Classic Rotary Phones Forum

Telephone Identification, Repair & Restoration => Telephone Troubleshooting and Repair => Topic started by: Greg G. on August 12, 2009, 07:05:10 PM

Title: 62 Red 500 progress.
Post by: Greg G. on August 12, 2009, 07:05:10 PM
Taking a break from the colorful beige 500 cuz I wanted to start on this one.  Although the original color of this phone is red, I suspect that it was repainted red again at one point in time.  When I gave it an initial washing with just dish soap and a sponge when I first got it, a red residue came off and it dulled the finish.  When I sanded the nicks from the handset, although I got them out, I noticed glossy "streaks" on either end on the top, while the rest of it was a dull finish.  So I sanded that off too.

I used the technique I read elsewhere.  I started with 220, then 400, 800, 1000, 2000.  Then I hit it with Novus 2 and terry cloth buffer using the Ryobi for 5 minutes, repeat the process.  The 5 minutes was only based on how long I could hold that buffer before my arm got tired, but I'm encouraged by the result so far.  I've only done part of the handset, the top and one side.  When I'm done buffing it with the Novus 2, I'll try the same process with a micro-fiber pad and Novus 1.

Supplies - found the elastic buffer pads and all the sandpaper in one place: Schuck's Auto Supply.  The Novus I found at TAPS Plastics by Lake Union, Seattle.  That place is a phone collector's toy store!  I went there for something else entirely, I needed a piece of acrylic shelf for my display hutch to replace the glass one that broke, and a friend told me about TAPS.  As I was waiting, I noticed they had all 3 grades of Novus on the counter, and all kinds of other resins, epoxys, fillers, putties, you name it!  

Other plans for this phone - a new fingerwheel, proper line cord and handset cord.  The handset cord was painted red, was beige.

Anyway, here's before and "so far" pictures of the handset:
Title: Re: 62 Red 500 progress.
Post by: Phonesrfun on August 12, 2009, 07:34:14 PM
Greg:

You are doing great work!  That really looks nice.

-Bill
Title: Re: 62 Red 500 progress.
Post by: Dennis Markham on August 12, 2009, 07:50:18 PM
I'll second that Greg, nice work and a great improvement.  You will get better with each one you do.  You will learn a style that works for you.  I look back on stuff I did a year or two ago and want to go back and re-do some of my work as I have improved on my technique and picked up tips from others since then.  Keep up the good work!
Title: Re: 62 Red 500 progress.
Post by: Greg G. on August 12, 2009, 08:47:13 PM
Quote from: Dennis Markham on August 12, 2009, 07:50:18 PM
You will get better with each one you do. 

And less lazy.  One thing I'm considering is figuring out a way to mount this "hand-held" buffer so I can increase the amount of time I spend buffing. 
Title: Re: 62 Red 500 progress.
Post by: Dennis Markham on August 12, 2009, 08:54:14 PM
Is that much buffing really necessary?  I don't think I spend more than a few minutes on a part, like a plastic handset.  Now the Bakelite ones may take a bit longer.  There are bench buffers but you need to find one that rotates slower (than a normal bench wheel) to avoid melting the plastic.
Title: Re: 62 Red 500 progress.
Post by: McHeath on August 13, 2009, 12:42:01 AM
That red handset looks a lot better, good color and nice and smooth. 
Title: Re: 62 Red 500 progress.
Post by: Greg G. on August 13, 2009, 02:46:07 AM
Quote from: Dennis Markham on August 12, 2009, 08:54:14 PM
Is that much buffing really necessary?

Probably not, but I tend to be overly thorough in tasks I like doing, lazy if I don't like doing it.   Plus it kills the time while I'm waiting for the laundry to get done.
Title: Re: 62 Red 500 progress.
Post by: Greg G. on August 13, 2009, 05:02:55 AM
Handset done.  It looks better with the naked eye, the camera picks up stuff you don't see looking directly at it.  Giving it a good finishing buff with the Novus 1 worked well.
Title: Re: 62 Red 500 progress.
Post by: Greg G. on August 13, 2009, 05:09:20 AM
Up next, the body.  Sanded and waiting to be polished.  I started with the 400 grit since it wasn't banged up like the handset.  Getting around the cradle is a chore.  Also keeping track of where I just sanded.  (Did I do this side already, or was it the other side?)  And Dennis, you're probably right, I'll bet I'll be looking at this a year from now and wanting to do it over.  Maybe.



Title: Re: 62 Red 500 progress.
Post by: Dan/Panther on August 13, 2009, 01:45:47 PM
Like Dennis has pointerd out, when sanding, each time you change grits of paper, also change sanding direction, when the old lines disappear it's time to go to the next grit.
D/P
Title: Re: 62 Red 500 progress.
Post by: Greg G. on August 13, 2009, 05:49:52 PM
Quote from: Dan/Panther on August 13, 2009, 01:45:47 PM
Like Dennis has pointerd out, when sanding, each time you change grits of paper, also change sanding direction, when the old lines disappear it's time to go to the next grit.
D/P

Good tip.  Actually, when I let it "age" overnight then looked at it again this morning, I noticed I missed some spots.  I'll give it another shot with just the 2 or 3 higher grits this time.
Title: Re: 62 Red 500 progress.
Post by: Greg G. on August 22, 2009, 02:57:11 PM
Quote from: Dennis Markham on August 12, 2009, 07:50:18 PM
I'll second that Greg, nice work and a great improvement.  You will get better with each one you do.  You will learn a style that works for you.  I look back on stuff I did a year or two ago and want to go back and re-do some of my work as I have improved on my technique and picked up tips from others since then.  Keep up the good work!

