modular punch tool

[Babybearjs]

does anyone know if the modular punch tool used to cut the square cutouts for the reciever and line jacks is still around? I have a ITT 2854 chassis that I want to use on a 2833 phone and need to cut the plastic...

[Key2871]

Yes, and no. Meaning they are around but hard to find. But more over with out the template you will notch too deep.
And I've found that Brown ITT plastics are extremely brittle and with out heating prior, they will break.
I had one years ago (30+) and no template so I marked the depth on the unit.

[Babybearjs]

so I learned with the faceplates... OMG! how could ITT make such stuff.... anyway, I pulled out my 20 button sets and started to put them back together.... put them away again and finished working on the cross connects for my ICM buzzers... I had adjusted the wiring and it made all the buzzer assignments go down by 1, so having to move all the CC's by 1 and finding I had pulled some out.... just have 3 more buzzers to adjust.... hope you are doing well.... would love to meet you someday... ever travel to Idaho?

[Key2871]

I think the issues with the plastics is age and some things that made up the plastic.
The sets I worked on years ago, for the most part were fine, but I noticed sets dated a certain year were susceptible to easy fracture. I don't recall the date. But the ones with older date all the same year as I recall had issues with being brittle.
But I tried heating the area first then used the tool to notch the plastic. That did work well for the most part. But the plastic had to be warm, if I waited too long it seemed to cool too much.
But beige from the same date didn't have that problem, nor did ash. It was only the Brown. Odd I know but it must have been the resins that made up the color or something.
I thought at first I thought it may have been because they say in the sun, but saw no evidence they say in direct sunlight.
I had a 2800 set in brown, scratched up and was going to throw it away, with the same year mark, same problem.
So I then concluded it must be the plastic.