Tombstone makeover

[racerx45]

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.

[Eric]

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

[racerx45]

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..

[Eric]

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

[racerx45]

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.

[sodaworks]

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.

[Ltransam]

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

[racerx45]

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.

[Ltransam]

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

[MoonDawg]

The price you paid was good if even for the Galaxy alone.   But finding that Tomestone..........What a thrill.