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KGCoupe
Samba Member
Joined: July 01, 2005
Posts: 3580
Location: Putting the "ill" and "annoy" in Illinois
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 Posted: Sun May 20, 2018 2:39 pm Post subject: Re: Lowlight Interior Light |
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| otahuhu wrote: |
I was lucky enough to pick up an nos one of these a while ago. They have a really unusual marble/pearl finish. The nos one is really white with obvious swirls in the plastic (its a lot whiter than the pic shows)
I wondered if they were made from a marblized plastic sheet?
Picture for reference...
There must be no uv treatment in the plastic as they yellow easily.
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If it is as simple as the UV light causing the lens to yellow with age and exposure, then perhaps you should consider looking into whether or not it woud be safe to treat that lovely pristine NOS treasure with some type of UV-Resistant Clear Coating Spray such as the one made by Krylon.
I really like the way that the part designers paid such unexpected attention to the small details on that piece.
For example, the use of that twisted bar stock for the On/Off lever is so much more styish than the basic plain lever used on just about every other interior light.
I would actually much more expect to see something like that done on a full custom vehicle rather than something that came standard.
I particularly love the marbled effect in the lens that is so very evident on that NOS piece, and it is that particular feature - combied with the time period in which that was designed and produced - that makes me wonder if the lens is actually made of catalin rather than something more like the standard plastics used today.
Because it could be produced in bright colors, was very transparent (as opposed to the standard opaque Bakelite), and could be produced with absolutely gorgeous marbled finishes, Catalin quickly became the favored material for use in the production of table top radio cabinets, jewelery, and other decorative items of the time.
If the lens is in fact made of catalin, then perhaps it is not actually UV light exposure that causes them to yellow, but rather oxidation.
According to Wikipedia, ...
| Wikipedia wrote: |
...
Catalin is heavy, quite greasy in feel, and as hard as brass. It is heat resistant and does not soften under boiling water. Like Bakelite, it gives off a distinctive phenolic odour when heated and can be tested using Simichrome[clarification needed], which turns from pink to yellow. Due to oxidation, older Catalin items darken in color; white discolors to yellow. This caused interesting effects in radio cabinets made from Catalin.[1] Catalin radios were often made in stylish Art Deco designs and are sought after by collectors. ... |
In any event, whether it is caused by UV light exposure or simple oxidation an application of some type of clear sealer that fully coats and protects the entire surface area (front and back) of the lens would probably help prevent or at least delay any yellowing.
... then all you'd have to worry about is the clear coat eventually turning yellow on you. 
Of course, a third possibility is that the heat from the old incandescent style light bulb may be the cause of (or at least a serious contributor to) the eventual yellowing of the white lens.
If that is true, then I would think that a simple switch to an LED bulb equivalent could help eliminate that possible source of discoloration.
Please note that I'm admittedly no expert on any of this, though, and a good deal more research should be done before anyone decides to follow any of my suggestions as I wouldn't want to be responsible for actually causing more harm to such a beautiful, rare, and valuable NOS piece like that! |
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Starbucket
Samba Member
Joined: April 30, 2007
Posts: 4026
Location: WA
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| Posted: Sun May 20, 2018 3:04 pm Post subject: Re: Lowlight Interior Light |
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Ace Hardware sells Plastic Repair Epoxy, that will stick it back together, Under $10.00. |
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Braukuche
Samba Member
Joined: September 03, 2004
Posts: 11005
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| Posted: Sun May 20, 2018 4:38 pm Post subject: Re: Lowlight Interior Light |
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| Starbucket wrote: |
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Ace Hardware sells Plastic Repair Epoxy, that will stick it back together, Under $10.00. |
True, but it is also yellowed and warped. No fix for that I'm afraid.
_________________
Go Reds! Smash state!
Retirement is here!
1956 Ghia
1959 SO-23 Westfalia
1960 double cab
1960 Baja Bug
1963 stretched double cab
1962 Golde sunroof Ghia
1963 356 B coupe
1963 Notchback
1967 21 window less rusty now |
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Starbucket
Samba Member
Joined: April 30, 2007
Posts: 4026
Location: WA
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| Posted: Mon May 21, 2018 6:06 am Post subject: Re: Lowlight Interior Light |
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| Braukuche wrote: |
| Starbucket wrote: |
Ace Hardware sells Plastic Repair Epoxy, that will stick it back together, Under $10.00.
True, but it is also yellowed and warped. No fix for that I'm afraid.
