Bakelite cabinets; rebuilding shattered sections.

[Phil G4SPZ]

A friend has acquired an AD75 (lucky man! ) which is complete but has a badly damaged cabinet, which he has asked me to repair.

The cabinet is in pieces, although most of the bits are present except for a small piece from the top rear of the brown Bakelite cabinet. A repair using Araldite is possible but will probably remain visible.

My friend wonders if Ekco originally made the AD75 in black, and, if so, would it be ethical to repair the cabinet and disguise the repair by over-painting it? I realise it may reduce the set's value - good specimens sell for over £500 - but which is best, a brown AD75 with a visibly repaired cabinet, or a black AD75 that looks perfect?

I don't like Bakelite myself and am not really skilled in working with it. However, this is probably the nearest I'll ever come to such an iconic set. Any suggestions from a more experienced restorer would be welcome!

Phil

[Robert-UK]

Phil -

I guess you'll get almost as many views as there are people on this forum! For my 2p worth I'd say that an honest repair, even if it's visible, is better than trying to make the set out as something it isn't.

I'd say that the golden rule is to try not to make any restoration irreversible - it leaves the options open for future generations...

Robert

[Radio_Dave]

Hi Phil,

To give you encouragement I've attached a couple of photos (before and after) of my Ekco A23 which had some nasty damage. I stuck the parts I had back together with superglue, for the bits that were missing I used car body filler, sanded and then painted with Vauxhall Brazilan Brown from an aerosol.

I would recommend using superglue rather than Araldite as the joins will be much tighter and I know from experience that it is very strong .

The only difficult part was sanding and shaping all that filler with P400 wet and dry, anything coarser would leave marks on the bakelite.

HTH
David

[Paul Stenning]

I don't know if the AD75 was made in black, but I agree with gluing and painting (either black or brown as appropriate). The set would look repaired (especially in the inside - the outside should look good but not original) so there is no claim of deceiving anyone. Since the set is probably worth very little in its current state, whatever you do will be an improvement!

Superglue works well if you can position the parts together before gluing, by taping them together on the outside, then apply the glue to the crack on the inside. So it's good for cracks and minor breaks.

Trying to apply superglue to an edge then piecing them together is not so successful, partly because some of the glue will be drying before you get to the assembly point, and partly because you have to get the pieces together correct first time and very quickly. There is no time to wiggle them a bit and press then together - the glue will already have set.

With the sort of damage you are talking about I would go for Araldite - preferably the standard rather than "rapid" variety.

[mickjjo]

It is worth noting that the black Ekco models usually would have had complimentary chrome fittings such as knob covers and grille bars, so painting a set that was originally brown with black paint might look a bit odd without the shiny bits being added, .

Regards, Mick. .

[Nickthedentist]

Originally Posted by Paul Stenning

With the sort of damage you are talking about I would go for Araldite - preferably the standard rather than "rapid" variety.

Yep, I had a nasty experience with Araldite Rapid.

I started the repair using the standard stuff. It was very easy to apply a little to the broken edges, press them together, then clean off the excess from the cabinet exterior using a rag soaked in IPA.

Eventually, it ran out so I had to use the rapid version instead (all I had at home). By the time I'd got round to attempting clean-up though, it had started to set and was impossible to remove. Luckily enough, it was on the underneath of the set.

I think the standard sort is somewhat stronger too.

Nick.

[Paul Stenning]

Originally Posted by Nickthedentist

I think the standard sort is somewhat stronger too.

I think so too. It seems to set hard whereas the "rapid" remains a bit pliable.

[Aerodyne]

For my part, I'd agree with most of the comments made here. Superglue is ideal as long as parts are a snug fit - capillary action lets the stuff creep into and along joints. Araldite is probably stronger but it doesn't like sticking to very shiny Bakelite (not that there should be any problem with cracked edges in that respect). Fast Araldite definitely is not as strong as standard stuff in my experience. You may need to add reinforcement internally where broken sections carry the chassis weight. I use glass mat and stick it into place with liquid resin plus hardener (car accessory shops, Isopon). The surfaces to be treated need roughing for a secure key with coarse emery. It is also possible to mimic the swirls of 'Walnut' Bakelite by adding - using a fine watercolour brush - touches of black into the still wet brown paint. Using aerosol paint, you have to work extremely quickly. Spray black paint into spraycan lid and dip brush in to pick up the paint. Experimenting pays off. You can always clean it off and start again. Alternatively, using masking to avoid overspray, spray with the brown the a quick, light 'flash' with black.
Try NOT to paint the set black. That's got to be a last resort, IMHO.
Good luck!
_Tony

[Phil G4SPZ]

Thanks very much to all the Bakelite fans who have taken the time to respond. Seeing Radio Dave's immaculately repaired brown Ekco has given me the courage to have a go at repairing the AD75 - and not paint it black! I might even get a few cans of Vauxhall Brazilian Brown, which seems to be the paint of choice, to mask the repaired areas.

Regards to all, thanks again,

Phil

[Nickthedentist]

Originally Posted by G4SPZ

Seeing Radio Dave's immaculately repaired brown Ekco has given me the courage to have a go at repairing the AD75 - and not paint it black! I might even get a few cans of Vauxhall Brazilian Brown, which seems to be the paint of choice, to mask the repaired areas.

Yes, Dave's repair work is absolutely amazing!

But if the damage were less catastrophic, I would personally prefer to see a few faintly-visible repair lines than have the all the Bakelite's character obliterated by brown paint.

BTW, make sure your Araldite is nice and warm when you use it, or else it will be rather too viscous, which could result in the pieces not meeting perfectly

Nick

[Brased]

On the subject of using Araldite, I was advised by a CIBA representative years ago that a stronger joint results if the joint is warmed during the curing period. Temperatures up to 121°C are quoted in the earlier leaflets. This also reduces the setting period very considerably. This was normal practice at the firm where I was working. I suspect that as the mixture becomes more fluid when warm this may help it to penetrate joints better.

Obviously the permitted temperature may be limited by the nature of the materials being joined. The rep also emphasised that the adhesive and hardener should be very thoroughly mixed for the best results.

Edward

[Nickthedentist]

Originally Posted by Brased

On the subject of using Araldite, I was advised by a CIBA representative years ago that a stronger joint results if the joint is warmed during the curing period. Temperatures up to 121°C are quoted in the earlier leaflets.

Yes, the leaflets used to be a mine of useful information.

Originally Posted by Brased

The rep also emphasised that the adhesive and hardener should be very thoroughly mixed for the best results.

This is a common reason for the glue staying slightly tacky for days on end. It's quite hard to mix because the colours of the 2 components are similar (unlike dental stuff, where manufacturers strive to use contrasting colours to aid perfect mixing). Use of a stiff mixing instrument (e.g. a lolly stick) and repeatedly scraping up all the material from the mixing surface helps.

Nick.