Classic Rotary Phones Forum

Telephone Talk => Auction Talk => Topic started by: Dan on May 15, 2011, 05:09:20 PM

Title: Nice price on a 57 rose Beige
Post by: Dan on May 15, 2011, 05:09:20 PM
Anyone snag this beauty?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=310317445857

(feel free to modify this post to add a picture for longevity's sake)

I have seen a few at phone shows and many have the dial plate a "grayish" color like this one. Would this match the rest of the phone with sanding?

Also, I have an phone cord broken near the top and was wondering how a repair could be made to advance the cord inside the handset and still somehow have the thick park sticking out the end near the earpiece (so it looks original) I thought Jorge or Dan/P or maybe Dennis M had repaired a broken cord like this, but I don't remember.

Is it me or are older plastic 500's going cheaply these days? (except for blues or oxford grays, which seem rare as ever)
Title: Re: Nice price on a 57 rose Beige
Post by: jsowers on May 15, 2011, 07:35:20 PM
Yes, Dan, I think some prices are down, but this one needs two cords and possibly a dial face, so it has problems. It's not easy to find dark beige cords. They were only made from late 1956 to late 1957. It may be easier to find dark gray ones, since they were made for a longer time.

I've heard of people getting the strain relief to come loose and sliding it down the cord, but it's not an easy task and I've never tried it. The way this cord is crumbling, it could be quite a ways down before you hit a good spot.

I've seen the color difference on dark beige parts before too, and sometimes it's the handset pieces in addition to the dial face. I use the rather unappetizing term "dead flesh" to describe that changed color and I don't know if it goes all the way through, but I think it does and may be a result of unstable dyes. It would be interesting to hear from anyone who's tried to sand one of these discolored parts.

Picture of the phone is below. It went for $113.50 plus shipping.
Title: Re: Nice price on a 57 rose Beige
Post by: Dan on May 15, 2011, 08:03:33 PM
Thanks Jonathan.

I know someone sanded an AE80 rose beige and it turned out beautifully (last year-it was almost gray???), I'd like to know how the "dead flesh " color can be fixed in case I get a 554 (which I will now try to get since I can't find an oxford grey to finish off my WE 500's)
Title: Re: Nice price on a 57 rose Beige
Post by: jsowers on May 16, 2011, 11:54:22 AM
Dan, I emailed a collector friend who had one of these faded dark beiges and he said he tried sanding and could never get the color to improve. However, I have pictures of it and inside the caps and handset it's the correct color. It's also correct inside the dial face. So maybe it could happen with some very deep sanding? The fading doesn't go inside the caps like smoke fading does. It's just on the outside. On the picture of the bottom of the handset, it seems to not be as faded, so I guess it was UV exposure.

I attached several shots of his phone, FYI. It was his first dark beige phone in 2003. On this phone, even the handset and mouthpiece cap are that milky "dead flesh" color. But the earpiece cap and housing are fine on the outside. The phone is from 3-57. I can't imagine what would fade part of the phone and not all of it. Everything but the dial mechanism dates to 2 and 3-57.
Title: Re: Nice price on a 57 rose Beige
Post by: Jester on May 16, 2011, 01:34:11 PM
Quote from: Dan on May 15, 2011, 05:09:20 PM
I have seen a few at phone shows and many have the dial plate a "grayish" color like this one. Would this match the rest of the phone with sanding?

Also, I have an phone cord broken near the top and was wondering how a repair could be made to advance the cord inside the handset and still somehow have the thick park sticking out the end near the earpiece (so it looks original) I thought Jorge or Dan/P or maybe Dennis M had repaired a broken cord like this, but I don't remember.

As bad as this cord is, I think it could be salvaged if the first three crumbled coils were removed, & the mounting grommet were moved onto the next intact coil.  The easiest way to do this is to remove the crimp & grommet from the front of the cord first.  Then the bad jacket around the first three coils(or the GOOD jacket up to the break on yours) can be cut away & squared off.  I prefer to use a sharp pair of scissors with pointy ends for this part.  The wide blade can be pushed between the conductors & the inner jacket wall, making it nearly impossible to clip a conductor.  When finished with this, the grommet can be slid in place on the next coil--remember to move it far enough that the crimp can be reassembled in front.  If needed, a small drop of dishsoap can be used to lubricate the grommet for reassembly.  This type of repair does not require you to shorten the conductors to their original length--there is more than enough room to hide that inside a G-3 or similar handle.  If the handle is a G-1, I recommend cutting the conductors back & reinstalling the spade tips--especially on the reciever wires.  The pass through to the receiver end of the handle is too small to put any extra wire in.  I wasn't the first to discuss cord repair, but I once started a thread on this topic:
http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=1157.0 (http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=1157.0)

For anyone who has more to add, please do.
Title: Re: Nice price on a 57 rose Beige
Post by: Dan on May 17, 2011, 09:17:11 PM
Thanks for the info. I bet you could sand down the grey color to get the cinnamon underneath. And you Stephen were the cord magician I was trying to remember.....
Title: Re: Nice price on a 57 rose Beige
Post by: JorgeAmely on May 17, 2011, 10:22:03 PM
Dan:

Are you talking about this one? It was painted before.
Title: Re: Nice price on a 57 rose Beige
Post by: Dan on May 17, 2011, 10:29:47 PM
I remember this one in your excellent picassa web albums..... I am getting confused, I believe.

I now remember a grey AE80 that was the last one to finish off an AE80 collection that was sanded to pristine colour... That was the one I originally thought was a rose beige. Anyway , thanks again. I still would love to know if the dead flesh color could be sanded out. i have now seen a few in shows with the discoloration.
Title: Re: Nice price on a 57 rose Beige
Post by: JorgeAmely on May 17, 2011, 10:56:06 PM
Dan, the AE80 in Dawn Gray color is this one (see photo attached). And yes, it completed my collection of AE80 sets. Sanding as well as the latest advances in fading removal with chemicals will bring the original color.

It is tedious, boring, and it gives you an "is-that-the-light-at-the-end-of-the-tunnel?,-no,-it-is-an-incoming-train" kind of feeling during the refurbishing process, but I rather do it over a few evenings rather than watch TV, like my kids do. Plus the feeling of restoring a piece of history to its former glory gives me a lot of satisfaction.

Title: Re: Nice price on a 57 rose Beige
Post by: TelePlay on May 20, 2011, 11:22:02 PM
Quote from: JorgeAmely on May 17, 2011, 10:56:06 PM
Dan, the AE80 in Dawn Gray color is this one (see photo attached). And yes, it completed my collection of AE80 sets. Sanding as well as the latest advances in fading removal with chemicals will bring the original color.

It is tedious, boring, and it gives you an "is-that-the-light-at-the-end-of-the-tunnel?,-no,-it-is-an-incoming-train" kind of feeling during the refurbishing process, but I rather do it over a few evenings rather than watch TV, like my kids do. Plus the feeling of restoring a piece of history to its former glory gives me a lot of satisfaction.



Very nice work on that restoration. That is a phone to be proud of . . .
Title: Re: Nice price on a 57 rose Beige
Post by: Dan on May 21, 2011, 07:38:30 PM
Jorge that was the one I was remembering thanks