Princess 8A Dial misaligned

[Konrad]

I got a princess from fleabay that was very poorly packed.  It came with the dial frozen.  I opened the phone and the dial is now unstcuck but misaligned like it jumped a tooth.  The dial is riveted together so can it be fixed?  If I loosen the nut can I fix the alignment?  I don't know what I'm doing with dials so I don't want to "go in". It does dial out OK.

Thanks

[Dennis Markham]

Konrad, I don't know which dial you have there, probably a #8 or #9.  I have not disassembled one of those but I have removed that nut in the center and unwound the spring.  I wouldn't take that nut off.  Is it a case of the finger wheel not being on correctly or broken?

I see now that you did indicate a #8A dial.  More than likely it's a finger wheel issue??

[Konrad]

Yes the finger wheel is misaligned, is there a way to fix that?

[TIPandRING]

Yes the finger wheel is misaligned, is there a way to fix that?

I'm not sure what you mean by misaligned?!  Are the  holes in the finger wheel not matching up with the numbers on the dial plate? Are you sure the finger wheel just isn't snapped all the way into the correct resting position??

A picture would help.

[Dan/Panther]

I need to remove the number plate from my Princess, to facilitate the cleansing of same. How can I get it off. I can get the finger wheel off, in standard fashion, but like Dennis mentions it appears the next step would be to remove the center nut, also like he mentions, don't do it.
D/P

[Dennis Markham]

Dan, there's a way to do it without removing that nut.  Let me grab one and look at it.  It's been a while since I've done one but I've removed those clear plastic dial rings and cleaned them w/o messing with the dial.

[Dennis Markham]

Ok, here we go.  This dial is an 8A on a Princess dated 1-60.  I think they're all the same.

Remove the Finger Wheel.

Remove the plastic cover (shell).

Remove the finger stop.

You should see a ring  that is just larger than the diameter of the dial spring.  It's a clip that rotates clockwise to lock and counter-clockwise to remove.  Use a screw driver and slide (rotate) the clip counter-clockwise until it is clear of the tabs that it slides under.

Once the retainer ring is lose, you have to wiggle it around until you clear the dial spring clip.  It will come off.  Once that clip is off the plastic pieces will come off.

Life up the clear plastic ring with the maroon numbers/letters.  Beneath that is an opaque plastic cover.

Beneath that is a white paper ring that provides a background to off-set the colored numbers/letters.

There you have it.

Let me know if you want photos.

That plastic ring with the numbers/letters doesn't have any type of "stop" so it can spin freely under that retainer clip.  That's why the numbers aren't aligned with your finger holes.  It will be an easy fix.

[Konrad]

Thanks I'll try that.

[Dan/Panther]

Dennis;
Thanks for that explaination, I got it down to the ring you spoke of, but couldn't see an easy way to get it off, now that I know it's got to be wiggled around, I'll give it another shot.

D/P

[Dennis Markham]

Dan, did you finally get things aligned OK?

[Dan/Panther]

Dennis;
Konrad's dial was misaligned, I just wanted to clean mine. I don't know if he got it fixed or not he isn't talking.
Here are before and after pictures of the numbers on the dial. It appears that oil of some kind was used on the dial and it seeped onto the numbers, and partially removed parts of the numbers. I took it apart, cleaned it, and applied one part each of Christmas Green, and Santa Red acrylic paint to the backside of the number wheel, they call it reversed painted. It came out a perfect color match.
I cleaned and lubed the dial, now it's smooth a silk. In the after photo it looks like some of the color from the numbers is missing,  it's just flash reflection.
D/P

[Dennis Markham]

Nice job Dan.  It looks great!  I remember a friend of mine using something to rub into those reverse recesses to bring color back to the number ring.  However you did it looks great.  That phone looks very nice.

[Dan/Panther]

After I cleaned off the gooey grease, or oil, whatever it was. Originally I thought it was water damage, like rust, but when I got it apart, it was like STP.
I used a small craft brush to apply the paint to the backside of the number ring, Then before it completely set, I laid a paper towel on a hard flat surface, and rubbed the excess paint off from around the numbers. Some of the original brown color was still in the numbers, and to my delight, my mixture matched perfectly.

D/P

[Dan/Panther]

When I turn the dial from "0" to the finger stop slowly, I feel slight hesitations at what would be each click of the dial contacts. I don't feel this with other modern dials, is this common on the Princess dial ?
It is very smooth and quiet on the return, I just feel the slight hesitations upon dialing ?
D/P

[Steve]

Lookin good!