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Can this warping be repaired?

Started by Bartonpipes, January 25, 2015, 02:07:31 PM

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Bartonpipes

When I got my first 302 I was really anxious just to get one, so I pretty much bought the first one that I saw in my price range. I was very happy with it....Until my friend in Indiana sent me his set to repair.... and then when I bought my second 302, a '41 metal set....

This phone is warped, and since it is pretty much a mutt I have no problem experimenting on it. The case is dated 1950 and is made of tenite. (The smell is strong with this one) Does anyone have any suggestions how to correct this warping? I have heard about a method using boiling water, but I wanted to get some other thoughts.

It's also slightly shrunken, but I have dealt with that. 

The only pictures I have are from the auction, I will post them below.
-Andrew

unbeldi

Quote from: Bartonpipes on January 25, 2015, 02:07:31 PM
When I got my first 302 I was really anxious just to get one, so I pretty much bought the first one that I saw in my price range. I was very happy with it....Until my friend in Indiana sent me his set to repair.... and then when I bought my second 302, a '41 metal set....

This phone is warped, and since it is pretty much a mutt I have no problem experimenting on it. The case is dated 1950 and is made of tenite. (The smell is strong with this one) Does anyone have any suggestions how to correct this warping? I have heard about a method using boiling water, but I wanted to get some other thoughts.

It's also slightly shrunken, but I have dealt with that. 

The only pictures I have are from the auction, I will post them below.

You are reporting that it has a strong smell?  This is very interesting, because I haven't found a 300-set housing that smelled like the 1950s 500-sets.
What is this smell like?   Like rancid butter?  Some people call it cheesy.

Starting in 1950, 1949 actually, WECo used Tenite Acetate Butyrate for the housings of the new 500 sets, but it appears they stayed with Tenite Acetate for the 300s until discontinuation in 1954.
It's certainly possible they experimented with the new material on the 300 sets, too, just like there some colored 300-sets later in the 500-set colors.


I would leave the warping as is. To correct it, you would need an exact rigid shape on both sides of the plastic to correct. Don't even try to do anything without that, because the plastic may just collapse or tear.  Over time, due to shrinkage and aging, the material suffers internal stresses that are very strong and might tear the material when given the opportunity without additional support.  Often one can observe this when the two rear corners are slightly elevated with respect to the rear center where the cord exit is.


Bartonpipes

#2

Quote from: unbeldi on January 25, 2015, 02:36:28 PMYou are reporting that it has a strong smell?  This is very interesting, because I haven't found a 300-set housing that smelled like the 1950s 500-sets.
What is this smell like?   Like rancid butter?  Some people call it cheesy.

Yes, it smells very strongly of cheese. Maybe it's just residual smell from where it was installed, although I have already washed it inside and out.

Wouldn't it be great it there a way to just re form old housings in a heated metal mold? But of course that would probably cost more to make that the phone was worth so there goes that.

Oh well, if it really bothers me I'll just buy another housing.
-Andrew

unbeldi

Quote from: Bartonpipes on January 25, 2015, 02:56:45 PM


QuoteYou are reporting that it has a strong smell?  This is very interesting, because I haven't found a 300-set housing that smelled like the 1950s 500-sets.
What is this smell like?   Like rancid butter?  Some people call it cheesy.

Yes, it smells very strongly of cheese. Maybe it's just residual smell from where it was installed, although I have already washed it inside and out.

Wouldn't it be great it there a way to just re form old housings in a heated metal mold? But of course that would probably cost more to make that the phone was worth so there goes that.

Oh well, if it really bothers me I'll just buy another housing.

Most interesting ... seriously. Does it have a date stamp inside at the front edge?  Would you mind reporting it?

This is a strong sign that it is in fact Tenite Butyrate, they smell will not stop with washing, sanding, whatever.  The plastic was made with butyric acid ("butter acid") and when it slowly decomposes it releases butyric acid compounds, which are the same compounds released from rancid butter and probably some cheeses.

The cost of making a new mold for these to reshape them is way too hight in comparison to the plethora of 302s that are still available in good condition.

