Removing lettering from a 500's dial bezel?

[irradiatedsnakes]

Hi all. Maybe a little strange to remove vice restore, but I'm interested in removing the lettering from my model 500, hopefully to leave the dial a nice, smooth red. I figured sanding would be my best bet, though after a little searching around here it sounds like the lettering is more than just surface-level paint. What do you all think would be the best course of action here? Sanding, painting over in red? Thank you.

[TelePlay]

The lettering is injection molded from the back. The plate is made with Red plastic in a mold that leaves voids for the letters. The voids are filled with white plastic in a second molding process (hot injection of molten plastic under pressure into highly polished steel molds).

Why would you want to destroy a hard to find (red), irreplaceable faceplate?

[TelePlay]

By rare I mean there aren't that many red phones out there anymore and they tend to sell for more than any other color. People buy them and keep them for daily use. People want them, use them, as emergency back up phones in critical areas that have digital phone systems that fail during power outages. They use them as their backup phone connected directly to their land line, no dependence on the digital PBX system.

[SUnset2]

The only way to hide the dial bezel markings would be to paint over them, or put a sticker on top.  As was suggested, if you are going to be painting it, you should start with an ugly or damaged phone, maybe beige or badly faded colors.

[TelePlay]

This is a pink bezel with black letters.

On the back image, you can see the black plastic that was injected into the letter voids in the pink bezel.

On the front image, you can see that sanding down the bezel will not only remove the bezel plastic but will also distort the black injected letters. Only the very top layer of the black lettering is perfect, the layer that contacts the cold steel die cooling the surface letters in their perfect intended form.

The hot injected black plastic distorts the plastic voids from behind when injected. This image shows a bezel that was being sanded to remove a problem caused by incorrectly bleaching the bezel to remove the discoloration caused by the bleaching (over whitening of the pink). The bleaching penetrated the bezel surface below the good quality, crisp surface lettering (you can see the letter distortion on many of the letters and numbers).

The question remains, Why do you want to remove the lettering from the face by whatever method? That will make it very difficult to dial a number without the help of numbers on the bezel to help with finger placement.

[Kellogg Kitt]

Please do not paint the red phone.  I saw the full picture of it on your other thread.  It is in good condition, and the numbers are still crisp and white.  Often, they are dull or yellowed. 

You can easily find another 500 set for cheap that is faded or discolored, and nothing would be lost by painting it.  I like your Frankenstein phone and would love to see what you can do with a 500 set, but please not this red one.

[irradiatedsnakes]

Got it, thank you all for the help!

[irradiatedsnakes]

This is a pink bezel with black letters.

On the back image, you can see the black plastic that was injected into the letter voids in the pink bezel.

On the front image, you can see that sanding down the bezel will not only remove the bezel plastic but will also distort the black injected letters. Only the very top layer of the black lettering is perfect, the layer that contacts the cold steel die cooling the surface letters in their perfect intended form.

The hot injected black plastic distorts the plastic voids from behind when injected. This image shows a bezel that was being sanded to remove a problem caused by incorrectly bleaching the bezel to remove the discoloration caused by the bleaching (over whitening of the pink). The bleaching penetrated the bezel surface below the good quality, crisp surface lettering (you can see the letter distortion on many of the letters and numbers).

The question remains, Why do you want to remove the lettering from the face by whatever method? That will make it very difficult to dial a number without the help of numbers on the bezel to help with finger placement.

Interesting pics! That's really neat.

& to answer the question, it's for aesthetic reasons relating to my own collection. The phone's currently nonfunctional anyways (and if it were or if I repaired it, I don't even have a landline). I'll consider yalls protests though, haha. Thank you!

[paul-f]

...and if it were or if I repaired it, I don't even have a landline).

Landline not needed!

Search the forum for examples of using rotary phones on internet or cell services.

https://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?board=57.0

[TelePlay]

Other than not having a line cord or handset cord, both easily replaced, why doesn't it work?


The WE 500 was a very robust design that virtually never failed, other than possibly a dial speed/lubrication servicing, or moving the black ringer wire from "G" to "L1" to get the ringer to work on a bridged ringing circuit.

They just aren't making any new WE 500 telephones anymore so what's out there now, still exiting, will be the maximum number of phones available that will ever be going forward.

[MMikeJBenN27]

Why???  If you want unique looking, look for a Canadian Northern Electric 500 with a rural all-numbers face plate.

Mike

[irradiatedsnakes]

Yall, it's okay, I won't deface it, promise! I'm not currently interested in fixing it or hooking it up to work, I have other phones I'd rather hook up if I go that route. I really appreciate the concern, but please don't worry.