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New to Polishing Bakelite and could use some help

Started by AlainC, February 21, 2019, 01:37:37 PM

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AlainC

Here's the pic of the cap... ( again, sorry for the quality of the pics... I only have the camera that's in my phone )

Key2871

That's after cleaning? Than you need to try a polish first see if that helps rid of the crap showing. Novis or rubbing compound should make a difference in the finish.
KEN

kleenax

Quote from: AlainC on February 24, 2019, 03:44:47 PM
Here's the pic of the cap... ( again, sorry for the quality of the pics... I only have the camera that's in my phone )
What you see are the fibrous material that is used to hold the bakelite material together during the heated molding process. If you see that, NO amount of polishing will bring it back; sorry. There should have been a "finish layer" of shiny on that handset, to cover the fibrous inner layer, but it's gone. It's the same as gelcoat on a fiberglass boat.

Trying to make that handset shiny will never happen, and it will just frustrate you to no end.
Ray Kotke
Recumbent Casting, LLC

Jim Stettler

Quote from: kleenax on February 24, 2019, 09:45:01 PM
What you see are the fibrous material that is used to hold the bakelite material together during the heated molding process.  NO amount of polishing will bring it back;
Black shoe polish will help hide the fiber and will make the handset look nicer. It is probably the best fix for this handset.
The best repair would be to replace the handset.
JMO,
Jim S.
You live, You learn,
You die, you forget it all.

AlainC

Thanks for your offer for an handset, Kleenax, but right now, since I won't use my phone and it's only for display purposes, I'll probably put tung oil or use shoe polish. Your right about the gelcoat on a fiberglass boat. You can do some kind of repair up to a point on small surfaces, but once it's gone all over the entire boat...

Alain

AlainC

Finished project... AE40
That's the best I could do, considering that this phone had lost it's original "shiny layer" over the years.

Thanks everyone for your replies, it was very kind of you !

Alain