DIAL PLATE numbers are faded... can they be "restored?"

[shortrackskater]

My newly working WE 304 desk phone has very faded dial plate numbers. The red is still visible but fading. I'm trying to keep the rest of this phone original. Is there any way to re-cover or re-stencil those numbers? Any tricks?

[unbeldi]

Indeed, under frequent use these number plates didn't last very long. In the majority of phones we find they have been replaced since original manufacture.

I have not come across a method to restore just the numbering that is economically feasible in face of them being quite readily available. Also, a few vendors (e.g., OPW) are selling thin overlay foils with a sticky back to glue it on top of a worn plate. These cost only a couple dollars ea.
For information: http://www.oldphoneworks.com/dial-overlays/

[HarrySmith]

I have often thought that they could be restored. After looking at some of the porcelain sign restoration why couldn't the same thing be done to porcelain dial plates?

[shortrackskater]

Thanks unbeldi !
I agree HarrySmith - I wonder if those adhesive overlays could be removed easily if a process was created to restore the original face? The link for the instructions is dead so I can't see any additional information.
You'd think someone could make a removable adhesive clear stencil that you could apply (carefully!) to the cleaned dial plate, where you could then just "sponge in" or even just dab in, matching red acrylic enamel. And maybe apply a Krylon type clear coat over the dial surface for protection. I have seen clear coats wear off though so maybe there's something better - but maybe a decent coat of the enamel would be good enough?
Here's my dial face. It looks a little brighter in person, but it definitely is faded.

[Bartonpipes]

Just a thought, if someone could precisely cut out the areas where the numbers are gone, there are enamel powders that can be melted in a regular oven. In theory if you could make a metal stencil with the characters for a specific plate cut out you could get a dremel bit of a matching size and cut out grooves where the numbers should be. You could fill the grooves with the enamel powder and bake it in the oven.   

Just a crazy thought...

[unbeldi]

I have often thought that they could be restored. After looking at some of the porcelain sign restoration why couldn't the same thing be done to porcelain dial plates?

I have no doubt it could be done is some cases. But I find it less clear that it would be economic.

Restoring large signs properly, I believe, requires clearing the deteriorated areas from all remaining enamel, down to blank metal. This would not be the case for number plates, I suppose.  Usually it is only the red numerals that are worn. I don't think that those are vitreous enamel layers, but some kind of printing process.
I don't recall seeing any technical documentation on the process.

PS:  As with any repro part, there is only an incentive for someone to do it if they can actually recover the cost of production if they plan on distributing the part. For self-use, people do this usually only when there is absolutely no original part to be found to complete a project, which certainly is not the case here.  Just recently someone sold large batches of plates (~dozen, IIRC) for rather little per unit cost.

[Sargeguy]

Those are probably the ones I bought.  I have bought a few lots of 150A and 150B, 6A and 164A dial plates  and broke them up to sell individually.  They are pretty common and sell for about $15-20 in nice condition.

[dsk]

  If we should put in an overlay, why not make it yourselves?
Printing out on paper cover with some plastic, or and glue it on.
dsk

[dsk]

I still don't like it, but its not easy to find a better way. Now my LMEricsson payphone needed something, and I discovered it to be equal to AE.  posting 2 pdf's here.

dsk

[shortrackskater]

Those look very nice... Thanks for posting.
I still... wish I could just create, somehow, an adhesive stencil and paint in the red, since the black part looks good. I'm being nostalgic and trying to retain as much originality as possible.

[dsk]

Would it work to refresh with Letraset or other dry transfer typefaces like this?
http://tinyurl.com/m8of9xw
When finished a spray of clear paint?
My search on Ebay: dry transfer typefaces red

dsk

[dsk]

I think I have been able to make a Font for this. Not sure how to share, but for a week or so it should be downloadable here:
http://www.filedropper.com/dialface

I did draw and scan a schema at PaintFont.com, and what I did not draw, popped up by itselves. I consentrated on the numbers and letters on my AE40's dial.

dsk

Edit:
I got a way around it, the enclosed pdf file are not readable as pdf, if you download it and change .pdf to .ttf you have downloaded the font.
dsk

[dsk]

I have not found a way to fresh up the enameled dial faces, I guess I need professional silkscreen printing tools in addition to a suitable stove. You may get reproductions like in this thread:http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=11963.msg136725#msg136725     at least for some W.E. dials.   For us working on other dials, it seems to be overlays until something better pops up.  It is important to not ruin the original dial face with the overlay!  I have made several tests, and bought some circle cutters.  Fiskars has one to adjust to what you want, EC tools has one cutting in steps of 1/16" the last are the most precise. When I have made a printout on white paper, I cover the front with contact paper, and the rear with double sided adhesive tape. Then I cut out the circles, and I end up with a ring: the overlay! 

If you want a "stiffer" (OK English??) ring you may bake it in a laminator. That may be the best when you choose to remove the original enameled ring to store it another place.

dsk

PS
Posting of pictures worked! As you see the quality is a little low on the picture due to reduced size, the pdf's are more accurate.

The enclosed PDF's are suitable for LME dials used on Norwegian payphones, the AE dials I have and probably a lot of others.
The Other PDF are made to fit Norwegian Elektrisk bureau telephones from approx 1934 to the end of rotary dials. It was a change in fonts in 1967 The same dial has been used on other European telephones e.g. some Antwerp telephones.

DS

[shortrackskater]

Thanks for all the good info dsk. Sorry it's taken me so long to reply!
I'm thinking that the dry transfer and clear coat might work but I'm not sure since the clear coat will also "forever" seal the lettering. But maybe that's a good thing.
I wonder if there's  someone out there that's really good with calligraphy? 

[DavePEI]

I got a way around it, the enclosed pdf file are not readable as pdf, if you download it and change .pdf to .ttf you have downloaded the font.
dsk

That's cheating... But it works!