Cracked blue 302

[ETS1979]

[URL=http://img706.imageshack.us/i/blue302b.jpg/]
Hi!  I am a new member and the recent Ebay winner of a blue 302.  I consider myself lucky to have this telephone!  It completes my set of colored 302's that I have restored myself.  I have never encountered cracks like this one has, however.  They appear to have been repaired with glue by a previous owner.  I am interested in hearing ideas from anyone having experience with making cracks like this as invisible as possible.  Thanks!  

[Craig T]

Dan Panther gave me some good advice on this the other night...

http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=2286.0


You can see his post to start with, welcome aboard and congratulations on winning one of the most beautiful phones out there!

Please show us some pics of your other 302s when you get a chance  


Here is another post about the same technique...
http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=726.0

[JorgeAmely]

Welcome to the forum ETS1979!

Please show pictures as you go from the "before" to the "after" state. If you search for "blue 302" you will find lots of information about your phone.

Forum member "Jester" had a thread going once about a similar phone he repaired.

http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=1193.0

[Jester]

Welcome ETS1979.  Your phone has similar damage to the one I described in the above thread.  That one had also been repaired before I got it & the front crack had reopened.  The rear repair was still holding, but was messy enough I elected to reopen the break & try a fresh repair.  A couple suggestions.

1)Thoroughly clean as much old glue out of the break as you can before attempting to reglue.  Use sandpaper inside the break on both sides, & I would avoid trying to soften the glue with solvents--too risky!

2)Use a large, thick rubber band to hold the corners together after repair.  This helps relieve stress on the repair until it's properly cured.  You can glue both cracks before putting the band on.  I'd start with the one easiest to align, making sure it has a good initial set before continuing.

3)This was mentioned in the other links, and it's important.  This cover was usually a tight fit when new, & this trait is why so many of them have corner cracks now.  The plastic these were made of shrinks over time, causing more pressure on the corners.  One hard jolt, & they split.  The easiest way to relieve the strain on the corners is to remove the bolsters inside each corner so the cover gently sets on the base & it is not a "press-fit".

Looking forward to following your progress.

[baldopeacock]

ETS,

Good to see you!   

You mentioned date codes in this 302 when we were talking about it -- I think you said everything is dated '52 except the dial, which is '54 and the case, which is late '51.   That's if I remember what you said, anyway.
 
Questions to other members --

1.   Should there be date code info on the cords, and if so, where is that found?

2.   What is the likelihood that this phone still has its original parts with the two year spread in date codes on the parts?    Or is it more likely that it's been to the Bell refurb shop somewhere in its lifetime?

The 500 was well into production by the time this 302 was made, and color 500 production was well established by then.    From what I have read, 302s were still used in situations where long line runs affected proper operation for the early 500s, and Ma Bell would sometimes use 302s in those situations.

Would the presence of the 500, available in colors, have anything to do with the date spread in the components of this 302?   Pure speculation on my part but I was wondering if color 302s were made more on an as-needed basis by 1954 and, therefore, parts with some degree of date spread (like this one) might have gone into building a new 302 by then.

Just trying to figure it out.    Thanks!

[Jester]

There is a date stamp on cords & is usually found on the s-hook crimp on both handset & line cords for the 302.  It consists of Roman Numerals I-IV found under the cord part # on the same side as the hook.  This indicates what quarter of the year the part was made.  On the side with the split, you should see something  like 5(split)2, indicating 1952.  If these were date matching on this phone, they'd be something like IV51 or I52.

As for "originality", I think this phone is mostly so, but the dial is definitely a replacement.  It was probably replaced in the field, since everything else matches.  The original dial used here was a 5J, with a white painted body & lucite F/W with special retainer.  The 6D on this phone was designed as a replacement part, and was introduced after production of these colored phones ended.   

[ETS1979]

[
Here are a couple more photos after cleaning the cracks.  I used a toothbrush and Shout! laundry stain remover.  It cleaned up better than I thought it would.   There is still a little discoloration along the edges.  I have not yet read Jester's previous thread about a similar problem.  I will do that after I post this.  I do have one idea... Would mixing up some "retro-brite" and forcing it into the crack help remove the discoloration and give a cleaner repair?  There are a few other spots on the phone that are discolored as well.  A previous owner had apparantly done lots of sanding and removed most of the discoloration.

[baldopeacock]

Thanks for the information, Jester.

You may know the answer to this question:   why did WE maintain production of the color 302 when the 500 series was already out and offered in colors?   

It seems redundant but obviously they kept it going.   That pink 5302 that sold on eBay a couple of days ago was dated '59, which surprised me, and I wondered why they'd do a color 5302 that late when the 500 was so well established.

Thanks.

[Dennis Markham]

ETS1979, first of all Welcome to the Forum.  You are making a guy jealous with these beautiful phones.  This red one is outstanding!  What's the story with it?  Is it new old stock or just look like it?

[JorgeAmely]

ETS1979:

The red 302 just looks drop dead gorgeous. If this is the first one of your collection, I can't wait to see the rest.

[Doug Rose]

That is the most amazing phone I have ever seen. Do you have a before picture? You should quit your job and go into phone refurbishing. If you told me it was new old stock out of a box, I would believe you.  Simply beautiful....Doug

[ETS1979]

Thank you for all the kind words about my work!  My face is redder than my phone!  I have posted a "before" photo.  I bought it on Ebay from a one owner home.  It was in pretty good shape.  It looked well used and pretty "tired" but there was no major damage.  I do all my polishing by hand-no power tools.  I would guess I spend about 40's hours on each phone that I do.  I have one each of all the other colors that look pretty much as this one.  I will post pics later.  

[Phonesrfun]

WOW!  Beautiful.

That's all I can say.

-Bill Geurts

[McHeath]

Gee whiz that red phone is superb!  Quite possibly the best red 302 I've seen yet, it looks like it was just pulled off the factory line.  That red is so sharp when it's got a nice polish on it and no fading or yellowing. 

[JorgeAmely]

Is the "before" handset cord the same as the "after" cord?