Thread Number: 30828
/ Tag: Pre-1950 Vacuum Cleaners
Help with bakelite. |
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Post# 341138 , Reply# 1   1/11/2016 at 17:22 (2,998 days old) by bikerray (Middle Earth)   |   | |
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Post# 341139 , Reply# 2   1/11/2016 at 17:23 (2,998 days old) by CoffeeCanMan (Ferndale, MI)   |   | |
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I usually polish Bakelite with either Novus 2 plastic polish or for tough cases, I'll use Mothers Mag & Aluminum polish on it first, then the Novus (with 0000 steel wool as the last resort.) Those products should be on the shelf of anyone that restores old things. The finishing touch is either Mineral Oil, or Avon SSS. Leave it on for a few days and wipe of the excess, then buff. Your Bakelite should look like new.
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Post# 341141 , Reply# 3   1/11/2016 at 17:45 (2,998 days old) by Richie (Cornwall)   |   | |
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Bikerray, It does absolutely stink like a bitter smell when I washed it, but paste wax I may actually have in the depths of my garage. Coffeecanman, steel wool? Sounds harsh but it is deeply oxidised, so I'll give that a go too. Cheers both of you. |
Post# 341181 , Reply# 4   1/12/2016 at 07:58 (2,998 days old) by CoffeeCanMan (Ferndale, MI)   |   | |
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Like I said, only in the most dire of situations would I use steel wool, and only 0000. Yours likely would not need that. Try mothers first. I've polished a TON of old Bakelite telephones, clocks, appliances, vacuums, and car parts using that and Novus 2. Paste wax can also be applied to prolong the shine, but I'd do that after the oil. Bakelite becomes brittle when the oils in it eventually dissipate. The key is to replace those lost oils - it's a porous material and will actually soak up the oil, especially when it is dull and dry looking like the hood of your Hoover.
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Post# 341190 , Reply# 6   1/12/2016 at 11:30 (2,997 days old) by crevicetool (GA )   |   | |
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2nd. |
Post# 341191 , Reply# 7   1/12/2016 at 11:32 (2,997 days old) by crevicetool (GA )   |   | |
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Base. |
Post# 341192 , Reply# 8   1/12/2016 at 11:33 (2,997 days old) by crevicetool (GA )   |   | |
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Finished product: |
Post# 341193 , Reply# 9   1/12/2016 at 11:36 (2,997 days old) by crevicetool (GA )   |   | |
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A WE202 showing lacquering work on the base, and polishing of the E1 Bakelite handset. Before 1. |
Post# 341194 , Reply# 10   1/12/2016 at 11:38 (2,997 days old) by crevicetool (GA )   |   | |
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Before 2: |
Post# 341195 , Reply# 11   1/12/2016 at 11:41 (2,997 days old) by crevicetool (GA )   |   | |
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Finished Product: |
Post# 341196 , Reply# 12   1/12/2016 at 11:43 (2,997 days old) by crevicetool (GA )   |   | |
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Hope this may be of any help to you in your restoration. |
Post# 341201 , Reply# 13   1/12/2016 at 13:10 (2,997 days old) by CoffeeCanMan (Ferndale, MI)   |   | |
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There's nothing wrong with different techniques, we are here to share such information, after all. I tend to be on the conservative side with my restorations, leaving a few scratches and dings vs. aggressively sanding, grinding, or re-painting. Beautiful telephone restorations by the way! I have a 302 on my desk here at the office, and a 202 in the living room at home. They are great, timeless sets.
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