This Western Electric Model 302 Replica is a unique display piece, assembled from reproduction parts hand-cast by Ray Kotke in his workshop. All components used in this build were originally rejected by Ray due to minor defects or imperfections during the casting process.
The housing, cast in clear resin, features a noticeable flaw—a casting crack along the front edge. The F1 handset is a solid-cast piece with no internal cavity or wiring between the transmitter and receiver, rendering it completely non-functional. These parts were collected from Ray in August 2019, and I assembled them into the form you see here.
While this telephone will never be operational, it serves as a striking visual homage to the iconic Western Electric 302. Its transparent shell offers a glimpse into what could have been, and its imperfections give it a character all its own.
Fittingly, this piece is titled: REjected 1.1.
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The Telephone below was casted by Ray Kotke and sold on eBay for $485.00 USD. Aug 03, 2022.
WATER-CLEAR Western Electric Model 302
Dated 1939 throughout. This was custom-cast in my workshop by me. All original parts utilized, dated 1939 other than the 1936-dated 4H dial with beautiful matching 1936 Celluloid number plate. Wired to work perfectly, and rings as it should, but I did not include a linecord unless you want one. Custom-crafted “1939 World’s Fair” dial card. Note the solid-cast F1 handset. Has a couple of defects, please read full description. Sold as-is. Looks, works, and displays perfectly, but does have several defects that I want to mention. NONE of these defects are noticeable, but I know that “some” of you are just a teeny bit anal, so I must mention them for sure! 2 of the brass threaded inserts have broken-off brass rod in them. The tooling simply gave-way after 15 years, and I could not drill out the threaded rod. This is on the front body mounting insert, and on the little fabric-hinge brass insert that usually holds the wires from the body to the baseplate. Lastly, if you look at the photo showing the back/bottom of the clear body, there is a “mold mark” that shows. Not damaged or compromised, but “kind of” looks like a small crack, so it needed to be mentioned nonetheless. “WATER-CLEAR Western Electric Model 302. Sold as-is.”
