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Faceplate; shiny or frosted?

Started by podor, May 16, 2016, 11:38:40 PM

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podor

Not sure where to put this topic. I just got a red WE 2500 from '74. I was expecting an opaque faceplate from the pictures, but it has the ribbed back but more of a translucent/frosted finish. I haven't seen one that wasn't shiny, but the finish is uniformed, and looks kind of nice. Before I go buffing on it, is it supposed to look like this?

AL_as_needed

Is the rest of the phone matte or polished? Is it an aftermarket faceplate? I think in the end it depends on what you think it should look like.
TWinbrook7

jsowers

I would leave it as is. I don't think the ribbed faceplates were ever very shiny, in the same way the dial bezels to the 1950s 500s are slightly duller in finish than the housing and handset. When you think about it, you don't want the dial area reflecting light and making it difficult to see. You can polish the housing until it shines, but just cleaning is all the faceplate needs.

Here's a link to Teleplay's black "Rockford" 2500D after he refinished it and I don't see any shine on that faceplate.

http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=13280.msg147353#msg147353

And thanks for asking and thinking about how the phone should look instead of blindly launching into it. Others may have a different take on it, but I think the translucence and the color contrast of the faceplate are two of the best things about the early 2500s.
Jonathan

AL_as_needed

#3
Quote from: jsowers on May 17, 2016, 10:49:34 AM
I would leave it as is. I don't think the ribbed faceplates were ever very shiny, in the same way the dial bezels to the 1950s 500s are slightly duller in finish than the housing and handset. When you think about it, you don't want the dial area reflecting light and making it difficult to see. You can polish the housing until it shines, but just cleaning is all the faceplate needs.


I have a gray 2500 with the ribbed face-plate, and on the exterior side it has a very high gloss, almost more so than the body of the phone. I think its a 3-72 if that makes a difference.
TWinbrook7

NorthernElectric

Quote from: podor on May 16, 2016, 11:38:40 PMI was expecting an opaque faceplate from the pictures, but it has the ribbed back...

Isn't the ribbed side the front?
Cliff

andre_janew

The ribbed side is the back.  I say that because there is no notch on top.  The smooth side has the notch on top, so that must be the front.

jsowers

Quote from: AL_as_needed on May 17, 2016, 01:09:42 PM
I have a grew 2500 with the ribbed face-plate, and on the exterior side it has a very high gloss, almost more so than the body of the phone. I think its a 3-72 if that makes a difference.

Al, please post a picture of the 2500 so we can all see.
Jonathan

AL_as_needed

Quote from: jsowers on May 17, 2016, 08:22:02 PM
Al, please post a picture of the 2500 so we can all see.

Will do as soon as I can, moving at the end of the month so everything have been boxed, but as soon as the dust settles, ill post one. Miss the mechanical ringers already.
TWinbrook7

podor

The red 2500d is all 4/74 except for the transmitter. The green 2500d is 100% 4/73. The green phone is clearly gloss.

podor

Just to add some confusion, here is a 6/66 (all 5-6/66 except for the cords and '68 dial) 1500d. It isn't shiny either. It has the same consistency and look front to back. Both the red 2500 and the 1500 are two of the cleanest phones when I received them. I did nothing to the 1500 and just washed the 2500 in soap and water. There is no evidence of anything that could have caused the texture.

podor

Forgot the picture.

Jim Stettler

It is a recycled faceplate. They used them on them "C" Stock telephones. They probably "upgraded" them thru the shops as well.

I would leave it be. It is hard to strip 1 side of a faceplate without getting the other side involved.


Jim S.
I did strip a beige 10 button plate in a shallow dish of brake fluid. I   kept it in a very short time, I used a detail brush to clear the paint. After the paint was off I rinsed, washed* and rinsed and washed and rinsed and dried it . I put it on a clear set.


* (I use Dawn dish soap)
You live, You learn,
You die, you forget it all.

WEBellSystemChristian

I believe these were intentionally dulled to make it easier to dial in direct light.

If a faceplate like this is uniform, I keep it as is. If it's scratched or uneven, I polish it, like I would with a 500 bezel.

I like how the polished versions show the ribs better!
Christian Petterson

"Whether you think you can or think you can't, you're right" -Henry Ford

podor

Quote from: Jim S. on May 18, 2016, 10:20:14 PM
It is a recycled faceplate. They used them on them "C" Stock telephones. They probably "upgraded" them thru the shops as well.

I would leave it be. It is hard to strip 1 side of a faceplate without getting the other side involved.


Jim S.
I did strip a beige 10 button plate in a shallow dish of brake fluid. I   kept it in a very short time, I used a detail brush to clear the paint. After the paint was off I rinsed, washed* and rinsed and washed and rinsed and dried it . I put it on a clear set.


* (I use Dawn dish soap)

Neither are painted. You can still see the lines.

I'm going to leave them. The red one is one of my new favorites. $13 wasn't too bad of a purchase. I agree that they look better with the lines more visible though.

poplar1

Quote from: podor on May 19, 2016, 12:10:24 AM
Neither are painted. You can still see the lines. 

As originally furnished, all of them were back painted! That is, they are made from clear plastic, and the ribbed side is painted. Usually, the back color is a muted shade of the phone color, but the early backs were all charcoal color.
"C'est pas une restauration, c'est une rénovation."--François Martin.