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I wonder if "Headlight Restore" polish for yellowed headlight lenses will work?
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KGCoupe
Samba Member
Joined: July 01, 2005
Posts: 3580
Location: Putting the "ill" and "annoy" in Illinois
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| Posted: Mon May 21, 2018 7:51 am Post subject: Re: Lowlight Interior Light |
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[quote="Starbucket"]
| Braukuche wrote: |
| Starbucket wrote: |
Ace Hardware sells Plastic Repair Epoxy, that will stick it back together, Under $10.00.
True, but it is also yellowed and warped. No fix for that I'm afraid.
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I wonder if "Headlight Restore" polish for yellowed headlight lenses will work. |
I suspect that it just might work, but my own experience using it on headlights is that it generally requires quite a bit of elbow grease and I'd be concerned that the 60+ year old plastic interior light lens would be far too brittle to survive such handling without cracking. |
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Loren
Samba Member
Joined: January 10, 2004
Posts: 1701
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| Posted: Mon May 21, 2018 7:42 pm Post subject: Re: Lowlight Interior Light |
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| You might try getting some HXTAL epoxy and "flood" the back side of the lens. You will have to special order it, but I have been using it for years on restoration projects and it is great (very expensive though). It's a museum grade clear epoxy that is non yellowing and can take up to a few days to dry (it's extremely strong and durable). When first mixed it is almost as thin as water and easily finds its way into cracks. You can also let it sit until it's the consistency you want and you can even spray it on when first mixed. If using it on the back of the lens be sure to tape any large cracks from the other side so the epoxy does not run out and make a mess. You can also make a dam with tape and use it to fill in missing sections. |
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Braukuche
Samba Member
Joined: September 03, 2004
Posts: 11005
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| Posted: Mon May 21, 2018 8:19 pm Post subject: Re: Lowlight Interior Light |
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Well,I pretty much totaled it trying to work out the warping. I put the lens in hot water to soften up the plastic and then work out the warpage with my thumbs but instead it caused the plastic to shrink and crack. It wasn't not a big loss since it was not usable in a restored car, the yellowing was so bad the lens was opaque.
_________________
Go Reds! Smash state!
Retirement is here!
1956 Ghia
1959 SO-23 Westfalia
1960 double cab
1960 Baja Bug
1963 stretched double cab
1962 Golde sunroof Ghia
1963 356 B coupe
1963 Notchback
1967 21 window less rusty now |
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nize
Samba Member
Joined: June 21, 2004
Posts: 531
Location: Sweden - Cheesy town
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| Posted: Thu Jun 07, 2018 11:43 pm Post subject: Re: Lowlight Interior Light |
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Any one here that know what type of screws the base of the interior light is supposed to be mounted with? Dimensions?
I kind of forgot to check that before I installed my new headliner 
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----------(VW)----------
1954 Kombi
1957 lowlight ghia coupe
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Exaktaphile
Samba Member
Joined: October 01, 2010
Posts: 151
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| Posted: Fri Jun 08, 2018 12:03 pm Post subject: Re: Lowlight Interior Light |
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I'm missing one of mine but here's the other two. They are M3 sheet metal screws approx. 7mm in length.
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nize
Samba Member
Joined: June 21, 2004
Posts: 531
Location: Sweden - Cheesy town
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| Posted: Fri Jun 08, 2018 2:46 pm Post subject: Re: Lowlight Interior Light |
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Excellent pic Exaktaphile. Thank you!
_________________
----------(VW)----------
1954 Kombi
1957 lowlight ghia coupe
-------------------------- |
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cln60ragfk
Samba Member
Joined: June 21, 2005
Posts: 1569
Location: Colorado
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| Posted: Wed Dec 25, 2019 9:24 pm Post subject: Re: Lowlight Interior Light |
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What’s the correct light for a 59 coupe?
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John Moxon 
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Joined: March 07, 2004
Posts: 13958
Location: Southampton U.K.
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cln60ragfk
Samba Member
Joined: June 21, 2005
Posts: 1569
Location: Colorado
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| Posted: Thu Dec 26, 2019 6:06 pm Post subject: Re: Lowlight Interior Light |
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What is the back like?
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John Moxon
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cln60ragfk
Samba Member
Joined: June 21, 2005
Posts: 1569
Location: Colorado
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| Posted: Mon Dec 30, 2019 5:18 pm Post subject: Re: Lowlight Interior Light |
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Thanks John
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