# Door Chime Solenoid Strikers?



## chrisfnl

I've come into possession of an old 4 chime door bell, purchased by my great uncle on returning home from Europe following WWII, so it's 60+ years old.

I'm not overly concerned about the value of the item, however, it's sentimental value to my mother is massive, so having it installed and functional is much greater then maintaining the value of the item.

Unfortunately, it's missing one of it's strikers (may have been missing it for a long time, not sure till I test it), it operates entirely on line voltage (no doorbell transformer), and I don't like the chassis return wiring.

After looking at the design, it struck me it wouldn't be hard to scratch build a new electronic timer and chime assembly, and use the chimes from the existing unit.

After scouring e-bay, and googling myself silly, I was rather surprised that I couldn't find a source of new manufactured strikers....

Does anyone know of a source for door chime parts? Either new or used?


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## BuzzKill

Google is your friend!


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## chrisfnl

And google I did. 

However I can't find a source.


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## McClary’s Electrical

BuzzKill said:


> Google is your friend!


Did you read the 5th paragraph?


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## Phil DeBlanc

Sometimes it's a matter of what you put in the search box/

http://www.eurekamodern.com/vintage_door_chimes_nutone_rittenhouse_parts.htm

http://www.searspartsdirect.com/partsdirect/product-types/Door-chime-Parts

http://www.furniturefind.com/Door-Bells-and-Chimes-C26087.html

I believe you can find electronic units to conceal within the current housing as well.


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## chrisfnl

Sears shows 0 results for door chime parts, and furniture find only sells electronic door chimes.

Apparently a company called craftmade produces these two

http://www.furniturefind.com/Craftmade-C3-PW-FD3460.html

http://www.furniturefind.com/Craftmade-C4-PW-FD3466.html

But the chime tubes are purely decorative (At $448 for the second one, I'm thinking I may need to go into the doorbell business!!!!)

I was in touch with the Eureka Modern fellow this morning (Who has a new website, http://www.knockdoorbells.com/ he actually restores vintage door chimes), he's since gotten back to me, he said there is no manufacturer producing new parts, he said he's had parts made up at a rather premium price by local machine shops.

It just strikes me as very odd that in today's "global market" there'd be no one producing the product, even for such a niche market... I figured there'd at least be a similar part for somthing else... looking at perhaps using a pinball machine solenoid.


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## Dennis Alwon

Think of it like this. I have been in business 30+ years and have never had someone ask me to refurbish or even to find parts for an old doorbell. I can't imagine the market is there for that stuff.


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## McClary’s Electrical

Dennis Alwon said:


> Think of it like this. I have been in business 30+ years and have never had someone ask me to refurbish or even to find parts for an old doorbell. I can't imagine the market is there for that stuff.


I agree, pics would help here, but I can't imagine why normal strikers and coils can't be incorporated into any kind of bell.


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## chrisfnl

Either I need one new plunger, or four new coils+plunger...

Looks like these... 

http://www.eurekamodern.com/vintage_door_chimes_doorbells_solenoids.htm

No one seems to make anything like it any more, so I'm thinking this may be the excuse I've been looking for to buy myself a lathe.


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## sparky.jp

Why don't you just buy a new doorbell chime (or find an old one out of a demo'd house or something) and remove the solenoids and strikers from that one and retrofit them into the unit you have?

I doubt you're going to find a source that just sells the solenoids by themselves. 

You'd have to retrofit all four strikers then (may require getting at least two chime units then) and add a transformer of course.


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## RICK BOYD

mine was installed in 1914 and still works ,
has 2 tubular bells , classic sound
it is low voltage though


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