Restoring a G1 handset

[EMpire-3]

The handset on my '54 WE 500 had one of those "in case of emergency, call" stickers from the days before 911 existed. I was able to soak the sicker off with soap and water, but it left a ghost image on the handset. See below.

Can this handset be restored to a smooth shiny finish, removing the mottled wear pattern and eliminating the ghost image? I performed a Simichrome "Bakelite test" and the handset does not appear to be Bakelite. If it's some sort of thermoplastic, can you just buff it out with Novus? Or would you start with sandpaper/micromesh?

One more question: Does the "64" molded into the handset indicate year of manufacture, or is it some sort of part number?

(Click the thumbnails to see a larger image.)

[Dennis Markham]

I'm pretty sure that is a Bakelite G1 handset.  The grove that runs parallel to the handle is the clue.  Yes, the 64 is the manufacture date.  I would say that it can be much improved with Novus2, a good cotton cloth (I like to use a cotton athletic sock) and lots of elbow grease.  There is a thin plastic coating over the outside of the handset.  I'm not sure what kind of plastic that is but I'm sure the handset you show there is Bakelite.  You may not be able to completely remove the ghosts of the stickers but they should fade some.

I use the Novus2 and hand polish doing it over and over until all the old "yellow" no longer comes off on the rag.  I also use my Ryobi buffer to do this.  Lots of friction with Novus will remove a lot of the old dirt and grime.  When the cloth you use no longer turns yellow but instead an ashen color, it's probably as good as it's going to get.

[Phonesrfun]

I agree that G1 is made of bakelite.  I think the G3's were the plastic ones,  The handset pictured also seems to have the earlier holder for the handset cord molded into the transmitter housing, rather than included in the clear plastic transmitter cup as on the later handsets.  They must have still been making this style of handset in 64.  The mottled look on the outside upper surface of the back of the handset is also indicative of the kind of wear that bakelite handsets go through from acids and oils on hands over the years that deteriorate the surface.  Polishing with a buffing wheel is probably the best bet for bakelite.  Manual polishing with Novus 3 will work, but will take a lot of elbow grease, and it is not likely that all of the original shine will come back due to the deterioration.

Just my experience, but I tend to be impatient, and others have achieved much better results than I have.

[Doug Rose]

IF and only IF the handset is bakelite, fine steel wool will bring this back its past glory, with no shadows. The bakelite will shine. Avon Skin so Soft will make it look like new. ....Doug

[Greg G.]

I'm pretty sure that is a Bakelite G1 handset.  The grove that runs parallel to the handle is the clue.  

Learn something new almost every time I log in.  Now I'm going around checking all my G handsets.

[EMpire-3]

Once you guys convinced me that the handset was Bakelite, I did some searches (both on this forum and elsewhere) to try and figure out the best method for refinishing the stuff. What I quickly learned is that if you ask 4 people how to refinish Bakelite, you'll get a minimum of 5 different answers. So I decided to just go with what made the most sense to me and let the chips fall where they may. This is not an expensive phone.

Fortunately, I have an old bench grinder that's been sitting on the shelf for years. So I went and got a couple buffing wheels and two kinds of rouge, reconfigured the grinder as a buffer, and had at it. The buffing wheel did a nice job of making the handset shiny, but the mottling and ghost images - while diminished - were not removed.

Next step was to get some wet & dry sandpaper in 600, 800, and 1000 grit. I worked through all three grits, using plenty of water, then went back to the buffing wheel and worked through the two grades of rouge.

Overall, the results were excellent. The handset is much improved. Any fears I had about sanding Bakelite proved to be unfounded, and the buffing wheel makes a tedious job go much faster.

(Click the thumbnails to see a larger image.)

[Dan/Panther]

I've been working with Bakelite radio cabinets and phones for the better part of the last 7 years. I have to admit, your job is the best I've seen yet.
Please post type of wheel, type of compound, and RPM's of the motor.
Excellent work...

