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Cabinet and Chassis Restoration and Refinishing For help with cabinet or chassis restoration (non-electrical), please leave a message here. |
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6th Mar 2017, 4:59 pm | #1 |
Pentode
Join Date: Mar 2017
Location: Rossendale, Lancashire, UK.
Posts: 141
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Rexine cleaning?
I am new as a member to the forum, but have exclusively been collecting Roberts Radios for quite some time, and have gotten myself quite a collection.
I'm in no way a radio techie, nor am I master of anything radio, but I do dabble, and am quite adept at swapping out components, cleaning pots, soldering etc, lots with thanks to the posts on this forum. One issue I would like some help with, is cleaning rexine. Whatever I try (always in an inconspicuous area first) it seems to remove the colour. I have just taken in a spares/repair P5A, in blue, and this is much the same, small wipe of the rexine with anything mildly moist removes the colour. I would like to clean the years of grubbiness from this set, and bring out the shine, as despite being described as 'spares' by the vendor, it was revived / repaired electrically by me simply by reflowing several solder points, and it works very well. I'd like this, and some of my other rexine covered sets to scrub up well, but what with? Any and all help appreciated! |
6th Mar 2017, 5:53 pm | #2 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Chesterfield, Derbyshire, UK.
Posts: 3,766
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Re: Rexine cleaning?
I have found leather dye excellent for restoring faded rexine found on E bay. PS have we gone American hope not ! Gotten ? .Mick.
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6th Mar 2017, 6:28 pm | #3 |
Pentode
Join Date: Mar 2017
Location: Rossendale, Lancashire, UK.
Posts: 141
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Re: Rexine cleaning?
Thanks Mick. It's not so much restoring the colour, as removing the years of grime without 'also' removing the colour.
One option, as I have done with a few other sets where the finish was beyond repair, is to re-cover it. I am hesitant to do so with this, as generally the P5A is a good, working, & otherwise untouched set, and I would like to restore it, bring it back cosmetically to as-was. Not 'gotten' American, (Gotten is a middle English word that we simply don't use anymore) I've just a 'multi-national' life history - well travelled |
6th Mar 2017, 6:44 pm | #4 | |
Guest
Posts: n/a
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Re: Rexine cleaning?
Or shoe polish, that renders it a bit more waterproof too.
Quote:
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6th Mar 2017, 7:05 pm | #5 | |
Pentode
Join Date: Mar 2017
Location: Rossendale, Lancashire, UK.
Posts: 141
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Re: Rexine cleaning?
Quote:
It's already the original blue colour, and has the potential to be lovely again, and cleaned without removing the colour whilst doing so is what I'm after. I need to remove grease spots & 80 years worth of skincells from the finish. It has probably never had a clean in its' life! I had a few similarly grotty R737s which the finish faded with every wipe, and that was just with a damp cloth. they looked so shocking after I'd gone over them, that I recovered and resprayed both to improve the appearance / hide my mistake |
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6th Mar 2017, 7:40 pm | #6 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Chesterfield, Derbyshire, UK.
Posts: 3,766
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Re: Rexine cleaning?
Sorry! I don't know why but when I hear it ,it makes me cringe I don't recall hearing it before in the UK Mick.
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6th Mar 2017, 7:46 pm | #7 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Cornwall, UK.
Posts: 13,454
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Re: Rexine cleaning?
I've used the word gotten many times, no problem.
Lawrence. |
6th Mar 2017, 8:04 pm | #8 |
Moderator
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Exeter, Devon and Poole, Dorset UK.
Posts: 6,878
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Re: Rexine cleaning?
Agree with Lawrence
Gotten often used in our family ( we are all Cornish ) Doesn't sound American from my perspective Cheers Mike T
__________________
Invisible airwaves crackle with life or at least they used to Mike T BVWS member. www.cossor.co.uk |
6th Mar 2017, 8:16 pm | #9 |
Octode
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: Barnsley, South Yorkshire, UK.
Posts: 1,517
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Re: Rexine cleaning?
"Stardrops" with ammonia ( the milky looking version ) never known it to damage a finish. Start with it diluted if you wish (around an egg-cup full in half a small bucket of warm water), but I've used it 'neat' on really dirty stuff. Great for cable cleaning too; pour neat on to a damp cloth and drag the cable through - comes up like new.
