Who is Restoring 302 Feet?

[Lewes2]

There is so much on this forum I forget where I've seen specific items.  I read where Dennis Holliworth has stopped rejuvenating 302 feet.  I "thought" I read that another gentleman is providing similar services but for the life of me I cannot find that entry. 

I have 12, 302 feet pads that need help, badly! 

Is there anyone on the forum currently providing this service? 

Thanks much!

Chuck

[Sargeguy]

It is fairly easy-all you need is some suede and a flat head screwdriver and a hammer. 
Pop out the triangle that holds the old suede in. 
Cut a new piece of suede the same size and shape as the one you removed.
Loosely screw the triangle to the other part of the foot using the mounting screw
Tuck the suede into the gap between the two pieces with the screwdriver
Tap the top piece into the lower piece withe the hammer until snug
Remove screw and use hammer to tighten the two pieces further

[Dan/Panther]

We even have a couple tutorials with photos that show how to do it.
Here is one I posted.

http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=822.msg9846#msg9846

Here is another that Dennis posted at the same time. To add his methods to mine. He was doing them for members for awhile. In fact he did the ones on my 48-500.

http://atcaonline.com/Footpad.html

D/P

[Lewes2]

Ok, thanks for the guidance.

I opened and stripped 16 feet today after figuring out how to open them. (A very small screw driver and a small hammer help!).  Only four of the feet had the fibrous pad under the leather, the remaining 12 had a very hard black material "baked"to the metal which has to be chipped or scrapped off with a screwdriver.  I tried soaking two of them to try to soften the material, one in Simple Green and the other in WD40. Black material on both remain hard as a rock.

This week, off to Goodwill and several thrift stores in search of suitable leather material.  I need to source industrial felt as well.

Chuck

PS. HAPPY NEW YEAR!

[Ktownphoneco]

Chuck  .....   Insofar as the feet that have felt in them, if you take an old jar, like a jam jar or something similar with a screw on lid, pour in some hot water from the tap, add a few tablespoons of laundry detergent, throw in the felt padding, let sit for a couple of hours, shake well, let sit a couple more hours and shake again, pour out the soapy water add hot rinse water, let sit for an hour, shake again and pour out the rinse water.     Rinse one more time and take out the felt and let dry on some paper towels overnight.
You'll not only have perfectly clean felt pads, but they'll also return to their normal thickness that they had when they were inserted into the padded feet at the factory 60 years ago.   

As far as getting the newer and hardened black rubber rubber off the steel feet, stop at Home Depot, Lowe's or Ace, and pick up a small can of lacquer thinner, and once you get home, drop the hardened rubber feet into a 1/4 filled jam jar for an hour or so, and it'll pretty much dissolve the rubber for you. 

Felt :  try either a fabric store, or Michael's, and they should have felt padding material.

Jeff Lamb

[TelePlay]

     Regular Member Post

This week, off to Goodwill and several thrift stores in search of suitable leather material.  I need to source industrial felt as well.

This information was posted by Dennis in 2016, it's nice when members full document their restoration work.

The leather I use to recover the foot pad is 2 - 2.5 oz dark brown suede calf skin from Hide & Leather House in Napa, Ca.

The felt pad used under the leather is 1/8" F-26 felt I get from McMaster-Carr. 

Here is the link to the McMaster Carr felt section

     https://www.mcmaster.com/f26-felt

Shipping will cost more than the felt but McMaster Carr does not gouge on shipping and they ship fast.

[Lewes2]

Thanks Jeff and John.  Very helpful information. 

So, I'm curious how many times did you go through the process of washing the felt feet to come up with the final version?     Still, I'm thankful.

The old felt appears very fibrous; not like what one thinks of felt.  I assume it's old timey felt.   

Thanks again.

[Dan/Panther]

I purchased my suede from Tandy Leather. I purchased enough to cover a million phone pads with it.

D/P

[Lewes2]

D/P, I have tremendous respect for optimistic people!

[Sargeguy]

I am still trying to find a match for the felted wool used on some 302 feet (and bases of earlier phones).

[Dan/Panther]

D/P, I have tremendous respect for optimistic people!

I've done about 40 so far, so I still have some material left for emergencies.
D/P