Now where did you buy the new handset ?
D/P

[EMpire-3]

Thanks for the kind words D/P, but there's nothing special in the tools really. I just went down to Home Depot and bought what they had. It's a Ryobi spiral sewn wheel with Ryobi "F" plastic rouge for the initial polishing, followed by a Ryobi cushion sewn wheel with Ryobi "H" white rouge for final polishing. I don't have any specs for my bench grinder but, typically, grinders of this size run at 3400 RPM.

The secret, I think, is not the buffing; it's the wet sanding. I read so many posts around the net that said "Be careful you don't blow through the surface of the Bakelite, exposing the filler underneath!" Then I found a post by a guy on one of the antique radio forums who said he'd been wet sanding Bakelite for years with great results. And he had the pictures to prove it, too... beautifully restored Bakelite radio cabinets that looked like new. He said he usually started with 600 grit, but had gone as strong as 100 grit when it was called for. In his opinion, the oft repeated admonition about "burning through the surface" of Bakelite is overblown.

With my first attempt here, I found that buffing didn't really do much. It made the surface of the Bakelite shiny, but it didn't remove the finish imperfections. You needed to go deeper and actually remove some material... exactly what so many people say you SHOULDN'T do. Once you expose new material, you can bring it to a shine by working through the finer grits of paper (I stopped at 1000, but probably should've gone to 1500 or higher) and finishing on the buffer. The buffing wheel is really just the final step in the process.

[GG]

For what it's worth, my method is to scrub the parts with a dedicated toothbrush and diluted dish detergent, continue scrubbing during the rinse process, dry, and then buff with black compound followed by white compound.  Seems to work pretty well for bakelite, soft plastic, and hard plastic. 

I have an Elektrisk Bureau version of a 332 that's got the dulls, I've been thinking about giving it the treatment.  Might have the hookswitch plungers on that one re-plated too. 

[Greg G.]

Was it one of these?  I use them with my drill.  I really need a bench buffer though.  As far as what to use and how, that's what I found out too, ask 5 people and get 6 answers.  

BUFFING UP THE BAKELITE

Bakelite  - keeping the gloss

[Jim Stettler]

I picked up a 1750rpm double wheel buffer motor at the Abilene show last weekend.
It cost $35.00. It is an old craftsman. The cord is non-polarized 2 conductor, so i will probably change it before I play with the buffer much.
I also need to get buffing pads and  supplies.
Jim

[Dan/Panther]

EMpire-3;
One more question, did you apply any finish polish or oils after the buffing ?

D/P

[EMpire-3]

Brinybay: That's what they call a "spiral sewn" buffing wheel. It's stiffer than a cushion sewn wheel and better suited to coarser grit and faster cutting.

One thing I learned pretty quickly is that the long arbor of a dedicated buffing machine is very desirable. With my bench top grinder, it was sometimes hard to maneuver the piece on the wheel because of the lack of clearance between the wheel and the grinder body. I found myself bumping up against the grinder body and was forced into awkward positions... which is probably unsafe. On a dedicated buffer, the wheel hangs way out there in space and gives you a lot more room to work. I'm thinking I might go price some bench top buffers...

[EMpire-3]

D/P: No finish was applied. What you see is how it came off the buffer. I hope to finish up the caps tonight. Once it's all done I'm going to try polishing with Renaissance Wax. Again, this is one of those things where everyone has an opinion, but Renaissance Wax makes sense to me.

[GG]

When using a highspeed buffer, ALWAYS wear safety goggles, no exceptions.  And always be sure your clothing has no loose ends of any kind and if you have long hair it's tied back safely.  Otherwise one mistake can blind you or kill you.  No exaggeration. 

I use one of those wheels in a thingie that goes in my variable-speed electric drill.  This lets me work at slower speeds that are helpful for getting into the tight spots that might otherwise be missed with a highspeed wheel. 

Slow speeds work as well as fast speeds, they just take longer.  But they are also inherently safer.