My newest 302

[Phonesrfun]

I bought an old rose 302 from an ATCA member last week, and I got it today.  Darn, there is not much to do to it, except for a small stress crack in the back corner around the base.

Here it is next to an ivory 302 on a glass table.

-Bill

[HarrySmith]

Vey Nice

[Dennis Markham]

Very nice Bill!  What stress crack, I don't see a stress crack.  Beautiful set of telephones.

[bingster]

302s always look better in little flocks, don't they?  They're beauts, Bill.

[Kenny C]

302s always look better in little flocks, don't they?  They're beauts, Bill.

Flocks LOL, It looks great bill

[Phonesrfun]

What stress crack, I don't see a stress crack.

This crack.  Looks like I need to get up to speed on mixing acrylic colors!

[Jester]

That's an easy fix.

[KeithB]

Is this a situation where you can clip off some excess plastic from inside the body, grind it to dust, then mix it with with acetone and/or super glue to make a filler?

[Doug Rose]

Crack is in the back, that is fortunate. The good thing is it will never crack again now the stress has been relieved. It has amazing color. I would leave it as is. I have a great Red 302 that displays perfectly, but has a small chip out of the back. Its the back and I left it as is. Just my humble opinion. I be too afraid I would ruin the phone......Doug

[JimH]

Beautiful phone!  Is it better to "fill in" the crack rather than trying to "glue" the crack back together?  I know some people grind the inside to relieve the stress.   Maybe a combination of glueing and grinding?

[cchaven]

Wow..what a pair..beautiful phones both!  I really like how they display on that glass table...that looks quite classy.  My only colored 302 is ivory..which has yellowed a bit..it still has quite an interesting odor though.  Thankfully it doesn't have anything but some hairline cracks on the handset.  The other color 302's are out of my league!

Jeff

[Phonesrfun]

Beautiful phone!  Is it better to "fill in" the crack rather than trying to "glue" the crack back together?  I know some people grind the inside to relieve the stress.   Maybe a combination of glueing and grinding?

The answer is Yes, better to fill than to glue.

These first plastic phones were very prone to shrinking with age and that is why almost all of them got to be real hard to take the cover off, because they had shrunk around the metal base so badly.  Eventually they either crack on their own, or people crack them trying to pry them off the base with a screwdriver or what ever other implement of destruction is handy.

You can also see by the close-up photo of the back rear of the phone where the crack is, when you look forward along the side bottom edge of the phone body, you can see how the side bowed out.   Uneven shrinkage, probably because the dial and handset wires may have once been in-between the base and the shell to cause it not to shrink evenly.

I may just leave it be.

[Dennis Markham]

I have read both schools of thought on whether to grind out the plastic on the inside edge of the phone or to grind down the metal chassis.  On black 302's I have opted for the first method.  Even on a housing that has not yet split.  I use a Dremmel tool with a grinder bit to thin out the plastic on the inside corners.  A housing that was becoming snug over the chassis was improved for a loose fit.  The shaving of the plastic may save it from future cracking.  I've also ground away the plastic on a housing that had already cracked.  I ground out the plastic and then repaired the crack by gluing, sanding and polishing.  Again, that was on black phones.  On some that had more gaping cracks, my buddy Mark Scola filled the area, then it was sanded and polished.

[JimH]

Thanks guys.  At least the 500s don't have that problem.   I think Mr. Dreyfuss learned a bit from his 302 experience 

[Jim Stettler]

my buddy Mark Scola filled the area, then it was sanded and polished.

Mark Scola does amazing repairs. I have talked with him regarding my cracked Rose 302 , but I never sent him photos for an estimate (yet).
Mark also repairs 500 sets housings.

Jim