
   rez | Jun 10, 2005 09:13pm | #5

   Do you have any of the rotary switches?

   A person with no sense of humor about themselves is fullashid 

1. 
   DavidxDoud | Jun 10, 2005 09:16pm | #7

   I got one a them rotary switches in we took outa this house - that woulda dated from the 30s also -

   I think early on there were lots of small producers of such items with not much standardization -

    "there's enough for everyone"

2. 
   rez | Jun 10, 2005 09:18pm | #9

   I was thinking about making a plaque of a wall switch timeline.

   A person with no sense of humor about themselves is fullashid 

3. 
   DavidxDoud | Jun 10, 2005 09:22pm | #10

   a switch collection would be of interest - I'll see if I can stir up that rotary - it's up in the spare parts somewhere - getting ready to go to a funeral right now - got a little thunderstorm grazing the farm currently...

    "there's enough for everyone"

4. 
   BryanSayer | Jun 11, 2005 07:02am | #15

   I've got 4 rotary switches that are three way ones, mounted in a box, with a heavy brass plate over them. We've re-installed two (shhh, don't tell UL) and I want to install the other two.But I'm missing the little tabs that mount on the stud. Turns out they are not at all standard - I thought I would swip some from switches we canceled.So if you got some tabs, I'll swap you the other old stuff I saved. Some plugs and fuse boxes and stuff. I'll try and figure out a way to determine the thread size.

5. 
   DavidxDoud | Jun 11, 2005 07:10am | #16

   don't think I have anything for you - the switch I have mounts in a box (it's in a small octagonal box) - took a superficial look for it when I was in the area tonight,  but it's buried deeper than that -

   are those 'tabs' something that can be fabricated?

    

    "there's enough for everyone"

6. 
   Sailfish | Jun 10, 2005 09:52pm | #11

   I was thinking about making a plaque of a wall switch timeline.

    

   A dude did that with barbed wire, i think he made some money out of his hobby-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

   "Have you seen my baseball?"

    

    

7. 
   rez | Jun 10, 2005 09:54pm | #12

   Just thought it'd be kinda neat to hang on the wall.

   A person with no sense of humor about themselves is fullashid 

8. 
   DaneB | Jun 11, 2005 04:48pm | #17

   I remember those old push button switches from a house that my mom and dad rented for a few years.  I always thought they were neat.

   Glad to here that they can be bought "new and approved".   I would love to put them in the "Civil War" house.

   I bet the "History channel" could make a show out of your time line switch board.

   Many of the old timers around here have told me that electricity didn't show in these parts until after WWII.  An I can remember not having dependable electricity until the mid to late 1990's, after they put in a new sub station and completely rebuilt the grid.  Many of the houses here are still set up to be without it.  Wood heat, kerosine lamps, gas or wood cook stoves and a hand pump on a spring fed cistern.

   There is a business in Richmond that sells salvaged old house and building materials.  They have piles of those old switches and insulators and what ever you want.  They even have a couple those old copper lined wood water closets that you reach up behind you and pull on the chain.  I spent hours walking through the place.  Ended up buying an A S 3 gal toilet from them.  They have been in business since the 1930s.

   DaneI will always be a beginner as I am always learning.

9. 
   reganva | Jun 11, 2005 06:43pm | #18

   Took an outlet out of a room in my house where the metal cover plate and the outlet were one piece.  The young electrician who discovered this ws pretty amused.  It was live and all busted up.

10. 
    MarkH | Jun 10, 2005 09:18pm | #8

    No, but I pulled some out of service in a basement I was rewiring once.  All old knob and tube in a craftsman style city house.  Most of the insulation was just hanging off the old wires. Old coal bin still full of coal, old lead pipes everywhere, rats here and there, -20F with no heat. Very memorable.

2. 
   DavidxDoud | Jun 10, 2005 09:14pm | #6

   well,  REMC came by here in 1937 - don't know about city systems - - dad talks about grandpa paying to run a wire 4 miles from a small town to the big orchard to run cooling in '33 - -

   they didn't like big boxes then,  either - little things with clipped corners...dad's house is in 'bx' cable,  still in use tho not many of the original switches...

    "there's enough for everyone"

2. 
   Sailfish | Jun 10, 2005 09:06pm | #3

   Hey thats half of my houses switches

   -----------------------------------------------------------------------------

   "Have you seen my baseball?"

    

    

3. 
   JTC1 | Jun 10, 2005 11:26pm | #13

   Wow, I thought I had old switches in my first house (1929), had a few ceramics but the terminals had migrated to the side of the switch by then. Kind of like flounder eyes?

   Bet it could get interesting if the (undoubtedly) metal cover plate got in contact with those front terminals!  On the other hand, I bet it was nice to be able to make your final connections with the switch already mounted.

   Think I'll stick with the modern design and materials.

   Jim

   Never underestimate the value of a sharp pencil or good light.

4. 
   steve | Jun 11, 2005 03:22am | #14

   you can still buy those old style pushbutton rotary switches, brand new and approved

   see "old house journal'  for advertisers

   caulking is not a piece of trim