Bakelite scratches

[cmjones01]

I'm more of an electronics guy than a cabinet restoration one, but I've just done a mechanical repair to a lovely little 'Record Minor' insulation tester I bought at WB. It's in what I believe to be a bakelite case, with a mottled dark brown finish. There are some dimples in the base which look like they should contain cork or rubber feet. Said feet have disappeared, so winding the generator handle on grubby surfaces has scratched the bakelite - see attached photo.

Is this what I need Paste Polishing No. 5 for? I intend to replace the feet to stop it happening again, of course.

[Boom]

Very fine emery cloth then polish #5

[cmjones01]

Ah, excellent, thank you. I have some 1000 grit here which I use for cleaning soldering iron bits and things - that should be just the ticket, I suppose?

[ianm]

I'd be inclined to try the #5 polish without the emery cloth first. If the result is satisfactory, no further action will be required.

A number of good threads about polishing bakelite have appeared on the forum in the past, so it's well worth searching through the archives.

[cmjones01]

The scratches are surprisingly deep, so much so that 1000 grit doesn't make much of an impression on them. I'll search the forum for polishing advice and see what I can achieve!

[Boom]

I have been known to use a sanding disc on a drill for very deep scratches on bakelite and then polish with fine paper, T-Cut and #5.

[David G4EBT]

Originally Posted by David Tilley

I have been known to use a sanding disc on a drill for very deep scratches on bakelite and then polish with fine paper, T-Cut and #5.

You can get hard foam sanding discs with a 1/4" shaft which fits into a drill chuck, from firms that supply woodturners. (EG Axminster, Turners' Retreat etc). The pad flexes a little, and is faced with velcro, to which 2" diam discs backed with loops to enable them to adhere to the velcro, are attached.

The discs come in all grades from 60 grit (fierce!) to at least 400 grit.

They're not expensive.

I use these discs extensively in woodturning to finish the inside and outside of bowls etc on the lathe. To do it any other way (eg, holding a small piece of paper in the hand, against the rotating item) will leave circular score marks as the lathe rotates.

It's no good skipping a grit as you'll never get deep score marks out. For example, you need to go from 80 to 120, 180, 240, 320, 400. Skip any of these and any attempt to end up with a smooth finish is doomed to failure.

I'm not sure how much you can take off the surface of Bakelite - I wouldn't have thought that you could bring it back to a good finish in quite the same way that you can with wood.

I've never used T Cut on bakelite - only bakelite polish. T Cut seems a bit coarse for my liking.

The only way to find out how much you can take off the depth of bakelite would be to try it on something that doesn't matter, which would preclude a coveted piece of gear. I could live with a few scratches which are the ravages of time - I'm not sure I could live with a botched attempt to remove them.

No-one would dream of taking sandpaper to antique furniture to "make it look like new". Patina is everything!

David,
G4EBT

[Aerodyne]

I wouldn't have thought that you could bring it back to a good finish in quite the same way that you can with wood.

Right - if you overcut the surface it is liable to become patchy in colour as the fillers are exposed. If the scratches are underneath and don't show, I'd leave well alone. Otherwise, a quick fix is to 'fill' them with coloured wax (perhaps melting a suitably tinted child's crayon). Scrape down very carefully to level with a sharp blade, perhaps a Stanley knife blade.
Sanding should be done with wet/dry papers used wet, lubricated with soap and water. This prevents the release of unpleasant dust and makes for efficient waste removal.
-Tony