It's only been 10 days and I already want to redo it.  The camera wasn't lying, when I look closely at the handset, I see spots I missed, that's what it's picking up.  The top part is ok, but I need to redo it around the cups, underside, and sides, which is really most of it.  I'm going to more picky with this one than the beige because blood-red is my favorite color.  It's slow progress right now because the weather has been relatively nice lately.  When it gets nice in Seattle, we don't hang around indoors because it's not going to last long.
Title: Re: 62 Red 500 progress.
Post by: Greg G. on September 04, 2009, 06:11:50 PM
As good as it's going to get for now.  Not the high gloss finish I would have liked, but it's a lot better than when I started.  Left to do is a matching handset cord and line cord.  The handset cord is a painted beige one from 1970.  The line cord looks like something that somebody had laying around and modified it for use on the phone.  And probably a finger wheel also.

This originally came in a lot of 3 phones for $10 I got from a guy on CL.  The other two were a modular beige 500 set and a beige AE wall phone that I'm using for parts.  So overall, not bad for a $3.33 phone.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DdikYAVqDUc (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DdikYAVqDUc)

P.S. I'm not sure why the youtube clip has a "clunking" noise at the beginning of the ring, it's not there when I listen to it in person, or why I hear an echo of the ring.  Probably due to limitations of my digital camera.

Title: Re: 62 Red 500 progress.
Post by: Greg G. on September 08, 2009, 05:03:46 PM
Ok, this is it, I promise.  I went back and sanded and buffed the $hit out of it more.  I used a different buffer this time.  I switched to some buffing attachments for my drill.  The drill is a Black&Decker 12v.  It has 3 areas and 11 different settings, plus the variable speed of the trigger, so I can adjust the speed the way I like.  It's easier to handle than the Ryobi buffer.  The buffer attachments work great, I'm going to see if I can get more of them.  I used Novus 2, then 1.  My pickiness still exceeds my abilities, but I think I'm going to stop here and be happy with it.

Notice that the before pics of when I first got it show a deeper red.  I think that's because it was painted at one time.  There are some blemishes on the side of the cradle and end of the handset that only got bigger when I tried to sand them out.  That tells me something else is going on here.  I would have to sand the entire thing again, and I'm tired of doing that.  That leaves trying to paint it, which I don't feel I really want to do because as I said, I'm going to quit here and be happy with it.

One other thing I noticed is a gap between the right side of the dial and the casing.  That maybe due to the dial mount not sitting correctly?  You be the judge.  Here are the pics from the beginning:

Picture 1 and 2 - When I first got it.

Picture 3 - After giving it a hand wash with a sponge and regular dish soap.  Note that the gloss is gone.  It turned the sponge red and there's also red residue on the bottom of the switch hook plungers, so I suspect it had been painted.

Picture 4 - As it looks now.  Looks better in person, the camera highlights stuff you don't see just looking at it.

Pictures 5 and 6.  The blemishes I was referring to.

Title: Re: 62 Red 500 progress.
Post by: McHeath on September 08, 2009, 06:27:55 PM
Well it certainly is redder!  I think it's a good looking phone and very presentable.  If it was ever painted, as you think it was, then that would seem to be a problem in getting the kind of gloss you want, just my guess however. 
Title: Re: 62 Red 500 progress.
Post by: The Operator on September 08, 2009, 07:42:01 PM
The crazing on the handset suggests the paint has affected the plastic. This would leave you with 3 layers to deal with:

1) the paint layer, which you've already removed
2) a layer of "affected" plastic, which you've partially sanded through
3) the original unaffected plastic beneath layer 2

Do you have a loupe or magnifying glass? ~The Operator
Title: Re: 62 Red 500 progress.
Post by: Greg G. on September 09, 2009, 01:55:35 AM
Quote from: The Operator on September 08, 2009, 07:42:01 PM
The crazing on the handset suggests the paint has affected the plastic. This would leave you with 3 layers to deal with:

1) the paint layer, which you've already removed
2) a layer of "affected" plastic, which you've partially sanded through
3) the original unaffected plastic beneath layer 2

Do you have a loupe or magnifying glass? ~The Operator

Just a small one I use for looking at coins.  What am I looking for?
Title: Re: 62 Red 500 progress.
Post by: The Operator on September 09, 2009, 06:22:36 PM
I thought it might help determine what lies beneath what. But if you're done sanding it's probably a moot point anyway. I think the phone looks just fine and was simply playing "armchair detective" of sorts. ~The Operator
Title: Re: 62 Red 500 progress.
Post by: Greg G. on September 10, 2009, 03:09:26 AM
Quote from: The Operator on September 09, 2009, 06:22:36 PM
I thought it might help determine what lies beneath what. But if you're done sanding it's probably a moot point anyway. I think the phone looks just fine and was simply playing "armchair detective" of sorts. ~The Operator

That's quite all right.  You're probably correct about the layers, that's why the top of the handset got the level of gloss I was trying to attain because it was flat and easy to sand, the sides aren't bad either.  Yeah, to the casual observer it looks fine, and a lot better than when I first got it.  Next up is a handset cord, line cord, and finger wheel.  
Title: Re: 62 Red 500 progress.
Post by: Tonyrotary on September 10, 2009, 03:49:52 PM
Great job with the phone! I just sanded my wife's 500 handset as it had a deep scratch. I started with 400 then 800, then rubbing compound, and finally polishing compound and the buffer. Turned out pretty decent for my first time. I also used rubbing compound of the sides of the case as they had some scratches. I still need to buff it it some more but most of the scratches are gone. Like you Greg, I am kinda picky and try to do a good job.