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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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3rd Jan 2012, 11:59 am | #1 |
Retired Dormant Member
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: Bath
Posts: 49
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Restoring a bakelite case.
Split from this thread as off topic:-
https://www.vintage-radio.net/forum/...ad.php?t=78030 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Have you any advise to offer regarding restoring a Bakelite case? How can one bring it back to something like original? |
3rd Jan 2012, 12:48 pm | #2 |
Octode
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: Hampton Vale, Peterborough, UK.
Posts: 1,698
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Re: Restoring a bakelite case.
Assuming no cracks and no roughness of the surface, Brasso metal polish with revive the shine. Bake-O-Bryte polish (paste, polishing, No. 6 as used on Bakelite telephones is also good but possibly after Brasso). T-Cut car polishing compound works well on really dulled Bakelite.
Personally I always wash cabinets - foam cleanser, hot water with washing-up liquid and a quick dry with a towel and a hair dryer, don't leave Bakelite wet for any length of time. It dries dull ready for polishing. Wax polish is not my favourite as it seems to leave a stickiness on the surfaces. -Tony I feel sure others will come forward with their suggestions too. |
3rd Jan 2012, 2:43 pm | #3 |
Heptode
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Selby, North Yorkshire, UK.
Posts: 979
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Re: Restoring a bakelite case.
I found that the coloured T-cut works extremely well on very tired looking Bakelite, but they don't seem to make it in brown any more. If it's a dark brown Bakelite case, then the black one works well without darkening it too much. I did one of my Ferranti clocks with it, and it came up nicely.
These are a fine cutting compound (so take out the scratches making it look dull) combined with a mild degreaser, a wax based polish and a mild dye (which helps even out differences in fading across a car body panel for example). If it's a nicely patterned Bakelite then I'd be tempted not to use the coloured T-cut, and stick to the plain stuff. Ultimately it comes down to whatever slightly abrasive compound you like best - Brasso, T-Cut, Paste No. 6 etc., followed by some sort of wax or polish to seal the surface and protect it. |
3rd Jan 2012, 3:53 pm | #4 |
Retired Dormant Member
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: Bath
Posts: 49
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Re: Restoring a bakelite case.
Thank you both for the advice. This will be my first attempt at restoring a valve radio. I chose the case first then move onto the inner parts, those masses of dark corners and coloured bits scare me still of course, but I am determined to overcome the task before me.
Terry |