Key sets - Pic added

[Key2871]

WD40 is great stuff, but to just spray it everywhere is in my opinion careless. I've seen long term results using WD40 on key that actually destroy the foam strips in the 636A key.
So while it's great for a lot of things is not recomended to open a set and spray everything.

For spots of rust around feet, yes, for getting grime off the set plastics, meah maybe. I just soak the plastics in dish soap at first to soak the grime off.. And yes goof off is a solvent and will soften most plastics and leave a bad mess behind.
I've found peanut butter to work well on softening labels and adhesives. It need a to be re applied in most cases but it's cheap and works great dissolving sticker adhesive so you can easily remove stickers. It does leave an oily residue but soap and water, it's gone.

But those sets came out really nice!

[guitar1580]

Thanks guys.  Key, I've used peanut butter before on sticker glue.  It does work.  Like usual, on these ones I took them apart and soaked all of the plastic in the basement sink with hot water, Dawn dish liquid, and Era laundry detergent.  All sticker glue came off.  Naptha works well on stickers too.  We use it on guitars because it doesn't melt the lacquer finish.

On the cords, I usually use 409.  This time I tried Krud Kutter degreaser with the 409, and I think the KK works a little better.  I hand clean each curl of the cord, then wipe them with water and dry them.  They come out squeaky clean.  I clean the speaker and transmitter with rubbing alcohol.

For under the housing, I use Endust for electronics, in a blue aerosol can.  It cleans the base and everything attached to it very well.  Q Tips help to get in tight areas.

I agree that WD40 can be good for some things and bad for others.  When something is stuck, I like Kroil penetrant, and Marvel Mystery Oil for general lube.

For those key switches and contacts, I think I'm going to try Deoxit, made for electrical components.  I use it to clean switches and potentiometers in my vintage Yamaha stereo receivers.  It comes in 2 cans – one for cleaning, and one acts as a lubricant & coating for electrical contacts.  Will update.

[Key2871]

Well back when I was young and had no clue how to clean contacts I used a furnishing tool. It worked well and we'll I didn't have any money at the age of 15 to go buy proper things. So I made due with what I had. And tried something's that really didn't work so well. But live and learn.
But I can see you would not want to attack the finish on th guitar. I've used tooth brushes with Dawn or armour all to clean inside and out side of housings. Works well, but tends to scratch out side.
But I've used orange sol, the orange based cleaner solvent but found peanut butter is cheaper, and actually does a better job with those pesky stickers.
Cords armour all cleaner or many other cleaners that won't harm the covering. And I've had some cruddy cords over the years..
But phones are phun.! Can't beat it as a hobby.

Ken

[Babybearjs]

My experience with WD-40 has been positive. I've never had any problems with it and it does dry out within 24 hours.  The only problem I can think of is when I sprayed the #9 dial and tried to use it too early.  once the WD-40 dried out, the dial worked fine. as for the 636 assemblies, I've never had any problems on any of my units and that includes my 400 series phones too! the only major problem I've had with WD-40 is going through it too fast! I use it on a lot of stuff, including Yellow Jacket Nests!

[guitar1580]

I dug the last two of the five movie set phones out of the garage attic.  I seldom think to get "before" cleaning photos, so I snapped a couple to compare when they're done.  Those two that I finished above were in similar condition.  I'll get to use those sticker removal methods we mentioned above.

I wish that the green poison center sticker and faded emergency # stickers were not torn.  I would have liked to have left the stickers and fire # label on the one.

I'm on the board for a local museum, and when I do a phone for them, I only remove the dirt.  I leave the stickers and do minimal polishing - like only to remove corrosion on chrome, etc., in order to preserve its history.  That's what I suggested, and that is what they wanted.

We had an interesting one recently.  A black WE 554 with a yellow sticker that had police, ambulance, and fire dept phone numbers, but with no area code ... back when our state was all the same area code and you only had to dial 7 digits instead of 10.  It seemed really odd to see the numbers with no area code.  I don't have a photo of that one yet.

[Babybearjs]

they will look so cool once cleaned up... Mine turned out beautiful and I really like using them. be sure to add a 6th lamp to the inside of  your phones if they support it... having a lamp under the HOLD key comes in handy for all sorts of uses..

[guitar1580]

Mine turned out beautiful and I really like using them. be sure to add a 6th lamp to the inside of  your phones if they support it... having a lamp under the HOLD key comes in handy for all sorts of uses..

Yours turned out great John.  Your phones and your system. 

I'm a long ways from connecting them up, but tell me more about the uses for the Hold key you mentioned.  I don't think the lights work when it's connected as a single line phone, it has to get power for the bulbs from having the whole system in place - is that correct?

When I connected one with my test leads, the hold function did work the way I expect hold to work, muting the conversation, but no lights were lit, as I didn't expect them to be.

[Key2871]

Correct, no line lights unless they are connected to a key system. But check your wiring too. They may need to be strapped for lights, some older ones had to be done that way newer systems didn't. I'm not real familiar with comkey systems, so with out going to my manual I can't tell you.
But if your running a working phone line into your system you should get dial tone, hold function etc as long as the lights are wired to operate those should work as well. Oh course check fuses too..
An open lamp ground will render the lamps in operative as well.

[Babybearjs]

check your grounds... (LG) you might open up one or more of the phones and see how the lamps are wired. On ITT phones, they have a common ground buss... on the WE phones they are all independent. double check the wiring.... against the schematics...  I fought with this for a bit and finally got things worked out... check for broken wires, burnt out bulbs too! also loose connections... I'm constantly fighting with loose bridge clips... always having to crimp them to make them stay tight... anyway, good luck with the system... be sure to go to the TCI Library and download a copy of the KSSM manuals (both Vol.)  and it your KTS is an ITT, go to the Kellogg Web site and get it from there.  it took me months to get all the bugs worked out...

[guitar1580]

Thanks folks.  It will be a while before I hook them up for more than a single line.

I see that the white 2565 and 565 auctions ended today, for more than my budget allows, but they sure looked nice.  I hope one of you guys got them.

I had run onto a beige 565 for $30 plus shipping.  It arrived today, loosely packed in peanuts, and with smashed box & badly broken housing.  The seller said he may have another to replace it with. 

Oh well, I did score 4 pretty good dial phones from a local lady today, and may be in on some other antique items, arrowheads, etc. from her.