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Severly damaged Ivory 302 housing

Started by TelePlay, August 31, 2016, 08:20:26 PM

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TelePlay

This 302 was listed on eBay at $5 plus shipping and I'm sure the parts are worth more than that. It has one bid in the first hour of being listed.

Creating this topic to record its color change for posterity.

While I've never seen a phone with this much color change, I find it interesting that only two sides were affected. That would mean the phone sat in the same place for along time exposed to something, maybe sunlight. The ivory color under the handset cap on the darkened side and the severely damaged handset cap show the light shielding by the handset.

Why the handset did not change color the same as the cap is also interesting. I posted the four sides of the housing in order to show the change in color from side to side to side to side.

This might be a good topic for discussion, maybe . . .   if not, it here forever as an example of the worst case beyond recovery housing ever.

unbeldi

Yes, I saw that.   My first inclination was that it has heat damage.

unbeldi

The discoloration is almost like that often seen in Plaskon  or other melamine formaldehyde resins, which were indeed used for making telephones, but not by WECo, afaik.

Ktownphoneco

This is a picture of a Northern Uniphone that, from what I was told, was the result of some experimentation by Northern to cast the Model 1 desk set in colors other than just black and walnut.    It went through eBay at some point several years ago, and I believe Dave Hunter told me that had originally belonged to a collector down his way ( east coast ).     I have no idea how long it took for the original color to change to "butterscotch", but the other photos I have of the set, show that it went right through to the inside.
It would appear that whatever material was used to cast it, reacted in a similar fashion to the set John just posted. 

Jeff Lamb

WEBellSystemChristian

I saw this one. Definitely looks like it was in a fire to me.

Notice the receiver cap; it's badly warped, shrunken and cracked.
Christian Petterson

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

Gary Z

Wow. I have never seen an NE in ivory before. I never knew one even existed.

DavePEI

#6
Quote from: Ktownphoneco on August 31, 2016, 09:17:35 PM
This is a picture of a Northern Uniphone that, from what I was told, was the result of some experimentation by Northern to cast the Model 1 desk set in colors other than just black and walnut.    It went through eBay at some point several years ago, and I believe Dave Hunter told me that had originally belonged to a collector down his way ( east coast ).     I have no idea how long it took for the original color to change to "butterscotch", but the other photos I have of the set, show that it went right through to the inside.
It would appear that whatever material was used to cast it, reacted in a similar fashion to the set John just posted. 

Jeff Lamb


Yes, the Ivory Uniphone originally belonged to the late Walter C. Auld. It was one of his prize posessions. Walter, who passed away a few years ago, was an valued employee of the Island Telephone Company from 1936 till 1980. Through the years, he advanced through the company hierarchy to executive vice-president, and retired January 1, 1980.

It was a test run done by NE in the ivory colour, never released tot he public, as the plastic proved to be unstable. In addition to the colour changes, the plastic even after 50 years still flowed, and every year or two, the plastic around the hook switch buttons and dial would flow in and seal the buttons. Walter told me every year or two, he had to open it up and ream out around the buttons. It was given to him by an executive at NE many years ago. After Walter's death, it went to a Charlottetown junker, who sold it for a few dollars. Who got it, I don't know.

His theory was that the problem was caused by the amount of colour required to produce the ivory colour. Remember, these were the early days of plastics, where most were done in dark colours.
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Pourme

I just saw the EBAY offering as well. The scorching of the cap and the rest of the handset so close to it is puzzling. I wondered about exposure to a fire as well....
Benny

Panasonic 308/616 Magicjack service

Ktownphoneco

Thanks Dave for filling in the "blanks" in my memory and explaining the entire story behind the set.   It certainly has an interesting history.

Jeff
 

unbeldi

#9
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TelePlay

It is indeed strange that one cap is "toasted" to the point of deterioration and the other is "normal" for its age.

The other thing that still puzzles me is how, if the cap was damaged as if facing the "toaster," the outline of the handset and cap on the side of the phone makes it seem the handset was in place, normally, on the phone blocking the "toaster" from affecting that area.

Here are the handset photos for posterity.

Babybearjs

I was thinking about trying to get it.... but now, I'm not so sure.... my bid was for $9.95.... the housing will be scrapped if I win it.... the dial is worth the price.... I already went through this with another 302 in beige  reminded me of a tourtous shell finish.... I believe I paid about the same price for the beige 302 I got back in 2011.. the base and dial were reused in other 302's.... this one would be the same.... its only good for parts.
John

Ktownphoneco

Aside from what can or could be reasonably be attributed to age discoloration, I think it's a plausible assumption based on which parts are damaged, and which parts are not, that the handset was actually positioned on the set's handset cradle, but in the reverse position during storage .     That's based solely on the theory that the damaged receiver cap would have been positioned directly above the same side of the case which sustained the brunt of the damage.       If that is in fact the case, I'm wondering if the telephone was exposed to, or splashed with some sort of corrosive chemical.    The other odd thing about the situation, is that whatever caused the damage, doesn't seem to have much affect on the cords for some reason, nor the dial.     Although the cords look appropriately aged, it's difficult to say with any sort of certainty, whether or not they, or the dial, are original to the set.    Generally speaking, most plastics tend to droop and melt when exposed to excessive heat from a fire.      A number of CRPF members have in the past, used several different types of household chemicals to restore discolored telephone cases, I would therefore imagine that there are also chemicals which will do the exact opposite.     But this is only a theory on my part, and I doubt we'll ever know what actually did happen to the telephone.

Jeff Lamb

 

Babybearjs

it seems to me that this happened from sun damage. some had this phone in a room where the sun hit the phone directly and ruined it.... either that, or heat damage from a fire possibly... or just being in storage in a area with no temperature control...
John

Pourme

Benny

Panasonic 308/616 Magicjack service