25W3 Touchtone pad with raised numbers

[allnumbedup]

I bought this 1500 as a project. Found it buried deep on Etsy for $56 with free shipping. As seen in picture two, it arrived with a cracked housing (handset packed on housing error) so I got a refund and to keep the phone. I bought it despite the work it needs because I have not seen buttons with raised numbers and letters before.  It is a date matching 8-10/1967 with a 25W3 TT pad.  The first row tone is off and will need some contact cleaning--this key pad appears original to the phone which has a backpainted blue faceplate, aqua plastics except for beige 1968 handset caps. It works otherwise and I think I can repair the plastic.

Can any 1500 experts tell me if these raised buttons are a real production feature? They are raised enough to feel it when using them but pretty subtle otherwise--could they be from differential shrinking of plastic button and injected letters? thanks JC

[allnumbedup]

45 minutes popping the shard back in, 'gluing' with acetone and sanding with 400 grit.  I will reinforce the interior with epoxy and mesh, bring back the aqua on the housing, then do some filling in of the remaining crack.

[paul-f]

I bought it despite the work it needs because I have not seen buttons with raised numbers and letters before.

The first row tone is off and will need some contact cleaning...

Can any 1500 experts tell me if these raised buttons are a real production feature? They are raised enough to feel it when using them but pretty subtle otherwise--could they be from differential shrinking of plastic button and injected letters?

The light cracking on the buttons in the photos suggest that the keypad was cleaned with a solvent (acetone is a good example) that dissolved and dried out the surface of the buttons -- impacting the gray plastic more then the white.

Many years ago, I cleaned the contacts on the back of a 23-type dial with a degreaser (contact cleaner) that was a solvent for soft plastic. It fused many of the operating parts and provided many hours of enjoyment getting the dial working again.

Since the white is double-injection molded, you can polish the top of the buttons until they are flush again.

[Key2871]

Yea watch out for contact cleaner.. It's too harsh especially on plastic.

[Jim Stettler]

I have come across these type buttons before. It seems to happen to older TT pads.
Sometimes you see it on 1 or 2 replacement buttons of rebuilt TT pads.
I have seen it  on #, * of converted 10 button TT pads as well as 10 button pads and early 12 button pads (w/ curved "operator")

I think the cause is the gray plastic deteriorates faster than the white injection plastic.

WE may of tried several recipes for gray plastic.
These are just guesses/opinions,
Jim

[allnumbedup]

After posting, I ran across two related posts on refurbing touch tone pads and on the 'raised number' look:

http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=16997
http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=14088

I wound up sanding the #3 button using my index finger and 600 grit. The picture shows the comparison after a few minutes of work. It also shows the under-dial mounting strip I was surprised to find under the touch tone pad on this 1967 1500D phone--more like what you might find on a phone with options or keyset operation.  I held the touch tone pad upside down to protect the contacts during sanding which I did it dry.  I thought about the suggestion for steel wool but didn't like the quantity of metal fragments it created. (And by the way, I first experimented on a SC pad from a 1983 phone I just last week melted the #5 button down trying to clean with acetone.)  Thank you for your input.

[HarrySmith]

Looks good, thanks for posting your results. Not only leveled it up but made it look much better too!