I have recently come into possession of a telephone that was used by one of the eastern railroads. I was told that these “crank” type phones were used in a single-line setup between ends of railroad tunnels. The problem is that the manufacturer’s decal has dried and is peeling off the end of the case. Does anyone have a suggestion regarding a technique to stop the decal deterioriation and adhere it to the metal case?
Hmm. A preservation question. I think you might have better luck to post this in the Trains Mag forums under Preservation, but I’m not sure how much help the can be.
Is it in fact a decal? Or more a sticker. I’d dig the internt and see if you cannot turn up a strong, slow bonding adhesive and glue what’s peeling up back down. Maybe a libray type glue, or a spray adhesive might do the trick, but if the film itself is dried out, there’s not much that I know of that can be done.
WARNING ! Be careful with what you use to hold and seal that decal. Some things may actually melt it and what ever you use don’t rub or disturb it more then necessary. From one that has been up this path. I might suggest a decoupage type glue with a very soft and gentle brush. Also you may want to check for a restoration business near you for advice on this. Doesn’t matter it’s a railroad phone- still a decal on a wood surface.
My suggestion would be to take a photograph of the existing sticker, then use a program, like Photoshop or even Word to reproduce it. Print the new sticker on glossy photo paper. Once you have the old sticker, and the glue that held it in place removed (Goof-Off is a good glue remover), then, repaint the phone. Most of them were either a gray or green color, or sometimes black. Once you cut out your new sticker, trace its shape on the side of the phone where it will go. Then, lay it on a sheet of wax paper, face down. Spray it with an aerosol glue (I use Elmer’s Spray Glue). Gently pick it up with tweezers and set it into place.
This actually appears to be a decal rather than a sticker and it’s (mostly) adhered to a metal case. I may try the decoupage idea, but perhaps I should photograph it first. Thanks for everyone’s ideas.
John