I have a restoration project of an older vacuum with a thick ABS plastic body that originally had a rough pebble like finish. The finish has been worn smooth in places and I wish to restore the original look.
Bead blasting came out too smooth. I tried using a solvent to soften the plastic and then dab the end of a paint brush into the plastic repeatedly until it hardened. Then I took the high spots down with a fresh Scotchbrite pad. This gave a good texture but left dirt in the plastic from the brush. Tonight or tomorrow night I am going to try using solvent to clean the dirt out and try again with a brand new natural fiber brush (so the solvent wont attack the bristles) and see what happens.
Has anyone tried any other kind of media like silicon carbide, alumina or garnet blasting, or maybe roto-peening to restore these old rough finishes? Or any other ideas?
Comes to the Rescue!
