Title: Tombstone makeover
Post by: racerx45 on April 09, 2005, 12:17:14 am
So I just can leave well enough alone. I have decided to overhaul the Cornelius dispenser I just got. I am not “restoring” it as it really just needs a good cleaning, there are two repairs that will need to be done. I have posted the first part of the process on my web site here is the link.
Overhaul page
Overhaul page
Title: Tombstone makeover
Post by: racerx45 on April 10, 2005, 05:54:28 pm
Title: Tombstone makeover
Post by: MoonDawg on April 10, 2005, 06:29:57 pm
Have never been into dispensers before, until I saw a Tombestone in Atlanta last summer. My first choice now.
I see the broken pieces. What material are these casings made from?
I see the broken pieces. What material are these casings made from?
Title: Tombstone makeover
Post by: racerx45 on April 10, 2005, 06:58:03 pm
The housing in made of Bakelite and I am using a 2-part epoxy paste to repair it with. I will have to then paint to match the colors.
Title: Tombstone makeover
Post by: on April 10, 2005, 09:59:17 pm
Very cool. I'm sure it will look fantastic.
Title: Tombstone makeover
Post by: Eric on April 11, 2005, 08:47:44 am
There are colored epoxies out there you may find that you could actually match....
There's a guy that restores and creates phones from the forties (Western Electric 302s
and Automatic Electric phones.... I collect those too) I don't know his name
off hand but you could find him through a friends website www.oldtimephones.com
Dave restores phones and this guy makes phones using epoxies and plastics and
his stuff is on Dave's site.
Are you sure thats bakelite?.... would have thought that they quit using that in the
late 1940s and went to thermoplastics like all the phones did...
Anyway.... check this guy out... you may be able to repair with colors and not have to paint.
Eric
There's a guy that restores and creates phones from the forties (Western Electric 302s
and Automatic Electric phones.... I collect those too) I don't know his name
off hand but you could find him through a friends website www.oldtimephones.com
Dave restores phones and this guy makes phones using epoxies and plastics and
his stuff is on Dave's site.
Are you sure thats bakelite?.... would have thought that they quit using that in the
late 1940s and went to thermoplastics like all the phones did...
Anyway.... check this guy out... you may be able to repair with colors and not have to paint.
Eric
Title: Tombstone makeover
Post by: Eric on April 11, 2005, 03:53:34 pm
I just checked his website he even does cutom castings....Hmmmm
reproduced shells and parts for tombestone dispensers..........
Eric
reproduced shells and parts for tombestone dispensers..........
Eric
Title: Tombstone makeover
Post by: racerx45 on April 11, 2005, 10:16:22 pm
Eric thanks for the site info. I wasn’t able to find anything on the old telephone site but did do a internet search and found this.
“Repairing bakelite cracks is one of the most difficult tasks in radio restoration. Anyone can glue a crack together using Devcon plastic weld. But to repair a crack so that no marks are left behind is another matter. A Dremel tool is used to make such a repair. First you would cut a grove along the crack and save the dust. Also grind some more plastic dust from somewhere inside the cabinet. Mix with clear expoxy cement and fill the groove over the crack. Grind or sand the cement down. Then polish with rouge to get an even polished surface. It takes a lot of practice to get the expertise needed to make such repairs a success.”
This may be more work but could have better results.
“Repairing bakelite cracks is one of the most difficult tasks in radio restoration. Anyone can glue a crack together using Devcon plastic weld. But to repair a crack so that no marks are left behind is another matter. A Dremel tool is used to make such a repair. First you would cut a grove along the crack and save the dust. Also grind some more plastic dust from somewhere inside the cabinet. Mix with clear expoxy cement and fill the groove over the crack. Grind or sand the cement down. Then polish with rouge to get an even polished surface. It takes a lot of practice to get the expertise needed to make such repairs a success.”
This may be more work but could have better results.
Title: Tombstone makeover
Post by: Eric on April 12, 2005, 08:44:49 am
On that phone site click on one of the clear blue or red phones and it takes you to his site.
Are you 100% sure that's bakelite?... What are the dates of these dispensers?.....
Are you 100% sure that's bakelite?... What are the dates of these dispensers?.....
Title: Tombstone makeover
Post by: Eric on April 12, 2005, 10:29:13 am
Also check under parts new.... Of course it's gone now but there was a
person reproducing the light up lense for the Pepsi Jacobs... They said
they would be interested in making parts maybe they could help you with
different types of colored resins.
Eric
person reproducing the light up lense for the Pepsi Jacobs... They said
they would be interested in making parts maybe they could help you with
different types of colored resins.
Eric
Title: Tombstone makeover
Post by: racerx45 on April 12, 2005, 10:39:14 am
Eric,
No I am not 100% sure it is Bakelite about 95%. I know the date for this dispenser is later than most Bakelite products. The reasons I feel it is are that it doesn’t look or feel like any plastic I have ever run into before. The broken part you can see the inside and it look porous almost like if you broke a rock in two. The other thing is the sound of it when you gently tap it on a hard surface, it has almost a ceramic sound to it. I have never really dealt with Bakelite before so I can’t be 100% so any help here is appreciate I am to the point where I want to fill the holes in the dispenser, but want to get it right the first time so I will hold off until I am 100% about the material I am working on.
I went back to the web site and found the other one I am going to call them today and find out how to tell what I have and ask about making molds of the dispenser.
