What do I use to clean and polish brown backelite? - Printable Version
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RE: What do I use to clean and polish brown backelite? - Ron Ramirez - 05-20-2016
(05-20-2016, 12:00 PM)Eliot Ness Wrote: ...but guys also rave about Metal Armor and Mother's for use on radios.
Raving? Hardly. I never even thought of using Mother's on Bakelite until the day that I decided to install my Canadian Philco 35A (Tropic 41-712 equivalent) in a better Bakelite cabinet salvaged from a Philco 42-121CB farm set.
The original 35A cabinet had been spray painted ivory. The 42-121CB cabinet was solid...just dirty.
Sam now has the 42-121 chassis inside the 35A ivory cabinet, I believe.
Not wanting to go looking for my limited supply of Brasso, I decided to try what was on my bench at the time...Mothers...and was I ever surprised! No, it does not have a super-shiny finish now, but it does have a good sheen that is equivalent to a semi-gloss. I'm very happy with it. And as mentioned before, it did not leave the residue behind in crevices that old formula Brasso does.
I'll have to try the Satin Gloss Metal Polish sometime.
Mike, a lot of elbow grease (rubbing) goes a long way...
RE: What do I use to clean and polish brown backelite? - morzh - 05-20-2016
So how long saybI keep rubbing a spot to get it shiny? And how much pressure? How much paste per unit area?
RE: What do I use to clean and polish brown backelite? - Ron Ramirez - 05-20-2016
I'm not being a smarty when I answer...but honestly...my best answer is, "as long as it takes." How much pressure? Not enough to risk breaking the cabinet, of course; a moderate pressure should suffice. As to how much paste per unit area, you're starting to sound like an engineer.
Sort of like the old Brylcreem ads - a little dab'll do ya. Add more as needed.Remember, I mentioned that my 41-712 is not super-glossy; it is a semi-gloss or a very good sheen. I am very pleased with it.
RE: What do I use to clean and polish brown backelite? - morzh - 05-20-2016
I have no gloss except at the bottom where it was not exposed. There it is glossy....or has sheen.
"a little dab'll do ya" - McMurphy said that when the nurse was slathering the conductive gel for electroshock
RE: What do I use to clean and polish brown backelite? - Ron Ramirez - 05-20-2016
Mike, it sounds like your cabinet may have lost its thin outer glossy layer; in which case, if you really want it to shine, you will have to rub it down with mineral spirits (to get rid of any wax residue) and spray it with clear gloss lacquer.
RE: What do I use to clean and polish brown backelite? - morzh - 05-20-2016
Yep. What lackuer is good for this? And how many coats?
RE: What do I use to clean and polish brown backelite? - Eliot Ness - 05-21-2016
(05-20-2016, 08:13 PM)Ron Ramirez Wrote: Raving? Hardly. I never even thought of using Mother's on Bakelite until the day that I decided to install my Canadian Philco 35A (Tropic 41-712 equivalent) in a better Bakelite cabinet salvaged from a Philco 42-121CB ......
I wasn't really referring to "you" raving about Mother's as much as many others "highly recommending" Metal Armor. Although you're not the only person who has suggested Mother's, I suspect many metal polishes will work well as long as the abrasives are not too coarse.
Mike, you can spray it with clear lacquer. Add as many coats as needed to obtain the gloss you want.
RE: What do I use to clean and polish brown backelite? - Squire - 05-21-2016
Before you lacquer it, try the shoe polish. Just regular Kiwi brown shoe polish. Use a wet cotton ball and I mean wet. Do a small area at a time, rubbing in small circles for a minute or so and then wipe it dry and buff it. I've gotten great results.
RE: What do I use to clean and polish brown backelite? - Eliot Ness - 05-21-2016
(05-21-2016, 02:02 AM)Squire Wrote: Before you lacquer it, try the shoe polish. Just regular Kiwi brown shoe polish. Use a wet cotton ball and I mean wet. Do a small area at a time, rubbing in small circles for a minute or so and then wipe it dry and buff it. I've gotten great results.
Great tip that my buddy Terry also highly recommends.... sorry that I forgot to suggest it. I'd just try applying it the normal way first and then if that isn't enough gloss use the wet cotton ball that Squire suggests. If it would spit shine the toes of my combat boots to a mirror like shine it should work on Bakelite.
RE: What do I use to clean and polish brown backelite? - morzh - 05-21-2016
There was a time in my life when I used shoe polish. And buff cloth.
Easy enough.... wouldn't it though wear out? Or be sensitive to touching?
RE: What do I use to clean and polish brown backelite? - Squire - 05-21-2016
(05-21-2016, 09:24 AM)morzh Wrote: There was a time in my life when I used shoe polish. And buff cloth.Nope. It actually polishes the Bakelite and gives it a great shine!
Easy enough.... wouldn't it though wear out? Or be sensitive to touching?
RE: What do I use to clean and polish brown backelite? - morzh - 05-22-2016
(05-21-2016, 10:42 PM)Squire Wrote:(05-21-2016, 09:24 AM)morzh Wrote: There was a time in my life when I used shoe polish. And buff cloth.Nope. It actually polishes the Bakelite and gives it a great shine!
Easy enough.... wouldn't it though wear out? Or be sensitive to touching?
....and smell!
RE: What do I use to clean and polish brown backelite? - Eliot Ness - 05-22-2016
(05-22-2016, 10:34 AM)morzh Wrote: ....and smell!
You might like the smell so much you'll start wearing "freshly shined" brogans to work again
RE: What do I use to clean and polish brown backelite? - morzh - 05-22-2016
I know. I did like the smell when I was using it.
It is terpentine mostly.
I in fact do like all these things, turpentine, mineral spirits, DW40 etc smells, gasoline, kerosene...
But not everyone does.
RE: What do I use to clean and polish brown backelite? - Squire - 05-22-2016
I like the smell of shoe polish and it doesn't make the cabinet smell for any real length of time. Once you buff it out the smell is pretty much gone. Check out this RCA 45 player I did recently: