WE 500 with good base/pitted G1 handset: replace or attempt to refinish?

[kjps86]

Hello, this is my first post on this forum, so please excuse me if I put this in the wrong spot.

In any case, here is my dilemma.  I recently bought off ebay a working Western Electric 500.  The base of the phone is in pretty good condition, showing a date of January 1963 on the bottom of the case.  It has a black metal finger ring and clear receiver...doodads.  All wires are hardwired into the phone, ie non-modular.  The handset is a different story, I'm afraid.  The body of the handset and the ear cup are rather pitted, scored, etched, whatever term best suits the condition that I will show in a few pictures later on.  The mouthpiece is in much better condition, along the same level of condition as the base.  Unscrewing the cups reveals why this is most likely the case: the ear cup is dated the same as the phone: 1/63.  The mouth piece is dated 9/64.  From what I understand this may indicate that these parts are made of slightly different quality plastic; at least that makes the most sense to me.

My question is this: as a casual collector who probably won't ever need to repair or polish up a phone like this ever again, what is my best option to getting the two pieces to match and having a handset I can be proud of?  I would like to keep monetary investment to a minimum, and time spent to a reasonable level (I have nothing but respect for those who will pour weeks into a phone restoration, but that is neither really my intent nor my capability right now).  Five hours or so is where I'd be most happy.

Should I attempt to source a replacement handset in better condition, or should I get some of this Novus #2 polish that others have said so much about?

The pictures below are provided to show the condition of the handset in question.  Please excuse my very mediocre photography skills.

Thanks for reading,

kjps86

[WEBellSystemChristian]

Welcome to the forum!

The material your handset is made of is Bakelite. It's a very durable type of plastic that was said to be mixed with sawdust to enhance resilience. It was coated in a thin layer of the same plastic that didn't contain any sawdust when new, so it looked like a normal glossy plastic material; it matched the rest of the phone off the factory floor.

The trouble is, that thin layer wore off over time with heavy use, and the sawdust-mixed plastic, the 'pitted' finish, shows through. After that, skin oils start penetrating the surface, and create that pebbly look, which shows a very well used phone. As far as us collectors know, there is no real way to get back that exact shiny look without painting it. There are, however, ways to make it look beautiful again!

What you should do is use 1000 or 2000 grit sandpaper to remove that pebbly look that your handset has. When that feels smooth and even, use 0000 steel wool to even the finish out further. After that, there are a few options you can try. What I do is use a buffing wheel that attaches to a stationary grinder. The buffing wheels can be found at hardware stores, along with special compound and polish tubes that I believe are sold along with the wheels. (Note: if you use this method, be VERY CAREFUL of the way you angle the handset when it's on the wheel. I have had several occasions where a handset caught on the wheel and flew out of my hands!)

Others have used Avon Skin So Soft which gives the finish a lustery look. I don't have any specifics on that method, others like our SSS firm believer Doug Rose, who has had incredible results with the product on Bakelike, may chime in on this topic.

There is a whole section of this forum dedicated to restoring Bakelite. You can check it out here:

http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?board=21.0

P.S; the transmitter cap that you have is a replacement made of ABS. It is probably the same material your phone body is made of, or at least very similar.

[RotarDad]

Hello, and welcome to the forum!  You have a common problem with your phone.  The shell and mouthpiece cap are plastic, while the handset and ear cap are bakelite.  Western Electric made the black 500 handsets from bakelite until about '65 and then switched to ABS plastic.  You could locate a newer ABS handset, but bakelite is correct for '63.  Caps were also bakelite until about '58.  That earpiece cap may be '54, not '64.

I would try to shine up the bakelite. There are many threads here on restoring bakelite you could search for.  I have found that wet sanding with 1000-3000 grit works well to restore smoother, shinier surface.  That cap will likely need 1000 to start, but the handset may not.  Once done with the sanding, use the Novus 2.  Keep in mind the bakelite will probably never be as black or shiney as the plastic.

If that were my phone, I would try to find a plastic ear cap, again to be more correct for '63, and yours does look very pitted anyway.  The good news is black 500s and parts are very plentiful.

Post some pics when you have it restored -we'd like to see them!!!

[RotarDad]

Christian beat me to the post on this.  I see our thoughts are similar!!  We have both restored more than a few of these!

[kjps86]

You were right about me getting the date wrong on the earpiece--it reads 8/56.  Trying to keep numbers straight in my head while journeying from room to room is deceptively tricky apparently...

I'll see if I can find some sandpaper as recommended as well as the steel wool.  I look forward to the results as well.

Thanks for the responses

kjps86