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How to make candlestick phones?


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We are doing a production of Thoroughly Modern Millie and we need to make 13 stick phones relatively cheap. I am not incharge of props, but I saw the prototype the prop master was making and it was hideous so I figure I would try to offer some suggestions. I was wondering if anyone has done this before, if so, how? I was thinking PVC, but if anyone has any better ideas bring em on.

 

Thanks

Taylor

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I've not seen "Thoroughly Modern Millie" can you explain what a "stick phone" is?

It could be either a phone that sticks (stick as in glue) or a phone that is very thin (stick as in stick figure).

;)

If you are looking for cheap phone looking things, toy-shops sell really cheap (non-working)phones for very young children (young children these days expect their mobile phones to work!)

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I had to make a dozen of these once for a production of Cabaret. Easily done using cardboard tubing for the main body, cake decoration pedestals (like you find holding up layered wedding cakes) for the fancy turned ends and foamboard. Any imaginative props maker should be able to churn these out easily, and going for ones without dials only makes the job easier.
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  • 3 years later...
I just made a dozen of these for our HS production of "Crazy for You." I found cheap black plastic funnels at our local Dollar Store that were approx. 5" in diameter. I put a 9" length of 1" diameter PVC pipe (spray painted it black) over the spout end and attached it with black Gorilla tape (sort of like duct tape but a bit stronger). For the "mouthpiece," I used some 2" round reflectors (about 5/8" thick) and covered them in black electrical tape--- only because I had access to some round reflectors. Anything round would work, like the small lid from a jam jar or small mayo lid. I took some used "K-cups" and cleaned them out, then used electrical tape to tape them to the front of the reflectors. If you had some very small plastic cups, that would work, too (like a communion cup or a plastic shot glass). I did use the gorilla tape to attach those items to the top of the PVC pipe, only because we were pretty rough on the props. I am a band instructor, so I swiped some clarinet bells from some of my players (also contacted a local music store and borrowed a few from their bone pile of instrument repair parts) and simply gorilla taped some black 1/4" rope (found at a fabric store) to the bottom edge of the funnel and to the inside of each clarinet bell. Added a canning jar ring with a lid, decorated with a few sticky round dots for the "numbers" of the dial, and gorilla taped it to the front of the funnel (hot glue won't hold it). They were so cute... and the extra bit of gorilla tape we used to secure everything together was not noticable from the audience. Didn't have a "hanger" for the bells of the phones, but they weren't necessary for our use. I took a picture, but don't know how to post one to this site. They looked like the real thing!
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Search Google for candlestick telephone and lots of vendors come up showing phones with dials for modern use and pictures of real old phones as inspiration for your propmaker. However do remember that a prop phone doesn't need the BABT sticker to look perfectly OK on stage.
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  • 5 years later...

Hi,

 

I'm having to do the same... not a carpenter-just a teacher. Struggling..

 

Please can you email your picture if you still have it?

 

 

 

I just made a dozen of these for our HS production of "Crazy for You." I found cheap black plastic funnels at our local Dollar Store that were approx. 5" in diameter. I put a 9" length of 1" diameter PVC pipe (spray painted it black) over the spout end and attached it with black Gorilla tape (sort of like duct tape but a bit stronger). For the "mouthpiece," I used some 2" round reflectors (about 5/8" thick) and covered them in black electrical tape--- only because I had access to some round reflectors. Anything round would work, like the small lid from a jam jar or small mayo lid. I took some used "K-cups" and cleaned them out, then used electrical tape to tape them to the front of the reflectors. If you had some very small plastic cups, that would work, too (like a communion cup or a plastic shot glass). I did use the gorilla tape to attach those items to the top of the PVC pipe, only because we were pretty rough on the props. I am a band instructor, so I swiped some clarinet bells from some of my players (also contacted a local music store and borrowed a few from their bone pile of instrument repair parts) and simply gorilla taped some black 1/4" rope (found at a fabric store) to the bottom edge of the funnel and to the inside of each clarinet bell. Added a canning jar ring with a lid, decorated with a few sticky round dots for the "numbers" of the dial, and gorilla taped it to the front of the funnel (hot glue won't hold it). They were so cute... and the extra bit of gorilla tape we used to secure everything together was not noticable from the audience. Didn't have a "hanger" for the bells of the phones, but they weren't necessary for our use. I took a picture, but don't know how to post one to this site. They looked like the real thing!

 

 

 

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I doubt he will send you pics, as he joined, made the past and never came back!

 

I'm to be honest, a bit surprised that a teacher is having this problem - because almost every school has access to the tools needed to make these.

 

Google image search - old telephones candlestick brings back exactly the pictures you need, and with a lathe and some crap timber, these are so easily made. They're very simple shapes, that with glue and black paint are easy to make. You probably don;t even need the dial, as most period ones were directly connected to a manual exchange, and connections made with plugs. Connect the ear pice to the phone with some black say cord, and it's done. In fact, I wish I'd thought of this years ago - it would have been an excellent assignment for BTEC students. Make a phone!

 

http://www.telephonecollecting.org/Bobs%20phones/images/Collection/KellogCandlestick2.jpg

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