1959 Tenite and ABS switch over sets

[WesternElectricBen]

Very, very nice yellow 500! That Pastel Yellow color is really becoming one of my favorite '50s colors!

Are you sure those plastics are Tenite? My Pink Mushroom is dated 5-59 and it's ABS, and the ABS switchover is usually thought to be around 6-59.

I'm pretty sure, I think if it were ABS it would have a different type of marking on it. I've been wrong before, though.

Ben

[unbeldi]

Very, very nice yellow 500! That Pastel Yellow color is really becoming one of my favorite '50s colors!

Are you sure those plastics are Tenite? My Pink Mushroom is dated 5-59 and it's ABS, and the ABS switchover is usually thought to be around 6-59.

I'm pretty sure, I think if it were ABS it would have a different type of marking on it.

Such as?

Plastics were not marked by type.

[WesternElectricBen]

Very, very nice yellow 500! That Pastel Yellow color is really becoming one of my favorite '50s colors!

Are you sure those plastics are Tenite? My Pink Mushroom is dated 5-59 and it's ABS, and the ABS switchover is usually thought to be around 6-59.

I'm pretty sure, I think if it were ABS it would have a different type of marking on it.

Such as?

Plastics were not marked by type.

If you look at the montage of pictures the first one shows the labeling system which I think was only used on tenite/soft plastic casings.

Ben

[poplar1]

Very, very nice yellow 500! That Pastel Yellow color is really becoming one of my favorite '50s colors!

Are you sure those plastics are Tenite? My Pink Mushroom is dated 5-59 and it's ABS, and the ABS switchover is usually thought to be around 6-59.

I'm pretty sure, I think if it were ABS it would have a different type of marking on it.

Such as?

Plastics were not marked by type.

Caps on F1 handset: plastic caps have P ("6-58P", "4-60P" for example).
Tenite F1 handles: dot after the "F1"
Some 1959 caps on G3 handsets have "P" next to date -- why?

[unbeldi]

The date stamp on the front edge?

This was used for all sets until the end of 1959, CAB and ABS. Starting January 1960 all housings were produced with date dials in the molds, so that no stamping needed to be done.  The handset is already molded in such a mold, but may still be stamped as well. Some handset molds already used this in 1958 (or 57?), but the dates were sometimes wrong.
This late in the year, I would be surprised it were not an ABS set.

[unbeldi]

Caps on F1 handset: plastic caps have P ("6-58P", "4-60P" for example).
Tenite F1 handles: dot after the "F1"
Some 1959 caps on G3 handsets have "P" next to date -- why?

The dot is not a mark for the type of plastic, but for the weight of the handle.

[poplar1]

And the F1 handle with dot weighs less...because it's a different kind of plastic! Or, rather, it is plastic rather than Bakelite.

I can't make out the letter above the 59 on the date clock inside the yellow G3 handle in Ben's photo.

The 1959 "P" caps on the G3 handset I saw were without center holes and found on a Princess set -- so, more than likely they were plastic caps, but I don't recall the month.

[unbeldi]

And the F1 handle with dot weighs less...because it's a different kind of plastic!

The original purpose was to distinguish between the hollow handles (1949-55) and the solid handles (1940-42) of the tenite handset on color phones, so that a new handset would not be placed on an old phone.
The black plastic handsets were made much later than 1949. Not sure when, 54 55?
But this point is really mood here, because we're not talking about 300-series sets.

I can't make out the letter above the 59 on the date clock inside the yellow G3 handle in Ben's photo.

C  59   10 tick marks

[unbeldi]

Ben,  when you sanded and handled the yellow housing, did you notice any particular smell of the plastic?
How does it compare to other colored 500s from the 1950s?

Before sanding, was the color uniform between all the plastic parts, or was on of the more or differently discolored than others?

[WesternElectricBen]

Ben,  when you sanded and handled the yellow housing, did you notice any particular smell of the plastic?
How does it compare to other colored 500s from the 1950s?

Before sanding, was the color uniform between all the plastic parts, or was on of the more or differently discolored than others?

I don't remember any smell or much color variation. I'm guessing that it is ABS.

Ben

[Dan/Panther]

Ben;
Which Lancaster do you speak ?
D/P

[WesternElectricBen]

Ben;
Which Lancaster do you speak ?
D/P

I'm not sure what you mean ?

Ben

[unbeldi]

Ben,  when you sanded and handled the yellow housing, did you notice any particular smell of the plastic?
How does it compare to other colored 500s from the 1950s?

Before sanding, was the color uniform between all the plastic parts, or was on of the more or differently discolored than others?

I don't remember any smell or much color variation. I'm guessing that it is ABS.

Ben

Well, never give up.  Keep testing.  Compare plastic parts.

Rancid smell is typical of Tenite Butyrate, at least after this long time since manufacture, not when new. CAB is till used today in very many products, and I don't recall them smelling. If it doesn't appear, perhaps it can be induced by hard rubbing the surface inside the phone, so it heats up noticeably. This is also a good test for phenolics, but the smell is very different.

I have said before, there is much to know still about the plastics used from ca. 1957 to 1960.  For example, some of the aqua blue and pink plastics just don't seem to smell at all, and I have wondered if WECo didn't use ABS already for at least some of them. They must have tested these plastics already in preparation for the release of the Princesses in 1959.

[WEBellSystemChristian]

Ben,  when you sanded and handled the yellow housing, did you notice any particular smell of the plastic?
How does it compare to other colored 500s from the 1950s?

Before sanding, was the color uniform between all the plastic parts, or was on of the more or differently discolored than others?

I don't remember any smell or much color variation. I'm guessing that it is ABS.

Ben

Well, never give up.  Keep testing.  Compare plastic parts.

Rancid smell is typical of Tenite Butyrate, at least after this long time since manufacture, not when new. CAB is till used today in very many products, and I don't recall them smelling. If it doesn't appear, perhaps it can be induced by hard rubbing the surface inside the phone, so it heats up noticeably. This is also a good test for phenolics, but the smell is very different.

I have said before, there is much to know still about the plastics used from ca. 1957 to 1960.  For example, some of the aqua blue and pink plastics just don't seem to smell at all, and I have wondered if WECo didn't use ABS already for at least some of them. They must have tested these plastics already in preparation for the release of the Princesses in 1959.

I have noticed that Tenite has a certain feel to it. It feels a little sticky when you tap it; it sort of 'grips' your fingernail a bit when you release your finger.  The thud method varies from phone to phone, so it doesn't work very well for me. Not very scientific or explainable, but it's a personal observation that I use to tell an ABS phone from a Tenite one.

[WesternElectricBen]

I gave it a sniff and it does not smell like anything. Although, I have not yet tried heating up the plastic.The surface is very smooth, as compared to another ABS plastic phone. Also, the tap is a much higher sound than other soft plastic sets.

What gets me is that the center hole is not punched out, which to me is a clear indication. Yet, I am now realizing that it is possible that A.) Early ABS caps did not have a center hole or the more unlikely B.) plastics were mis-matched.

Ben