Recolouring Rexine on a Bush MB60

[Robert Darwent]

Hi All

Advice please on recolouring the red rexine on a Bush MB60?

The rexine on the example I have is in an overall good condition without any tears or worn patches. Its colour is just faded in places and uneven.

I've heard that repainting the rexine on an MB60 in Volkwagen Gambia Red car paint works well.

Just wondered if anyone has an alternative method of restoring the colour without having to resort to repainting?

Many thanks,

Robert

[Darren-UK]

You're lucky in that there's no tears or worn patches . The faded and worn areas may revive with red shoe polish; do the faded areas first, then go over the entire rexine with same polish, buff well and then give whole another going over with ordinary furniture polish. Check first to ensure the shade of red ( of the polish ) is a reasonable match though.

On the subject of painting, I too have done this on various radios in various colours. If you do have to resort to this, first clean the rexine to remove any muck and/or polish, then thin down some enamel paint ( Humbrol etc ) to an almost watery consistency then brush it on - taking extreme care not to let it run anywhere it shouldn't. It will penetrate the rexine, up to a point anyway, and thus act like a dye.

[GJR 11L]

Hello Robert,
Here a pic or three of my MB60. Like yours it has no damage to the rexine, but was a bit grubby and lost some colour when I performed a very necessary bit of cleaning on it.
I used red shoe cream from Lilley & Skinner (Stead and Simpson in some areas I believe) though presumably the much-praised Meltonian would work just as well, as would Colour Magic car polish.

The finish looks a little bright under the flash, but in the flesh is exactly the same as the colour of the original bits underneath that weren't discoloured before restoration.

[Robert Darwent]

Thanks for your reply Darren, much appreciated.


Hello John

The colour on your MB60 looks superb. Really even and rich. My MB60 looks similar but only on the the 2 inches either side of the feet underneath

Been considering using Dark Red Color Magic wax before you suggested it. Would prefer trying a wax or similar before trying a paint job.

Not heard of the red shoe cream you used. Could you point me in the right direction as regards a supplier for it?

Regards,

Robert

[Radio_Dave]

Hi Robert,

My MB60 was so bad that I had to paint it. You can read about it here; https://www.vintage-radio.net/forum/...highlight=mb60
Should you decide to spray it, just make sure that you do a few 'dry' coats before doing 'wet' coats as it, probably, could melt the rexine if spayed too thick.

David

[GJR 11L]

Hi Robert, it's an own-brand product from The Lilley and Skinner chain of shoe shops, I believe they're also known as Stead and Simpson in some areas. The product is pretty much identical to the well-regarded "Meltonian" brand, but I have found that hard to find recently.

If anything, the shoe cream does go on to and is absorbed by the rexine in a much more willing manner than the "Colour Magic" which is also hideously expensive by comparison.

As I said, mine only looked like that on those hidden parts underneath to start with, but after scrubbing with scouring cream (don't use one that contains bleaching agents) on a nailbrush (use a soft one or you will take the pattern out of the rexine) and rinsing with a slightly damp sponge, then working the polish into the rexine with the end of a finger wrapped in a duster, the colour returned to the covering and was given a final wipe over with a brand new, clean duster that was washed on a 95 degree cycle first to take the yellow dye out of it. Doing this gives a pleasing finish that won't look too shiny and also removes excess polish so the set can be handled without leaving red marks all over your visitors!

I reckon that the whole task, from the point of starting with a bare cabinet centre section to giving it that final, gentle polish took around six hours, but it was either do that to the scruffy, sub-£30 example that this was, or spend more to get one that may have required the same routine anyway. And where's the fun in that?

Good luck with your set, they are lovely old things and that mellow sound and the wonderful shape are things of which I'll never grow tired.

[batterymaker1]

On really BAD finishes, I wonder if automotive vinyl dye would work? The stuff that you'd use to dye vinyl upholstery with?

[GJR 11L]

In a word, Bill, yes. The product I have in mind is called Vinylcote and I had some left over from car-related use which I then used on a red Roberts RT1 cabinet. It is amazing stuff, especially as it changed a rexine car seat from black to bright red in colour with no problems whatsoever yet is fine enough not to look unnnaturally shiny or thick on the smaller areas of the typical older radio.

I would still recommend the shoe cream over any of the other products talked about here though, it cost less than £3 GB for a pot of it which is far the cheapest solution for those rexine, vinyl and leather surfaces where there are no big areas of damage or breaks in the material.

[Robert Darwent]

Thanks to all the members who replied. Appreciate your advice

Just been to my closest Lilley & Skinner branch and purchased some of their red shoe cream. Will post some before and after images when I've recoloured the rexine and got the set back together.

Again many thanks,

Robert