Hi from a non phone enthusiast

[Jimbob]

I discovered this forum searching for ABS restoration techniques, I am not a phone enthusiast, in fact I never thought about phone restoration until now. Thing is I am here cause I have a couple of ABS control panels that want to get restored. They are made of white ABS, and have no idea how to give them their original shine and smoothness. I have been reading the forum and seems that sanding is a must. from smaller to larger grit number. May I know how many and which grits? After that is time for polishing, seems that the most used compound is novus, but I can't happen to find it around in Spain, any alternative?

Thanks guys, I am really impressed by your restorations and really considering restoring my grandma's phone, I have a couple of them and if I can do it half as good as you, they will look cool AF.

[andy1702]

No need to sand them. Try my technique in this video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0RCxChcycd4&t=119s&spfreload=10

[Jimbob]

Ok, not sure if I will be able to find T-cut around.

[ThePillenwerfer]

T-Cut is meant for polishing scratches out of car paint-work.  If you can't get that brand there'll be something similar available. 

[TelePlay]

There is a wealth of different ways other member have restored ABS in both of these topics, chemical sanding is one of them, bleaching another, there's peroxide treatment and of course, sanding and polishing with any one of several polishes posted as working.

Almost everything that can be offered is in these two forum boards and the choice of what to do is matter of what you feel comfortable with doing, what you think will work best and then trial and error.

     http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?board=23.0

     http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?board=24.0

[HarrySmith]

When working with white ABS I prefer the Peroxide bleaching, will restore color without all the work of sanding. After bleaching a hand polish with Novus or a similar product will restore the luster.

[Dan/Panther]

jimbob;

Welcome.
Just a warning, IF you indeed do restore your Grandma's phone, you will be hopelessly hooked on vintage phones. That';s just the way nature works. It was no accident you came here. Thing is, Phones are all over the globe, so you won't have any trouble finding them.

D/P

[HarrySmith]

jimbob;

Welcome.
Just a warning, IF you indeed do restore your Grandma's phone, you will be hopelessly hooked on vintage phones. That';s just the way nature works. It was no accident you came here. Thing is, Phones are all over the globe, so you won't have any trouble finding them.

D/P

Right, I forgot to warn him about Phoneitis! It is an incurable, progressive disease. All of us started with one phone, now we have huge collections. It does not stop with phones either, there are signs, tools, phonebooks and endless paper goods that become extremely desirable also! Get out now and save yourself!

[Jim Stettler]

I think Harry is exaggerating. Serious collectors may have a few hundred to a few thousand telephones.
To me a huge collection would be over 10,000 telephones. There aren't that many collectors with huge collections.
JMO,
Jim S.
PS i don't think I am a 1/4 of the way to a "huge" collection yet.

[Dan/Panther]

I think Harry is exaggerating. Serious collectors may have a few hundred to a few thousand telephones.
To me a huge collection would be over 10,000 telephones. There aren't that many collectors with huge collections.
JMO,
Jim S.
PS i don't think I am a 1/4 of the way to a "huge" collection yet.

Jim, you are still breathing so never say never. LOL !

D/P

[Jimbob]

Haha thanks guys, I think I'm safe in the phone side, I live abroad lots of stuff in boxes in a storage place so not much time for my hobbies or access to materials. Going back for August, so plan to invest some time into this. If anything I am more afraid of ruining the plastic, I have heard peroxide make the plastic brittle and also isn't permanent, I feel more confident with sanding and polishing, plus as the ABS is in a control panel it has plenty of scuffs and marks.
I think T-cut is a much more accessible product where I leave than novus, not sure if the results will be as good as Novus 3.2.1...

[andy1702]

If you can't find T-Cut, try the traditional liquid version of Brasso metal polish. It's pretty much the same thing.

[Jimbob]

Found T Cut! So I can basically used any polish? No us is for plastic T Cut for paint and brasso for metal, but all can be used in plastic?

[ThePillenwerfer]

T-Cut and Brasso are both mildly abrasive so will remove the scratches left by the finest grade of abrasive paper you used.  It's this mild abrasion that matters, not the product's intended purpose.

[Jimbob]

I see. So that abrasion is good enough for a smooth finish?