Yellowing?

[PSGreg]

Hi Guys,
                   I've aquired another WE500.  It's a light blue 1967 with original cords and in overall good condition.  The outer body and handset seem to have slightly yellowed, turning the entire phone an almost turquoise color.  Is there any way to reverse this yellowing?
Best,
         Greg

[Dan]

Some folks use Novus 2, but I have brightened up mine with good old turtle wax.

[PSGreg]

Thanks Dan,
                          Funny you should say that.  I just buffed the entire phone with some Mothers wheel polish.  It has a brilliant shine now, which is OK but it didn't seem to cut the yellowing.
   Happy Xmas.
Best,
         Greg

[Dan/Panther]

Greg;
That's natural ageing of the plastic, and probably not reversible.
D/P

[bingster]

The yellowing is a particularly bad problem with the blues.   White 500s can turn slightly muddy, too.  Other color problems to look for are a whitening of yellow and pink phones. 

The discoloration is unfortunate, but it's very common, and I don't think anybody's yet found a way to correct it.  If you follow 500 auctions closely, you'll notice that phones in these colors, which have not faded or become discolored, tend to go for much higher prices than those that have.

[Dennis Markham]

Greg,

There is a way to remove the yellowing by using a progressive wet sanding process.  It is very time-consuming and a huge job.  One problem is the logo on the back of the phone (talking about a model 500) and also the logo on the handset.  Also if not done carefully edges can be sanded away, changing the contour of the phone---especially on the handset.

I'm attaching a photo of a model 500 that I started working on a month or so ago.  I've had to set it aside to get to other projects but will eventually get it finished.  This photo shows the yellowing on the back end of the case/cover.  The front half has been sanded beginning with 400 grit automotive sandpaper, then progressing to 800, then 1,000 and 2,000.  Since the photo was taken I did finish the case but now the handset is off-color and needs some work.  When completed I will update the posting, showing the phone before and after.

If anyone is interested in the steps I use just e-mail me and I'll tell you in detail my sanding tips.  Again, it's a huge job to do it properly.

Dennis

[Dan/Panther]

Dennis;
That looks very promising.  A post of your method would be very useful.
D/P

[PSGreg]

Thanks Dennis,
                              This looks like a good answer and something I'd be able to tackle.  What about the dial face?  It seems to have yellowed slightly as well.  Obviously I can't sand this without losing the numbers.  Any ideas?
Best,
         Greg

[bingster]

The numbers are molded into the plastic and go all the way through.  Sanding shouldn't affect them, unless you go through the plastic surrounding the numbers, which is actually much thinner than the number plastic, which goes straight to the back of the surround.

[Bill Cahill]

But, not meanning to be off topic, how do you fix a wide open crack on a black plastic WE phone?
Bill Cahill