How Not to Clean the inside of an ERICOFON!

[recyklotron]

Greetings,

I was working on my first Ericofon & learned a lesson the hard way. I am posting this to hopefully keep someone else from making my mistake.
   There were numerous little specks of old solid lubricant on the insides which I dutifully wiped away using rubbing alcohol on Q-tips. It turns out that the fleshy color you see in the first photo is actually the backside of the dial face. I inadvertently dissolved a small spot of paint & thinned another area which are visible in the 2nd photo. It looks really glaring with the light coming through but now that the phone is back together it's not so bad except I know it is there & will probably spend way too much time trying to find a matching color paint to fill it in!

       Jonathan

[twocvbloke]

I'd avoid using alcohol for cleaning paint or plastics, as you have found out, if it's the sort of paint or plastic that melts when alcohol is applied, then the finish is damaged, I prefer soap & water as it'll dissolve grease and oil, it's a bit lacking on sticky labels, but gets there eventually...

But then, for sticky labels I tend to use lighter fluid (the stuff you put into Zippo-type lighters), never tried it on soft plastic though, but seems to work well on a lot of other stuff, but always test a hidden spot before using it in full just in case...

[recyklotron]

   I know I didn't realize  the surface was painted plastic. I always thought the dial was metal. I was a bit lucky in that I was only using a Q-tip & not a paper towel dampened w/ alcohol which would have destroyed a much greater area.
    I will be extra cautious from now on! Soap & water are my new friends.  lesson learned.....hopefully!

              J

[LarryInMichigan]

The same caution goes for clock and radio dials.  Don't learn the hard way (like someone I know personally did).

Larry

[Jim Stettler]

Contact Richard Rose  ericofon.com   and ask about matching paint or a replacement dial face.
JMO,
Jim