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6th Mar 2017, 8:40 pm | #10 |
Pentode
Join Date: Mar 2017
Location: Rossendale, Lancashire, UK.
Posts: 141
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Re: Rexine cleaning?
I'll give the Stardrops a go - I'm sure my better half will have some in the lady cupboard...
I only ask what works for others as I have tried all manner of liquidy things over the years, and the result is always the same, a dye-stained cloth, and a faded radio covering |
6th Mar 2017, 10:12 pm | #11 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Wiltshire, UK.
Posts: 14,007
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Re: Rexine cleaning?
In the classic-car world the general restorer for anything-but-Connolly-leather trim is "Gliptone".
In times-past we used "Meltonian" cream on our patent-leather shoes to good glossy effect too. I've not seen this for ages though. |
6th Mar 2017, 11:02 pm | #12 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Whittlesey, near Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, UK.
Posts: 3,763
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Re: Rexine cleaning?
I've had success without loss of colour with Swarfega hand cleaner. The green one, not the orange, which has abrasives in it.
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6th Mar 2017, 11:34 pm | #13 |
Pentode
Join Date: Mar 2017
Location: Rossendale, Lancashire, UK.
Posts: 141
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Re: Rexine cleaning?
Thanks, will give that a go as I have a tub of Swarfega in the man-lab - something I'd certainly never considered, but sounds almost credible...
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7th Mar 2017, 2:22 am | #14 |
Banned
Join Date: Dec 2013
Location: Middlewich, Cheshire, UK. & Winter in the Philippines.
Posts: 3,897
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Re: Rexine cleaning?
Swarfega is a mix of detergent and white spirit I was told, either may remove colour. The old Rexine was never designed to last so long, its an oil based coating on paper backing. I have used toothpaste in the past, slightly abrasive.
Last edited by Boater Sam; 7th Mar 2017 at 2:24 am. Reason: added |
7th Mar 2017, 9:56 am | #15 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Oxford, UK.
Posts: 17,865
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Re: Rexine cleaning?
I've been working on a fairly filthy P5A too, but in red which shows the grime even more than yours would.
Whatever I tried shifted as much of the red colouring as it did the grime. In the end, I use Cif and a nail brush and warm water, then resorted to shoe dye and wax to restore the rather faded and blotchy mess that was left. |
7th Mar 2017, 10:22 am | #16 |
Pentode
Join Date: Mar 2017
Location: Rossendale, Lancashire, UK.
Posts: 141
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Re: Rexine cleaning?
Thanks for all the suggestions so far, I will give each a try later today and post back here with the results.
It might just for the be that Rexine was never designed to last 70 years on the P5A without losing it's colour... I suppose that another option I have is to learn how to re-cover it completely with new leathercloth, I have studied the threads on here about leathercloth from Ratchfords, and might end up going down that route, if I can convince myself that I can indeed undertake such a mammoth task on the P5A - it would certainly be a lot less daunting task on a Rambler! I feel your pain! |
7th Mar 2017, 10:33 am | #17 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: East Sussex, UK.
Posts: 3,326
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Re: Rexine cleaning?
If you decide to recover it, take photos and notes of where the existing joins are. It will help you with the task.
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7th Mar 2017, 10:41 am | #18 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Oxford, UK.
Posts: 17,865
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Re: Rexine cleaning?
The Rexine on mine was fairly tatty to start with, peeling and bubbly in places, slightly torn in others. At least this made me feel that I had nothing to lose by attempting to clean it.
I will try to take some photos of the finished set and post before, during and after photos. Yours really looks rather good with a nice shine and a clean grille cloth. I would be tempted just to try blue shoe polish and avoid any aggressive cleaning at all. P.S. See this thread about Evaporust. I found it worked wonders on the catches, hinges and screws on my set: http://www.vintage-radio.net/forum/s...d.php?t=127151 Last edited by Nickthedentist; 7th Mar 2017 at 10:46 am. |
7th Mar 2017, 10:53 am | #19 | |
Dekatron
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Oxford, UK.
Posts: 17,865
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Re: Rexine cleaning?
Off-topic for this thread, I know, but it bears saying:
Quote:
Back to the Rexine now... |
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7th Mar 2017, 11:28 am | #20 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Chesterfield, Derbyshire, UK.
Posts: 3,766
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Re: Rexine cleaning?
I still say try leather dye it works for me . Mick.
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