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Removing conductors from Ivory F1?

Started by WEBellSystemChristian, July 23, 2016, 02:13:18 PM

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WEBellSystemChristian

I want to bleach my Ivory 354, but the conductors inside the handset don't want to budge. I have never needed to totally disassemble a color F1 handset before, so I don't know if they were glued in place (maybe after the handle insert was installed), or of the plastic possibly shrunk around them? Is the insert removable?
Christian Petterson

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

Jim Stettler

I used to have an ivory F! that was missing the insert, so they are removable, I don't know how easy they are to remove tho.
Jim S.



You might check with Ray K. about how to remove the insert. I think he made some handsets with the insert piece.
Good lUCK.
You live, You learn,
You die, you forget it all.

unbeldi

I have always felt that the attempt to remove the 'lid' was asking for more trouble later, so I have glued them in place when it had warped out too much.   Indeed, I have not been able to remove the receiver wires, either, except for one, I believe. I think I still have an old rose handset without wires, as well.
For bleaching, I have covered the wire ends including spades with thick applications of petroleum jelly for protection against corrosion.  You also have to do this to the brass inserts in the plastic and that little brass or copper bar that holds the cord restraint.   Bleach will corrode all bare metal badly.  Don't even try it without protection.


WEBellSystemChristian

Quote from: unbeldi on July 23, 2016, 04:13:05 PM
I have always felt that the attempt to remove the 'lid' was asking for more trouble later, so I have glued them in place when it had warped out too much.   Indeed, I have not been able to remove the receiver wires, either, except for one, I believe. I think I still have an old rose handset without wires, as well.
For bleaching, I have covered the wire ends including spades with thick applications of petroleum jelly for protection against corrosion.  You also have to do this to the brass inserts in the plastic and that little brass or copper bar that holds the cord restraint.   Bleach will corrode all bare metal badly.  Don't even try it without protection.


Will the coating on the conductors themselves be affected by bleach? Would I just need to coat the spades in petroleum jelly?
Christian Petterson

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

unbeldi

Quote from: WEBellSystemChristian on July 23, 2016, 04:39:51 PM
Will the coating on the conductors themselves be affected by bleach? Would I just need to coat the spades in petroleum jelly?

It would be hard to examine the wires if they got wet from bleach. But I think they are waterproof.  I have actually avoided getting bleach into the handset as much as possible.  After the first one, I found some clear plastic packaging material that was just a little longer than the handset and deep enough to hold it without turning over, almost a perfect fit. I don't recall what was packaged in it, but when I got it I knew instantly that it was perfect for the purpose.  It kept the needed amount of bleach low, and I could keep the liquid out by plugging the cord exit hole and then filling the handset with plain water first.  One could perhaps be even more inventive about it and close the transmitter and receiver cups with a barrier, perhaps a sheet of plastic held in place by petroleum jelly or simply by the  handset caps screwed on.

Brass will look ugly when exposed to bleach.

WEBellSystemChristian

Quote from: unbeldi on July 23, 2016, 08:49:43 PM
It would be hard to examine the wires if they got wet from bleach. But I think they are waterproof.  I have actually avoided getting bleach into the handset as much as possible.  After the first one, I found some clear plastic packaging material that was just a little longer than the handset and deep enough to hold it without turning over, almost a perfect fit. I don't recall what was packaged in it, but when I got it I knew instantly that it was perfect for the purpose.  It kept the needed amount of bleach low, and I could keep the liquid out by plugging the cord exit hole and then filling the handset with plain water first.  One could perhaps be even more inventive about it and close the transmitter and receiver cups with a barrier, perhaps a sheet of plastic held in place by petroleum jelly or simply by the  handset caps screwed on.

Brass will look ugly when exposed to bleach.

I could screw the handset caps onto the handset with aluminum foil lining the holes, and plug the cord entrance. Have you noticed if Ivory thermoplastic gets to a point beyond the original color  or does it stop when all the staining is gone? One problem is that i already partially bleached the caps, and I could potentially over-bleach them by the time the handset is finished.

I noticed that brass and aluminum both corrode in bleach. I once used soda cans filled with water to increase the solution height in my 'bleach bucket', and noticed that the cans were severely corroded after several days in the solution.
Christian Petterson

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

Dan/Panther

Quote from: WEBellSystemChristian on July 23, 2016, 04:39:51 PM
Will the coating on the conductors themselves be affected by bleach? Would I just need to coat the spades in petroleum jelly?

This is what I would suggest. I'm not sure if Petroleum Jelly is what everyone uses, but coat them somehow.

Dan

The More People I meet, The More I Love, and MISS My Dog.  Dan Robinson

unbeldi

Quote from: WEBellSystemChristian on July 23, 2016, 09:13:48 PM
I could screw the handset caps onto the handset with aluminum foil lining the holes, and plug the cord entrance. Have you noticed if Ivory thermoplastic gets to a point beyond the original color  or does it stop when all the staining is gone? One problem is that i already partially bleached the caps, and I could potentially over-bleach them by the time the handset is finished.

You should check the bleaching periodically and stop when you have achieved the degree of bleaching you desire.  You should not run into the danger of over-bleaching.  You could cover the caps with a film of Vaseline as well to stop the process.  Make sure you don't get it on surfaces you do want to bleach, it will end up patchy.