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Soft Plastic Pink WE 500

Started by WEBellSystemChristian, November 23, 2013, 06:57:32 PM

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WEBellSystemChristian

I found this on eBay, and immediately jumped on it, with $29, BiN. A quick inspection after buying it revealed a 1958 base date, with no refurbs, indicating this phone as soft plastic. Did I score here? ???
Christian Petterson

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

LarryInMichigan

Is there a date printed inside the shell in the front near the bottom?  If the plastic are all soft, you did pretty well.  The pink phones are usually very discolored.  The soft plastic ones are typically very faded, whereas the ABS plastic tends to turn salmon color.

Larry

WEBellSystemChristian

Quote from: LarryInMichigan on November 23, 2013, 07:17:01 PM
Is there a date printed inside the shell in the front near the bottom?  If the plastic are all soft, you did pretty well.  The pink phones are usually very discolored.  The soft plastic ones are typically very faded, whereas the ABS plastic tends to turn salmon color.

Larry

I don't know, these are pictures from this listing. I forgot to mention that I made this topic just minutes after I bought it.
Christian Petterson

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

WesternElectricBen

Nice find,

I should really get a nicer pink phone, date wize. I own a 55 refurbished sometime in the 70's.

I think you didn't do to bad, I have never seen a pink cord stay pink, so your might be the original. Too bad the line cord is wrecked, can't wait to see more of it and when you restore it.

Ben

WEBellSystemChristian

I have had possession of the 500 over the weekend, and it is an all dates matching soft plastic 1958 model. I have been busy sanding the fading out of it, and after hours of work, I am only almost done with the shell. Still have to finish the rest of the shell, handset, cords, and dial bezel :(
Christian Petterson

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

unbeldi

Quote from: WEBellSystemChristian on December 02, 2013, 01:28:07 PM
I have had possession of the 500 over the weekend, and it is an all dates matching soft plastic 1958 model. I have been busy sanding the fading out of it, and after hours of work, I am only almost done with the shell. Still have to finish the rest of the shell, handset, cords, and dial bezel :(
It looks more discolored to me, rather than faded. It may very well have cleaned up all by itself by soaking in bleach solution for some hours.

david@london

christian-
this should end up a very nice phone after its make-over ........

the handset cord might be a candidate for magic mo's jello recipe -

.........http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=9624.0




WEBellSystemChristian

Last night, my dad tried something I would have been scared to use, 335 grit sandpaper. :o De-fading the handset would have taken him 3 hours with the 600 grit we were using, but it only took him 15 minutes with the 335. Now the only thing we have to do is finish the cord. I was thinking about using D/P 's Granger dye method, but maybe this Jell-o idea will work as good. 8)
Christian Petterson

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

HarrySmith

I usually start with 200 or 400 grit to get through the outer layer of fading and then the progressively finer grades to smooth and polish it. Finish it off with Novus 2.
Harry Smith
ATCA 4434
TCI

"There is no try,
there is only
do or do not"

WEBellSystemChristian

My dad and I tested blue dye that we already had on a faded aqua cord when he got home. It didn't work at first, but then he added a touch of paint stripper to the mixture, and within a few minutes, the cord looked beautifully blue. My family is going to a movie tonight, so we will pick up some pink dye at Wal-Mart on the way there.
Christian Petterson

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

WEBellSystemChristian

DA PINKIE IS DONE! My dad and I finished up with the cord, and I assembled the phone. Although it may not have the Finlover touch, I think it looks very nice.
Christian Petterson

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

WEBellSystemChristian

Speaking of Finlover, this phone reminds me of a '58 Caddy:
Christian Petterson

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

WesternElectricBen

Hey, that's not bad, good work!

Ben

WEBellSystemChristian

Quote from: WesternElectricBen on December 04, 2013, 07:51:39 PM
Hey, that's not bad, good work!

Ben


Thanks! The color looks too faded in this light. I'll try to get some outside pictures this weekend.
Christian Petterson

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

unbeldi

Here I cleaned it up for you even more, lol.