Coke Clock

[ort8149]

Hello Everyone,

I don't consider myself a serious collector, but every once in a while I run across something that really feels right and if it's not too out of my price range, I bring it home.  This weekend, I came across this vintage coke clock and it came home with me.  I've taken a very careful close look at it, and it is not perfect by any means, but it's nice.  The clock face is broken on the edge and the face paint is all but about to fall off by just touching it.  I guess the two small bulbs that lit it up over time heated and dried up the paint decal of the face.  My question to you all, does anyone make the glass face plate?  If it's available, I may want to replace it.

The clock works and keeps time and seems to have nothing missing.

Thanks in advance for everyone's help and advice.

Orlando
 

[SIGNGUY]

It's only original once,, but I know what your talking about and nice to preserve the original... I've never tried it but I've heard that if you took some clear coat spray paint and applied it to the back, it might help "Hold" and preserve the original paint in place?

can't hurt to try as it will only get worse with time...

remove it from the frame before trying obviously...

there was a guy who was making new faces for them,, but he recently died (waynes Clocks).. so not sure if the family is continueing his business?

[Kilroy]

Search pinvball forums, flaking glass is common on these machines,  There are many discussions and  information on how save it as SignGuy has mentioned

[ort8149]

Great idea about spraying a clear coat to hold it together.  I'll do the recommended research.  Thank you both.  I hung it in the garage today, I call it my man cave, and it looks great.  The back panel says it's a Pam Clock.  They sure built these clocks pretty well, all glass and metal.  And they had a classy design and character.

Once again, Thanks for your help.

Orlando

[Larry]

I use Krylons triple thick on all my glass (not plastic) backglasses for my arcade machines.  It saves the paint from flaking.  If you have loose paint and you shoot directly at it, it will blow away the paint.  I point down from a few feet to get a thin coating on first or you can arc the spray.  Just remeber if the paint is curled and it is wet with this spray, the paint wont bend like wet cardboard.  It will crack if you try to push it down and stick to where ever it may fall.  So be careful.  If it's just has cracks, and the paint isn't loose, you can spray directly at it in a sweeping motion.

[ort8149]

Thank you Larry,

I'll give the Krylon a try.

Orlando

[Chedki]

Be sure not to use bulbs with more than 15 watts.

Anything higher than that causes it to make it too hot and thus starts blistering the paint over time.

[Larry]

Good point on the bulbs.  I had a Coke Duolite clock and I used the required two 15 W bulbs and it melted.  One socket must have been a tad closer to the face than the other side.  I dont see that happening to a glass clock face.  I now have a Pepsi Duolite clock, I'm partial to those clocks, and I use two 11 watt bulbs and it's been fine for years.  The Duolites are very fragile clocks, One piece of aged plastic.

[Fire708]

Would LED's be bright enough?  They give off almost no heat.

[rayg]

Hey Larry,
I got some flaking going on the back glass of my 1964 United Orbit shuffle bowler, would this method work for some for the time era, or do I  need to use something else? Also once it's sealed is that when to do the touch-ups?

[Larry]

The 1960's United shuffles had plastic back glasses.  I never had one flake or had to seal one.  The 1950's United's had actual glass that would peal.

I don't touch up any of the glasses.  I just stop them from getting worse.

[rayg]

Hi Larry,
Thank for the info, is the stuff safe to use on the plastic back glass?
Here's a picture of what it looks...let me know what you think.

[Larry]

I never sealed a plastic one.  I would guess it's o.k.  I would check the manufactuers info on the web.