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202 Base Cover by Marie

Started by Doug Rose, January 21, 2017, 01:22:42 PM

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Doug Rose

These are great and work as advertised by fellow member Marie. They are great!...Doug

http://tinyurl.com/h7k6hkw
Kidphone

TelePlay

How well do they tighten and what's the procedure, tighten and gather and then install the ring? Or not ring used? Or other?

Seems  like a good deal for the work involved.

Ktownphoneco

I've been using a similar technique for a number of years.     It's fairly straight forward and fairly simple to do.     I use it for both felt and dark brown suede leather. 
Have a look at the attached "PDF" picture file and I'm sure it's pretty much self explanatory from start to finish.     The pictures in which you see steel plates are my own way of pressing the retainer ring down, which in turn clamps the felt or leather.    Two 2"x4"'s and 2 "C" clamps will do pretty much the same thing.     Over the years I've fought with a few retainer rings that for whatever reason, weren't curved well in relation to the base, and I started filing one end into a "V" point, and the other end into a "V" notch or groove.    This helps lock both ends of the retainer spring together while the ring is being pressed into position.
The green line you see in the pictures is about 30 Lb. ( I think ) test fishing line.     It's easy to thread and grasp with the fingers during the entire process.     Hole punches are easy to find, and available in a number of store and at a number of web sites.

Any questions, please ask.

Jeff Lamb

Jack Ryan

I would hate to be a problem in your vicinity Jeff!

Jack

Pourme

Quote from: Ktownphoneco on January 21, 2017, 07:02:19 PM
I've been using a similar technique for a number of years.     It's fairly straight forward and fairly simple to do.     I use it for both felt and dark brown suede leather. 
Have a look at the attached "PDF" picture file and I'm sure it's pretty much self explanatory from start to finish.     The pictures in which you see steel plates are my own way of pressing the retainer ring down, which in turn clamps the felt or leather.    Two 2"x4"'s and 2 "C" clamps will do pretty much the same thing.     Over the years I've fought with a few retainer rings that for whatever reason, weren't curved well in relation to the base, and I started filing one end into a "V" point, and the other end into a "V" notch or groove.    This helps lock both ends of the retainer spring together while the ring is being pressed into position.
The green line you see in the pictures is about 30 Lb. ( I think ) test fishing line.     It's easy to thread and grasp with the fingers during the entire process.     Hole punches are easy to find, and available in a number of store and at a number of web sites.

Any questions, please ask.

Jeff Lamb

Jeff,
How do you punch the holes for the screws?
Benny

Panasonic 308/616 Magicjack service

Jim Stettler

You live, You learn,
You die, you forget it all.

Ktownphoneco

Benny   ...  The attached pictures show what I use to punch out the 3 screw holes in the suede or felt covering.      I can't remember where I bought the set, but they work very well.      When I get to the point where I want to punch the 3 holes, I select the hole punch size I'm going to use and attach it to the handle.      I place a No. 8 machine screw through the hole from the inside of the base plate.     That pushes up on the suede or felt, making it very easy to see where the hole should be cut directly over the hole opening in the base.     I keep the punch edges sharp so not a lot of pressure is needed to cut through the suede or felt.    Placing the hole punch direct over the raised point caused by the No. 8 machine screw, I start applying downward pressure, and at the same time allowing the machine screw to drop back out of the hole in the base.     Once the hole punch pushes the suede or felt all the way to the bottom of the recess in the base plate, I keep applying pressure and twisting the hole punch clockwise until it cuts through the suede or felt.    I then repeat the process to create the other holes.

Jim S. posted of the punches he uses from Harbor Freight, and I'm sure they will work fine as well.     

Jeff

Pourme

Thanks Jeff, I will look at harbor Freight next time I'm there.

Benny
Benny

Panasonic 308/616 Magicjack service

mariepr

I took a look at Jeff Lamb's step by step procedure.  The result is a professional workman-like finish.  However it does require specialized tools.  It would make a good investment for somebody doing ongoing restorations but it is very cost prohibitive for one-off or occasional jobs.  What I provide is marketed at that later segment. 

I use a double row of polyester-core sewing thread.  It is strong but it's not steel cable.  The double row provides a back-up if the customer pulls too hard and breaks one strand. 

After fitting the suede or felt around the plate, I then fit in the snap ring - the ends at first need to be overlapped.  The bottom plate is then placed on a hard surface, retaining ring side down, and weighed down overnight with some books or canned goods.  Not too many - just enough so it sits securely on the flat surface.  This is not exactly calibrated and measured PSI pressure but it does allow the snap ring to snuggle in there. 

If the customer so chooses, he can trim the excess.  As for the screw holes - I'll presume he's content to just poke the screws through the material.  If cutting a precise opening hole was that important the customer would not be using a do-it-yourself method.  To each his/her own. 

Pourme

I went to Harbor Freight today and purchased this 9 piece hollow punch set for eight dollars. Should be all needed to place any size holes anywhere they are required. I have used a small hammer I have used to tap the ring back in place. The material still has to be purchased, but I see it all doable without a unreasonable expenditure. 

Benny
Benny

Panasonic 308/616 Magicjack service

mariepr

You're right - about $8 is quite reasonable and I'd consider it for my own jobs.  But there are a lot of phones out there.  Phoneco's generic round base plate repro has holes for different attachment configurations.  If one wanted to sell pre-punched base covers they would have to be specifically made for, say, a manual WE stick vs. a dial WE stick.

Phonesrfun

#11
I think it is probably best to cut/punch the holes after stretching the cover over the base.  Otherwise it might be very difficult to position the cover just right, even if it were punched for the correct base.  On the last one I did, I just used an Xacto knife to cut slits rather than round holes. 
-Bill G

TelePlay

Yes, I agree, it is impossible to cut the holes before mounting the material. It may be possible with a production line jig but not by hand.

If you look at Jeff's red box of cutters, you will see a centering pin, looks like a nail set. This would center the punch in the screw hole after the cover was placed on the base plate.

I'd drill or core a hole from the inside out with the finished side resting on a piece of wood with a drill or coring tool the size of the screw hole. That would allow the centering pin to be placed in that hole from the good side so a perfect hole could be cored in the material.

How do the coring bits work on felt?