Adding White to Letters on Kellogg 1000 "Red Bar"

[jjflory]

All,

I just got a Kellogg 1000-BB Red Bar and would like to add the white color to the recessed letters of "Kellogg" in the Red Bar as well as the Mouth Piece.  Was thinking about using a white Grease Pencil.

Would like to know what anyone else has used of thinks.

Thanks

[TelePlay]

Slightly thinned white enamel from Hobby Lobby (they sell small bottles for ceramic work). First, clean out the letters with a solvent that won't melt the plastic - isopropyl or denatured alcohol or mineral spirits or other grease and oil removing solvent - and then use a hair drier to dry out the recessed letters. Then, with a cloth wet with paint, rub it over the letter to fill them in. Wait a few minutes (5 or so until the paint begins to set) and then carefully wipe off the excess with a clean cotton cloth slightly damp with mineral spirits to remove the surface paint but leave the white in the letters.

Can repeat it until all the letters are as you like them.

You can do this with any color on any item (I used gold paint on metal stampings on galvanized plates with gold as a test before working on the phone item). Used acetone to clean out the letters to insure the paint stuck.


Others may have other techniques.

[TelePlay]

This from Ed Morris posted in a Radio Forum in 2013, remember this Ed?

Yes, acrylic enamel paints work as well as oil based paints, probably safer on plastic phones. I learned my technique working on radios which have a lot more recessed painted lettering than phones.

"I've had success using water-based acrylic craft paints. You can buy these at A.C. Moore (old Ben Franklin) or Michaels. These paints come in small squeeze bottles, and have the consistency of finger paints.

I use a fine tip brush and plenty of Q-tips, tissues, and paper towels. You can add a little water to the paint to make it flow into the indentations better. I use the Q-tips and bits of tissue to wipe off any paint that strays outside the indentations. If you make a mess, just use water to wipe it all clean and start over.

Some wait until the paint dries to wipe off the excess, but I prefer to clean as I go along. When the paint dries, it evens out and looks very good. I used this technique to do the dial scale numbers on the Jewell in the photo below,"

This is done on bikes, car parts, metal engravings and anything else with recessed lettering or designs.

[Ktownphoneco]

I'm basically repeating the method that John has used in the past.      I use a white acrylic paint, a small cheap artist's brush and a synthetic lint free cloth.       Acrylic white paint in small quantities is available from any hobby shop.    I use brand names such as Testers, or Model Master.     Clean out the letter cavities molded into the Bakelite handset ring and the red bar hook switch plunger.     Allow same to fully dry.     Dip artist's brush into well mixed acrylic paint and dab into the letter cavities until they are fully saturated and no air bubbles.    Take the synthetic lint free cloth wrapped tightly around the end of your index finger on whichever hand your most comfortable using, and wipe over the letters with light pressure, removing 'most" of the excess paint.    Acrylics dry fairly quickly, and once they are dry, you can go over the letters again with the synthetic cloth to remove what's left of the paint.     You may have to rub fairly firmly and use a finger nail to fully remove all of any of the remaining paint.    Pictures below.   Double click to enlarge.     The photos are of a Kellogg red bar I donated to the T.C.I. Lancaster show in 2014 for the show's auction event.     I've also attached a photo "pdf" showing the entire set.     Hope this information helps.

Jeff Lamb
 

[Nick in Manitou]

Whoa!  Jeff Lamb, that is a stunning phone!

Nick

[Ktownphoneco]

Thanks Nick.   ....   Jeff

[TelePlay]

From the "got to wear sun glasses to look at them" McMurdoSilver collection, this handset was also white lettered nicely.

Once you understand the basics, it's trial and error (cleaning out the letters, applying the paint, when to remove the excess) to learn what works best. The idea is to get a thick layer of color in the recesses but still look a bit recessed.

BTW: this phone sold on eBay in October of 2013 for $1,449 plus shipping.

[Ed Morris]

Jeff, that is an awesome phone.  The lettering is excellent.  Not to wander too far off topic, but what treatment did you use on the shell?

[HarrySmith]

The shine he gets on his phones is incredible! Does anybody know who he is? Is he in the phone clubs? I sent him a couple of messages on ebay asking if he was a member and asking about how he got the shine but never received a reply.

[TelePlay]

Just to clarify, 2 different restorers here, the Rebar was done by Ktownphoneco, the Ashtray done by McMurdosilver. No one has ever found out what McMurdosilver does to get that finish on all of his projects.

[LarryInMichigan]

I fill in such recessed lettering the easy way with a paint marker.  I simply run the paint marker over the letters and after a couple of minutes rub the excess off of the surface with a cotton rag and a bit of polish.  I have done this on some phone dials and finger wheel in addition to many radio cabinets and dials.

Larry

[Ktownphoneco]

Ed    ....     Attached is an outline of how I polish Bakelite and plastic sets.    I've tried a number of different methods over the past 25 years, and I've found that the methods outlined in the "pdf" file work the best for me.

Jeff   

[Ed Morris]

Thanks, Jeff.  I've never had the courage to sand Bakelite or plastic.  My process is to clean Bakelite or plastic thoroughly with Dawn or Simple Green, then polish and buff with Novus 2.  I get OK results, but nothing like the deep gloss you are getting with your process.  I will have to give it a try.  Thanks for sharing your methodology.   

[WEBellSystemChristian]

Jeff:

Has low-grit sanding and polishing worked well for heavily pitted Bakelite, or only for Bakelite in good condition to begin with?

It seems like Bakelite that has had plenty of exposure to skin oils becomes extremely pitted, and I haven't had much luck getting that kind back to a high gloss, although Bakelite that was only exposed to basic wear sands/polishes very well.

[Ktownphoneco]

Ed   .....  Over the past 25 years, I've probably tried every method of polishing both Bakelite and plastic that's every been discussed on this forum and other collector club list servers.    The method I outlined in the "pdf" is the best I've found so far.     I tried Novus 1, 2 and 3 a long time ago, but was never impressed by it.  I've tried black shoe polish, black leather dye, wax, and a British product called Paste Polish No. 5, made by Greygate Chemical Products Ltd., Fir Tree Lane - Groby, Leicestershire, England. LE6 0FH, but nothing that gets even close to the results I've outlined in the PDF.

Christian :   The final result of polishing Bakelite is, for the most part, directly related to the quality of the Bakelite itself.      The original shine is due to the skin that's formed when the hot molten Bakelite is injected into the mold and cools.      No amount of sanding and polishing will ever bring Bakelite back to that state.      "BUT", if it's a good quality Bakelite, meaning it was correctly and thoroughly mixed to start with, was properly heated, no foreign matter was allowed to fall into the vat, the mixture wasn't allowed to sit for any length of time or cool slightly, and it was injected at the correct temperature and allowed to cool at the correct rate, then, if for some reason down the road and in the future, it needs to be sanded and polished, then the results should be superior to other Bakelite products that weren't produced under the best of circumstances.   
There are other issues as well.    The Bakelite sets that I've sanded and polished most often, are the Northern Uniphones.        The brown Bakelite Uniphone sets, or what's called "walnut" in the sales flyers and catalogs, polish better than the black Bakelite sets.     So I'm assuming whatever dyes Northern used to produce the brown swirls in the walnut sets, produces a higher level of shine than the straight black Bakelite cases and handsets.
Generally speaking, one can sand Bakelite as much as is necessary to remove deep pitting or scratches.     Unless it was poorly mixed prior to injection into the mold, the quality of the material should be the same .0001" of an inch below the surface, as it is .125" of an inch below the surface.

Jeff