Brethren!
I'm currently working on a 'basket case' 1958 Nordmende 'Clipper' 0/601 - and like most of Nordmende early tranny portables [Transita's, Mambo's, Bambino's etc.] and several other manufacturer's sets .... it features a soft embossed plastic / leatherette / rubber [
] perimeter case trim. These trims are invariably irredeemably stained with dirt/nicotine/rust mould and .... whatever awful glue/adhesive that they employed .... leaching through to the outer surface.
This particular one is the worst that I've ever encountered, and despite concerted efforts with all manner of cleaning agents [including bleach] it was always going to be an eyesore. I thought about spraying it with standard acrylic or cellulose paint or some 'plastic' paint .... but the thing is rather plyable and also of indeterminate chemical composition (I was therefore concerned about adverse chemical reaction and cracking etc. etc.).
Then I happened across Rust-oleum 'Peelable' soft touch temporary rubberised coating .... "adheres to metal plastic and glass". It comes in several colours but I used white [albeit that I have no idea how 'white' this thing was from new]. They say it's peelable {i.e. removable} for upto three months - and then full curing makes it totally permanent.
Anyway - I used it and was surprised at a) how thin it was - thereby not clogging or filling-in the decorative embossing, and b) how well it 'obliterated' quite prominent staining. Coats can be applied at twenty minute intervals [I used three] - and it's fully handle-able after an hour.
I'm very happy with the result - albeit that it currently almost looks 'too white' ..... but in my experience, all white rubber takes on a slight 'greyish' appearance after a relatively short time.
So far so good .............
