I read the thread about improving the color of the plastic phones using peroxide. I didn't see anyone talking about black phones. The black WE500 (1957) that I have has very brownish staining to the white numbers and letters. In cleaning the phone I suspect tobacco, possibly, chewing tobacco. I know, gross. All over the phone. Anyway, was treating the black phones not mentioned because they are so easy or because you just can't peroxide them without ruining them? What can I use?
Tina
Probably the best way to improve the numbers & letters would be sanding. I don't think bleach or peroxide would be a good idea though I have never tried it. The number rings can be sanded to remove the outer layers, the white is injected through the back and goes all the way through. Just follow the threads about wetsanding, there are a few. I start with 400 for badly faded phones, maybe 600 grit would be OK for the dial ring, then just work up to 800, 1000, 1200 & finish with 1600.
Yes, I also suspect that the yellowing is nicotine and other airborne organics settling on the surface.
While those might bleach with Clorox or peroxide too, I would first scrub the set thoroughly with a good kitchen cleaner. I particularly love Fantastic. It works well on all sorts of organic deposits and has a bleaching component too. I don't know how many gallons of Fantastic I have gone through just cleaning telephone housings and parts. At Costco they have the big refill bottles. I use it on all sorts of parts, even the metal bases, PVC and Neoprene cords, and once a while even on dials before I put them into the ultrasonic cleaner. On nicotine stained housings I brush the surface with a stiff tooth brush under frequent spraying, once a while rinsing in hot water.
While there is probably no reason to believe that black housings do not discolor from flame-retardant fillers in the plastic, the black color easily masks the discoloration, it seems. The main reason for using the oxidizers (bleach, peroxide) is to save the effort of sanding that Harry just described, which is very hard for fine details on the surface, or tight corners and such. But when the discoloration is from airborne deposits, cleaning is easier and quicker than bleaching or sanding.
Thank you for the advice. I'll try sanding at this point.
Unbeldi, you mentioned using the ultrasonic cleaner with dials. I have wondered about using my little ultrasonic cleaner with dials. May I have some details? How long? detergent? What kind of machine do you have? How do you dry them?
Thank you,
Tina
Quote from: cloyd on June 01, 2016, 01:28:56 PM
Thank you for the advice. I'll try sanding at this point.
Unbeldi, you mentioned using the ultrasonic cleaner with dials. I have wondered about using my little ultrasonic cleaner with dials. May I have some details? How long? detergent? What kind of machine do you have? How do you dry them?
Thank you,
Tina
I guess the time depends entirely on the power of the unit. With mine I use the highest setting, 15 minutes, and then maybe another 5 or 10. For some reason it seems also used to have cleaned fast when it was new. Just using water is not enough, I use a good shot of Dawn Powerclean.
Last time it may have been too strong:
LOL.
After the cleaning cycle it might be good to add another one in clean water, but I just rinse well, shake it out, and let it dry in air.
Then the dial should be oiled.
Ok, you don't have to disassemble the dial. I just did that in this case, because it was entirely frozen, and could not be rotated at all. Perhaps I'll write about that separately.
Spray 9 works great on smoke stains, maybe rubbing alcohol too. Another idea is a magic eraser or no-name melamine sponge.
Quote from: unbeldi on June 01, 2016, 03:13:16 PM
Just using water is not enough, I use a good shot of Dawn Powerclean.
Last time it may have been too strong: LOL.
Too much Dawn Powerclean turns brass bits into gold jewelry?! I think that I'll try that right away!
Tina
Quote from: NorthernElectric on June 01, 2016, 06:05:34 PM
Spray 9 works great on smoke stains, maybe rubbing alcohol too. Another idea is a magic eraser or no-name melamine sponge.
Cliff,
Thanks for the tip. After Spray Nine was praised for cleaning grungy cords, I went out and found some. I'll give it a try.
Tina
Quote from: cloyd on June 04, 2016, 09:12:55 AM
Too much Dawn Powerclean turns brass bits into gold jewelry?! I think that I'll try that right away!
Tina
Ah, I forgot to mention... the secret of the alchemists.
No wonder, I was missing a few parts later.
Unbeldi, are you familiar with the ultra sonic cleaner sold by Harbor Freight?... If not is there one particular one you would recommend?
Clean the number ring. Place it in the sun for 2 day's. This will make the white brighter. I do this with Beige, ivory, black, moss green, ITT ash, and most dark colors. Blue, white, needs hydrogen Peroxide and sun.
Dawn liquid is a good cleaner, but I have had some problems with it corroding metals. The dispenser I used with it used a stainless steel ball as a check valve and it corroded a hole in it with prolonged exposure. It would drip from time to time into my stainless steel sink and it ate a crater out of that too. Changed to Palmolive and problem ended.
Quote from: 19and41 on August 16, 2016, 02:13:19 PM
Dawn liquid is a good cleaner, but I have had some problems with it corroding metals. The dispenser I used with it used a stainless steel ball as a check valve and it corroded a hole in it with prolonged exposure. It would drip from time to time into my stainless steel sink and it ate a crater out of that too. Changed to Palmolive and problem ended.
Well, store in plastic.
Even water corrodes many metals.
Quote from: Pourme on August 15, 2016, 09:43:05 PM
Unbeldi, are you familiar with the ultra sonic cleaner sold by Harbor Freight?... If not is there one particular one you would recommend?
Nope, and no.
I just bought one that had a large tank and whose price I couldn't resist.
Fortunately I don't need to store my sink in plastic. The other detergent solved the problem.
Quote from: unbeldi on August 16, 2016, 03:11:06 PM
Nope, and no.
I just bought one that had a large tank and whose price I couldn't resist.
Thanks...
I consider sanding a last resort, if at all. It's very tedious work and if not done properly with the right kind of sandpaper (automotive grade) you could ruin the dial bezel. Try putting the dial bezel in a soak of Oxyclean. If that doesn't work, try using some of the other soft-scrub methods mentioned, but if the numbers are still yellowed, if it were my phone, I would just leave them that way or get another bezel (I hate sanding).
Honestly, to me, yellowed numbers/letters look classy on an old WE500. Whitened numbers would look too new.
Quote from: cloyd on June 04, 2016, 09:12:55 AM
Too much Dawn Powerclean turns brass bits into gold jewelry?! I think that I'll try that right away!
Tina
Alchemy comes to mind.
D/P