I have several spare black housings in almost perfect condition.

Bartonpipes

Sorry about messing the whole quote up....

From left to right the housing is marked 11   6  50 3
-Andrew

unbeldi

Quote from: Bartonpipes on January 25, 2015, 03:34:32 PM
Sorry about messing the whole quote up....

From left to right the housing is marked 11   6  50 3
Thanks!
It indeed being 1950, it's plausible.  We have to keep looking for other cases of smelly housings. I'll record this one in my records of observations.

andre_janew

Have you tried Fabreeze on it?. Maybe it will get rid of the smell.

twocvbloke

The smell is caused by the gradual breaking down of the plastic, so febreze wouldn't really do much in the long term, only temporarily... :)

LarryInMichigan

Did the phone come from Wisconsin :D

Larry

Bartonpipes

-Andrew

WEBellSystemChristian

Quote from: LarryInMichigan on January 25, 2015, 06:56:35 PM
Did the phone come from Wisconsin :D

Larry
Hey, we take showers once in a while over here... ;)
Christian Petterson

"Whether you think you can or think you can't, you're right" -Henry Ford

Jim Stettler

There were some 300 sets and princess phones that were made from "soft plastic", The 300's came in black and colors . The colors don't quite match the standard 300 set colors
. The "soft plastic"  princess phones were made in several colors and don't quite match the standard colors.
I believe there is at least 1 thread on the forum (with pictures) regarding soft plastic 300's . 

I have had a "soft plastic" princess in red and I used to have 3 "soft plastic" 302 housings. The 302 housings had shrunk to the point that they wouldn't fit a standard base. I have seen and handled some "soft plastic" 302's at phone shows.

Jim S.

BTW I have heard of a clear 302 that was most likely "soft plastic".

You live, You learn,
You die, you forget it all.

unbeldi

Quote from: Jim S. on January 31, 2015, 09:50:25 AM

BTW I have heard of a clear 302 that was most likely "soft plastic".

"Soft plastic" being exactly what your opinion?


unbeldi

#13
Quote from: Jim S. on January 31, 2015, 09:50:25 AM
There were some 300 sets and princess phones that were made from "soft plastic", The 300's came in black and colors . The colors don't quite match the standard 300 set colors
. The "soft plastic"  princess phones were made in several colors and don't quite match the standard colors.


The initial Princess colors were identical to the "standard" colors, meaning to me, the color codes of the 500-type line: 58, 59, 60, 62, 64. By the time the Princesses were issued or even in late-stage development, there were no other colors issued anymore for telephone housings.

As the Princess was issued, the plastics for the entire color 500-line (not black) was ABS.  But development models may well have been made from Tenite still.  Are you saying this was 300-series Tenite (Tenite Acetate)?  I have never observed a color difference between Tenite and ABS, and in fact in 1959 one can find both plastics on the same phone and they cannot be distinguished by color. Sometimes the handsets or caps, either had already the new material or the still were made from the old material often in opposition the housing. Any mix was possible it seems.  Sometimes however, there is a perceptible difference in discoloration between the two types after decades of exposure, but this is likely only due to differing amounts or types of flame-retardant additives.


Jim Stettler

Quote from: unbeldi on January 31, 2015, 09:54:06 AM
Quote from: Jim S. on January 31, 2015, 09:50:25 AM

BTW I have heard of a clear 302 that was most likely "soft plastic".

"Soft plastic" being exactly what your opinion?



[/quote]
"soft plastic" being the same "soft plastic" that most collectors associate with the early 500 sets. ISTR a list server discussion years  ago  regarding the early  (500 set) plastic was actually cellulose based. This was backed up with Bell system documents. {this led to jokes about "soft plastic " sets technically  being "wood" phones}

The "soft plastic" 300's were probably the leading edge of the "soft plastic, and the "soft plastic" princess phones were  most likely the end of the
"soft plastic" sets.

Most clear 302's were made with clear "Lucite" plastic ,the 2 clear 5302's that I know of are most likely "soft plastic" as well.


JMO,
Jim S.
You live, You learn,
You die, you forget it all.