How do you restore color to a Bakelite receiver?

[Dennis Markham]

Mike, I have never sprayed anything like that on Bakelite.  I just use Novus2 and polish it and polish it until I get a shine.  Sometimes the shine doesn't return but most often it will.

[ESalter]

I have to agree.  As far as a collector, I wouldn't want to have a phone that had a "fake" finish on it.  If I found one, I'd try to get it cheap, strip the clear off and polish the bakelite.  That's just my opinion.

---Eric

[Telephone Mike]

Thanks for the responses but let me be the devil's advocate here.  Clear coat is used on many things and I wouldn't consider it a "fake" finish since the "true" finish shows through.  Clear coat protects from fading back to the dull finish, should be resistant to chemicals such as skin oil, splashes, etc., and gives it a great shine.  I wouldn't strip down my car and repaint it just because it had clear coat over the original paint.  Also, are Skin So Soft, Novus, Brasso, Kiwi, and MinWax natural finishes to bakelite?  Seems like lots of guys here use them or similar but in the same context, wouldn't those be "fake" finishes? 

[Doug Rose]

Instead of fake, how about natural. It would not be a natural finish for the phone. I agree with the earlier comments, if I found a phone with that finish, I would try to remove it.

Avon SSS soaks into the bakelite and restores a sheen to it. It does not act like a clear coat. Bakelite being porous, sucks in the SSS.

Norvus,Brasso and Noxon bring out the "natural" shine of the Bakelite.

Natural shine and a fake spray on finish are really like comparing apples and oranges.

Just my humble opinion.

Welcome to the Forum.....Doug

[ESalter]

Thanks Doug.  I didn't word my first response very well.  When I said fake, I meant non-original.  I HAVE clearcoated other things to try to preserve a very weathered but original painted finish, but never to create a high luster on a non painted surface.  Bakelite can almost always be restored with a combination of Novus #2 and then black shoe polish.  I personally would try to get a good polished finish out of it that way first.  ---Eric