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What should I do here?

Started by WEBellSystemChristian, October 15, 2014, 07:24:34 PM

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WEBellSystemChristian

About a month or so ago, I got a 1500 on ebay for $15, and it came with a lot of sun damage. I decided to take a closer look at it tonight, and it's worse than I thought. The plastics are from the mid-seventies, and let me tell you; they ain't pretty!

The housing was painted beige over beige, and even the paint has faded badly! It has several spiderweb paint "splits" in it from too much UV exposure. It also has a few deep scuffs, as if it was rubbed against drywall. The handset (which by the way has a modular notch with a hardwired handset cord running through it) has paint splits all over it, including quite a few paint defects.

Needless to say, these plastics look terrible.

What do you guys think I should do, try to find a set of genuine unnotched WE 2500 plastics, or leave these plastics alone?
Christian Petterson

"Whether you think you can or think you can't, you're right" -Henry Ford

Kenton K

Do the dates match? I doubt it but that would factor in.

Kenton K

And have you tried removing scuffs with some novus/brasso/really light sanding?

WEBellSystemChristian

Dates don't match. I would try my hardest to restore the plastics if they were original to the rest of the phone. The chassis is dated 1967 and the plastics are from about 1974.

No, I haven't tried to remove the scuffs, I just fear that the paint underneath that first layer is a much lighter color if I sanded it.
Christian Petterson

"Whether you think you can or think you can't, you're right" -Henry Ford

Kenton K

I would probably try novus, In my experience, it is really hard to go through a layer of polane. Then when the time comes along and you find yourself a cheap hardwired 2500, you can swap out the plastics.

KK

ESalter

I would throw those plastics in the trash and find a 2500 for donor plastics, since the dates don't match anyway.  I did that with a 1220 a few months back.  I bought one of them cheap but the handset plastics were both trashed.  I found a 2220 cheap and transplanted the guts from the 1220 into that one.  Turned out rather nicely.  It's white, in case anyone was wondering.

---Eric

jsowers

Have you tried removing the paint with denatured alcohol? Are you sure it's Polane? I've removed paint from 1970s phones with just denatured alcohol and a paper towel. I don't think any of them were light beige or had cracked paint, so we may be talking thicker paint here. Mine were yellow, red and white 500 sets and underneath was an almost NOS looking phone. Why they painted them--and in the case of yellow the paint is truly ugly--is anyone's guess. If you're going to discard the plastics anyway, give them a swipe with DA and see what happens.
Jonathan

tallguy58

Too much work for very little return.

I'd get the thing working and sell it at a gatage sale for what you paid.

Use the money to get a  better condition one.
Cheers........Bill

Dan/Panther

Do what i think most everyone does. Clean it up, display it, until something better comes along, or the parts to upgrade.
D/P

The More People I meet, The More I Love, and MISS My Dog.  Dan Robinson

HarrySmith

I think I havesome Beige 2500 housing s if you're interested.
Harry Smith
ATCA 4434
TCI

"There is no try,
there is only
do or do not"