Classic Rotary Phones Forum

Telephone Talk => Collector's Corner => Topic started by: Jim Stettler on July 31, 2021, 02:45:34 PM

Title: magicbrain's clear trimline
Post by: Jim Stettler on July 31, 2021, 02:45:34 PM
 July 2021 FOTM Entry:
http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=25350.0


I'll add my clear 12 button Trimline - Purchased on eBay with a BIN for $55.00 + shipping/tax for a total of $66.78 - Will add a post with more once I receive it - Has the square buttons & small size modular plugs, so late late 70's early 80's?
eBay link:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/334091601267
Title: Re: magicbrain's clear trimline
Post by: Jim Stettler on July 31, 2021, 02:49:46 PM
That was a really nice price.
Every collector should have at least 1 clear telephone.
JMO,
JIm
Title: Re: magicbrain's clear trimline
Post by: magicbrain on August 01, 2021, 12:28:54 PM
USPS came though & phone was waiting for me when I got home yesterday - It is a WE 2220C Trimline with the internals dated 2-80 - 1978 plastics & base marking of "AD3 80109"
(//)(//)(//)
Title: Re: magicbrain's clear trimline
Post by: Doug Rose on August 01, 2021, 06:09:18 PM
Very nice Bruce.....it is a Beauty!......Doug
Title: Re: magicbrain's clear trimline
Post by: 19and41 on August 02, 2021, 01:40:47 PM
Good looking unit!  Congratulations!
Title: Re: magicbrain's clear trimline
Post by: magicbrain on August 03, 2021, 01:40:06 PM
Quote from: 19and41 on August 02, 2021, 01:40:47 PM
Good looking unit!  Congratulations!
Quote from: Doug Rose on August 01, 2021, 06:09:18 PM
Very nice Bruce.....it is a Beauty!......Doug
Thanks, I got lucky - After all the seemingly endless Conair/Unisonic/Lenoxx/Etc. clear Trimline lookalikes, I scored the WE "real deal" for a reasonable price. ;D
Title: Re: magicbrain's clear trimline
Post by: magicbrain on August 06, 2021, 05:52:25 PM
The plastic is in very good condition, other than being very yellowed(1st picture), which lightened up somewhat after cleaning - Anyone had any experience improving on this or is it just the way these clear plastics age?

(//)
Title: Re: magicbrain's clear trimline
Post by: Jim Stettler on August 06, 2021, 06:29:35 PM
Quote from: magicbrain on August 06, 2021, 05:52:25 PM
The plastic is in very good condition, other than being very yellowed(1st picture), which lightened up somewhat after cleaning - Anyone had any experience improving on this or is it just the way these clear plastics age?

(//)

The plastic ages like that. So not to bad. others very bad.
I had a conversation with Teleplay regarding trying to lighten the yellowing on clear sets.
The consensus was that probably it wouldn't work.
One day I may try retro-brite method on a clear transmitter holder, but I doubt if it will work.

Different clear plastics will fade differently.
On the SC (designed by Steven Rogin)* 500 sets. The color goes from clear to an orange tint and then then yellow.
Other plastics will turn smoky vs yellow.

* I think Steven Rogin was a salesman and he had clear 500 sets w/black dials made. These phone have a designed by Steven Rogin sticker on the bottom.

Jim
Title: Re: magicbrain's clear trimline
Post by: 19and41 on August 06, 2021, 06:48:34 PM
I would bet the bleaching process if it worked would make the plastic opaque.  Not so bad on a already non transparent pigmented phone, but not a transparent phone.   Even clear glass objects with the right formulation will turn amethyst under prolonged exposure to the sun.
Title: Re: magicbrain's clear trimline
Post by: TelePlay on August 06, 2021, 11:39:42 PM
Quote from: Jim Stettler on August 06, 2021, 06:29:35 PM
The plastic ages like that. So not to bad. others very bad.
I had a conversation with Teleplay regarding trying to lighten the yellowing on clear sets.
The consensus was that probably it wouldn't work.
One day I may try retro-brite method on a clear transmitter holder, but I doubt if it will work.

Different clear plastics will fade differently.

There is a big difference between clear and colored, including black, plastics.

Color is seen when select parts of full spectrum white light are reflected by the surface of a colored phone. So, only a thin outer surface layer of the phone's plastic is exposed to light and any color changing UV light in the full spectrum. As such, only the chromophores in that thin plastic's surface layer are damaged and that damage can be removed by sanding so that the undamaged colored plastic beneath the removed damaged layer can be seen, color restoration, the original color becomes visible.

Clear plastic allows the full spectrum white light including UV to passed through the plastic so it can be reflected by the phone's internal components, inside the clear plastic phone, back through the clear plastic showing what's inside the clear plastic housing. As such, any damaging UV light affects the full thickness of the clear plastic twice, in and out. Any damage (yellowing) to the clear plastic would not only be at the surface, as with colored phones, but all the way through the plastic. As such, surface sanding or bleaching to remove yellowing would only take the top layer of yellowed plastic off the clear phone leaving the rest of the yellowed clear plastic in place. No change. All of the clear plastic has yellowed all the way through, not just a thin surface layer.

Anything done to yellowed clear phone's plastic surface to remove the yellowing at best would have no affect on the yellowing and at worst could make it less transparent.