No I am not 100% sure it is Bakelite about 95%. I know the date for this dispenser is later than most Bakelite products. The reasons I feel it is are that it doesn’t look or feel like any plastic I have ever run into before. The broken part you can see the inside and it look porous almost like if you broke a rock in two. The other thing is the sound of it when you gently tap it on a hard surface, it has almost a ceramic sound to it. I have never really dealt with Bakelite before so I can’t be 100% so any help here is appreciate I am to the point where I want to fill the holes in the dispenser, but want to get it right the first time so I will hold off until I am 100% about the material I am working on.
I went back to the web site and found the other one I am going to call them today and find out how to tell what I have and ask about making molds of the dispenser.
Title: Tombstone makeover
Post by: Eric on April 12, 2005, 11:29:33 am
I seen him at a show last year he uses/makes large hard rubber molds and
uses LARGE surenges to inject the liquid resin it's almost a water then sets
up in a few minutes then there's a new part very cool!
Good Luck!
Eric
uses LARGE surenges to inject the liquid resin it's almost a water then sets
up in a few minutes then there's a new part very cool!
Good Luck!
Eric
Title: Tombstone makeover
Post by: racerx45 on April 12, 2005, 01:04:46 pm
Ok so after talking with Ray at Telephone Creations I now know it is not Bakelite. He said it looked like Tenite to him. I then had a brainstorm and looked in one of my service manuals and see a reference to Melamine. Melamine is the same plastic used in the late fifties and sixties to make all sorts of things including plates. As soon as I read on a web site that is was used on plastic plates in the sixties I realized that the sound I referred to earlier is the same as the old plastic plates we had growing up with. So it is Melamine plastic not Bakelite. Ray gave me a few pointers on working with plastics so I can start on that tonight.
As for having molds made and making parts he said it looked like stuff he is already doing so it shouldn’t be a big deal to make. The cost how ever is not cheap but still not out of the question. I am just not sure if the demand is there and I would be able to recover my investment so..
As for having molds made and making parts he said it looked like stuff he is already doing so it shouldn’t be a big deal to make. The cost how ever is not cheap but still not out of the question. I am just not sure if the demand is there and I would be able to recover my investment so..
Title: Tombstone makeover
Post by: Eric on April 12, 2005, 01:36:27 pm
Well at least you have a good start.... And if you could do it yourself.....
would be cool... Dr Pepper greens, Pepsi blues, etc. But you're right the demand
would have to be there.... Keep us updated.......
Eric
would be cool... Dr Pepper greens, Pepsi blues, etc. But you're right the demand
would have to be there.... Keep us updated.......
Eric
Title: Tombstone makeover
Post by: racerx45 on April 28, 2005, 09:02:50 pm
Just a quick note about this project I have updated the site. Its been slow due to all of the over time at work lately.
Title: Tombstone makeover
Post by: sodaworks on April 29, 2005, 11:31:28 am
Racerx45,
I checked out your dispenser collection and was very impressed. About the crack in the bakelite, you may want to drill a small hole at the end of the crack to keep it from growing prior to repairs. Just a thought.
I checked out your dispenser collection and was very impressed. About the crack in the bakelite, you may want to drill a small hole at the end of the crack to keep it from growing prior to repairs. Just a thought.
Title: Tombstone makeover
Post by: Ltransam on May 16, 2005, 09:46:38 pm
Hello,Racerx45
I'M wondering
Why your's has a large hole in the rear?Please look at the one I just got under Chit-Chat (May need help topic) Pg 4 to save you time .The one I have is solid .To you have any spare parts ? I was also hopeing you could get the phone number of the guy you told me abought that has drip-trays for Dole"s
Ltransam
I'M wondering
Why your's has a large hole in the rear?Please look at the one I just got under Chit-Chat (May need help topic) Pg 4 to save you time .The one I have is solid .To you have any spare parts ? I was also hopeing you could get the phone number of the guy you told me abought that has drip-trays for Dole"sLtransam
Title: Tombstone makeover
Post by: racerx45 on May 17, 2005, 12:53:19 pm
Hey Ltransam,
First off very nice score, looks like a good deal for the Galaxy and icemaker. The tombstone dispenser is a great extra to find. Cornelius made the tombstone in two sizes the ones I have are the wider ones that came with 1,2,3 or 4 taps. The one you have is the narrower version that could have had 1,2 or 3 taps. The signs on yours are the same as the one on the front of the wider model (5” diameter) the wider version had a 7’ diameter sign. I don’t know why, maybe because of the thickness, but the 7’ signs are mounted into the hole on the back instead of just sitting in the back like yours.
First off very nice score, looks like a good deal for the Galaxy and icemaker. The tombstone dispenser is a great extra to find. Cornelius made the tombstone in two sizes the ones I have are the wider ones that came with 1,2,3 or 4 taps. The one you have is the narrower version that could have had 1,2 or 3 taps. The signs on yours are the same as the one on the front of the wider model (5” diameter) the wider version had a 7’ diameter sign. I don’t know why, maybe because of the thickness, but the 7’ signs are mounted into the hole on the back instead of just sitting in the back like yours.
Title: Tombstone makeover
Post by: Ltransam on May 17, 2005, 01:14:14 pm
Hi,Steve
I was wondering ? I thought maybe it was a light- up ? Your's is cool !! And Thanks for Help ..And Comments on my buy.
Leonard
I was wondering ? I thought maybe it was a light- up ? Your's is cool !! And Thanks for Help ..And Comments on my buy.
Leonard
Title: Tombstone makeover
Post by: MoonDawg on May 18, 2005, 10:18:10 am
The price you paid was good if even for the Galaxy alone. But finding that Tomestone..........What a thrill.