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Pink 500..What have I bought?

Started by Pourme, September 18, 2016, 12:02:16 PM

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Pourme

http://www.ebay.com/itm/232086115922

I watched it on EBAY for about a week at $38.95 starting bid. I asked seller to find a date attached, they said they didn't see one. I got busy and let it slip away, no one placed a bid. I contacted the seller again and offered $30.00 plus shipping, they accepted and re listed at that price and I paid.

I don't have a clue if it is soft plastic or hard. I didn't own a pink 500 so I wanted one. I know they can be tricky to clean up.

Can anyone guess what kind of plastics I may be dealing with?

Thanks
Benny
Benny

Panasonic 308/616 Magicjack service

Victor Laszlo

From the pictures on the Ebay listing, it is a soft-plastic phone.

TelePlay

The handset cap says soft plastic but the handset is a different shade; the handset cord looks like an faded original; the dial may have been replaced (slightly different color and solid finger wheel, which may be original); but the mouse holes were not notched for modular jacks. Other than those guesses, post pictures once you get it.

Pourme

Quote from: TelePlay on September 18, 2016, 12:19:13 PM
The handset cap says soft plastic but the handset is a different shade; the handset cord looks like an faded original; the dial may have been replaced (slightly different color and solid finger wheel, which may be original); but the mouse holes were not notched for modular jacks. Other than those guesses, post pictures once you get it.

Thanks, I will
Benny

Panasonic 308/616 Magicjack service

unbeldi

You will find a date on the shell at the front edge, most likely, and most likely also in the receiver cup of the handset. Often the handset caps have stamps too, so wait until you get the set. That will clear up some questions.
The lack of center holes in the handset caps only tells us that they were made no later than 1959, even the ABS parts had no center holes until the end of year.
Both CAB and ABS plastics are known for yellowing under certain conditions, producing this peachy hue.
These pink cords indeed fade to almost a white state when exposed to bleaching agents, like the sun.  Some collectors have been successful in restoring some color with food dyes, such as Raspberry, IIRC.

Pourme

Thanks unbeldi,

I think this will take a lot of effort to restore close to it's original color but, I have wanted a pink 500 for some time. The effort will be worth the reward!
Benny

Panasonic 308/616 Magicjack service

unbeldi

#6
Quote from: Pourme on September 18, 2016, 02:18:09 PM
Thanks unbeldi,

I think this will take a lot of effort to restore close to it's original color but, I have wanted a pink 500 for some time. The effort will be worth the reward!

The plastic color can be very effectively restored just by letting the parts sit in diluted Clorox bleach for some hours.  You have to be careful not to over-bleach them though, or else they get faded just like the handset cord.  This is not a big deal either, as it can be resolve by wet sanding, but if you have to wet-sand anyways, it defeats the purpose of using bleach, which requires no great mechanical labor.   I learned this the hard way, by over-bleaching a pink handset.
The surfaces, if still shiny, turn a bit dull during this, but most of the time, when these are discolored like this, they are not shiny anymore anyways.  A plastic or automotive polish, such as Novus 2, will take care of the shine.


PS: the dial's fingerwheel was changed from the original.  Until 1964 they were still the open-center variety with a celluloid number card cover, but this could be done in the field too, and does not necessarily indicate that the rest of the plastic are newer that the 1950s.

TelePlay

Quote from: unbeldi on September 18, 2016, 02:13:11 PM
These pink cords indeed fade to almost a white state when exposed to bleaching agents, like the sun.  Some collectors have been successful in restoring some color with food dyes, such as Raspberry, IIRC.

Yes, unbeldi got the Raspberry right in a method tried by MagicMo 3 years ago. One thing about that method is I would think one could mix different "colors" of Jello to get a desired shade.

Dan/Panther came up with a more involved method but I would think it would be more permanent than Jello (food color). These are his before and after photos from that method.





The trick would be to determine a way you prefer to go and then get the color or shade right (mixture and time in solution). Anything that penetrates, does not wash or can be rubbed off, would work as long as the color matched. D/P's cords has the internal segments to go by.

As usual, if you try anything, post the before and after pictures along with method used.

Pourme

#8
Quote from: TelePlay on September 18, 2016, 02:57:25 PM
Yes, unbeldi got the Raspberry right in a method tried by MagicMo 3 years ago. One thing about that method is I would think one could mix different "colors" of Jello to get a desired shade.

Dan/Panther came up with a more involved method but I would think it would be more permanent than Jello (food color). These are his before and after photos from that method.





The trick would be to determine a way you prefer to go and then get the color or shade right (mixture and time in solution). Anything that penetrates, does not wash or can be rubbed off, would work as long as the color matched. D/P's cords has the internal segments to go by.

As usual, if you try anything, post the before and after pictures along with method used.

That cord transformation is amazing!I have already found the layout fluid on Amazon and will place the order.

Not a day goes by that I don't learn something on this forum. This week I have fixed three phones' issues by using search  and reading past threads that address my issues. You 'phone whispers" help people you never know about.

Thanks so much!
Benny

Panasonic 308/616 Magicjack service

Pourme

I have decided to attempt to bleach the pink 500 I purchased in Oct. We still have sunny days I want to take advantage of. Here are the pictures of the condition of the set. The main focus will be the caps and the body. I have read all I can find on the subject but wanted to know if there was anything I needed to be aware of before I begin, this being my first bleaching, I want to do it right! I haven't scrubbed the parts clean yet but do intend to do so.

The dates throughout match on or about 6/59.
Benny

Panasonic 308/616 Magicjack service

Pourme

I have the layout fluid as well. I will treat the cord when I'm happy with the rest.
Benny

Panasonic 308/616 Magicjack service

Pourme

After using layout fluid technique on the handset cord, i found out sanding was the only thing I could get to work on the body, handset & dial. I tried bleach. Clorox first, peroxide next. Maybe doing both was the wrong thing to do.

The pictures really don't do it justice. It really turned out beautifully!

It's clear I need a stock of number cards, this one was on it already. 
Benny

Panasonic 308/616 Magicjack service