Multiplex restoration

[racerx45]

Ok haven’t had anything new to post on this in a while and unfortunately this update is bad news.  
  My last update was after the Coca-Cola plates came back from the platter. After working with the plates to get the ready for paint I notice that there was a problem.  You can see in the picture I posted of one of them that the out side line in the “C” in Coca is very thin (the one pictured is the best of them). This line is too thin to keep the red paint from mixing with the white! After months of trying to get it fixed with the platter he has now asked for me to get an appraisal so he can submit it to his insurance to reimburse me for damages.  That is great so now I just need to find an appraiser that can handle this and pay them, then deal with the insurance red tape, at that point all I will have to do is find someone that has three of these plates that they want to sell, and then I might have to have them restored!
  So this project has come to a halt as I have lost a little of the excitement on seeing it done not knowing when and if I can get the plates repaired/replaced.

The project

On an up note I have added a new dispenser to my collection and it should be here next week. I will add it to the site as soon as I can.
My collection

[johnieG]

Don't know if this will help, but here goes....I'd have the platter re-enamal the 3 plates white on the face, then once I got it back I'd send it over to a Powder-coater to have it coated in coke red, now follow me on this, the white Glass enamal won't melt at the much lower temp (~400-deg F)of the pwder coating, so once the powder-coat layer is on (red) you could hand wet-sand down to the white glass enamal layer & the two would never mix,and it would be very durable as well! this has been done on two-tone Coke machines where the embossing is red, surounded by a field of white, they just wet sand down to the white with a hand sanding block & #600 wet-n-dry paper & a spray bottle of water looks great! well theres my 2 cents!

[johnieG]

Heres your before shot of the Badges

Sorry to hear about the problems.  I enjoy your articles.  Hope the suggestion helps, and maybe becomes your solution.  Your dispenser collection is great.  Don't give up now.

[racerx45]

johnieG –
Thanks for the ideas. I don’t think the enamel and powder coating will work. I have an image to show the problem. The red arrows show where the problems are, as you can see the lines disappear. The yellow circle shows what the lines should look like all the way around. Inside the letters should be white and outside red. With the raised lettering now at the same level as the areas to be painted you can see how difficult it will be to make it look ok.


 I am trying to find replacements for these and have requested quotes from a few companies on repairing the ones I have. As long as I can get the insurance to pay for either the replacements or the repairs I should be able to finish this project in the near future. I have started back on the dispenser and should have it painted soon. I had wanted to paint the body and plates at the same time but will have to wait on the plates now. So hopefully by the time I am finished putting this back together the plates will be taken care of and be ready to go back on the dispenser.

[racerx45]

On a happier note my new dispenser arrived today and I have updated the web site. Take a look if you like.



The Dispenser page

[Jim]

Hey Steve,

The new dispenser looks great!
I saw it on greed-bay and was thinking of placing a bid just to irritate you... Just kidding!
Do you have any literature on the new one?
I very curious as to the color scheme...  I've never seen this type of dispencer with a woodgrain finish... Especially w/ green marquees; I've usually seen these types painted red w/ the green marquees...
Does the finish look original?
If someone did a good jod refinishing it some years ago, it could be very difficult to see any clues...

[racerx45]

Jim-

Gee thanks for trying to up the bid price on me LOL.
I don’t have any documentation on the dispenser; wish I did. I do how ever believe the wood grain litho to be the original and untouched finish. There are several place that have nicks, scratches, chips, etc. that show all the way down to bare metal and looking at all of them I can see that there is only 1 layer of primer (a flat red color), a base coat for the wood grain (a light tan color) and the wood grain litho finish. The thickness of the layers is constant with a single finish; a re-paint would show thicker layers. I have also removed some of the trim pieces and that showed nothing to indicate an un-original finish. As for the color of the marques I have only seen this style of Coca-Cola and $.05 badge on the six-sided dispenser and they all have been green.
 The only question I really have about this machine is the age. It was advertised as 1930’s but I think it may be older. I don’t have any way to verify that yet but I am working on it. What I do know is that the Multiplex Company started in 1906. I now have three of their dispensers all with the same type of valve head. The only type of numbering I have seen on these dispensers is on the valve head. The #s are JU 275 (six-side), MU 3972 (square-side from the late 30’s), and MU 17370 (1940’s dispenser). If the numbers where stamped in sequentially and can be used to date a dispenser then this would indicate an early machine. Knowing when the company started using the valve type would all so help. There are two other things about the dispenser that make me question the age. The three other six-sided dispensers I have seen (pictures of them) are the same other than the size. This one has two things different (3 if you count the wood grain) the lid handle is different (this one is a round and black, the others are chrome and shaped) and this one has two chrome “drip” plates on the top (one next to the syrup tank and then on the opposite side of it) the others don’t have any.  
 So when I turn up more info on it I will let you know.