Bakelite Polish

[Jim Stettler]

Novus can be found at some Motorcycle shops and some boat shops.
"Let you fingers do the walking"



Regarding buffing. Before I joined the forum a list member suggested using a ryobi buffer and linked Jorge's photo alblum as an inspirational example.

Jim.

[Netdewt]

What kind of cloth do you use for hand polishing?

[finlover]

Terry cloth would be okay, but I like to use a guiar polishing cloth, which is available from your local music store.  They're not expensive and are really soft.

[rp2813]

I ordered some Glayzit from "Radiodaze" and am waiting for it to arrive.  I'm not at all happy with their on-line ordering process or their lack or response to my order.  I had to e-mail them to find out of the order even went through.  Their reply was that my package shipped out a week ago today, yet I'm still waiting to receive it. 

Until they get their act together, I'm advising members to avoid them if you can find the product elsewhere.

[savageje]

Hats off to whoever bought the first Ryobi.  For 25 bucks or less, it sure is a big help.  I bought one about 6 weeks ago and my phones look a lot better than when I just did hand polishing.  However, some of the polishing jobs I have seen on here put mine to shame.  Somebody else in another post suggested a power shoe polisher (which has a smaller pad than the Ryobi), but I haven't tried that yet.  I'm thinking it might help for smaller areas like the back of an AE40 or between a 500 set's cradle ears.  I can never quite get those areas good enough to satisfy me.

[cihensley@aol.com]

You can make a buffer for about $100. You need a 3/4 to 1 HP electric motor. A slave pulley to step down the speed from your drive pulley Most electric motors turn about 3400 RPM. You need to step down to about 1000 RPM so you won't burn plastic. A mandrel to hold the buffing wheels. With this kind of buffer you get better control and are able to hold the item you are buffing in two hands. Below are a couple of pictures of the one I built. Not much to look at, but it gets the job done. I got the concept from a collector in B.C. who posted a picture of his on some Web site I came across.

On another note, someone in this thread suggested Pledge wax. Use Pledge Future floor wax ( or polisher?) It give a translucent shine. It is used by model makers for a shiny finish - cars, airplane canopies, etc. I apply it with an airbrush, but you can apply it with a cloth ( no one uses an airbrush on a floor0 You don't have polish it, just let it dry. It is available at most supermarkets and hardware stores. Use ammonia to take it off if you don't like the result

[JorgeAmely]

Chuck:

Can you take a few more pictures around the unit?

Thanks in advance.

[rp2813]

The Glayzit arrived.  I don't have a power polisher so just gave my recent early G1 acquisition a going over with a soft cloth.  From some of the comments posted on CRP forums in the past, I was expecting miraculous results, but really only noticed slight improvement.

[Netdewt]

My F1 handset looks awful brown even after cleaning. I've done a little hand polishing. I have a motorcycle to buff, so I may just try out the Ryobi, even though I think it looks clunky.

What do I do if the thin coating turns out to be worn off? At that point is it best to just get a new handset?

[LarryInMichigan]

Netdewt,

No matter how much you polish it, your handset will never look blacker.  The outer black layer is worn off of it.  Many people have used black shoe polish to blacken bakelite, but you obviously need to be careful applying shoe polish to a handset because you don't want shoe polish on your hand.

F1 handsets are easy to find, so your best option is probably to replace it.  Steve Hilsz (http://phonesurplus.com/f1handset.html) has alot of them, and his prices are very reasonable.

Larry

[Netdewt]

Okay, I was thinking of checking with him. I wouldn't mind having the extra, worn, "trash" handset for another project.

[LarryInMichigan]

I am planning on attempting to paint a worn F1 handset, which has been replaced, ivory for my WE Imperial (when I get around to it).  It never hurts to have some spare F1s lying around.

Larry

[Dan/Panther]

Ralph;
Radiodaze is kinds know for slow. Do Ebay search, and get larger quantity cheap.


I use a hand held electric shoe polisher, I found it on ebay new for about $30.00. The Ryobi is cheaper.

I use the micro fiber clothes from Wal-Mart, 6 for $5.00, the only cloth I've ever seen that will not even scratch the bright surface of a DVD. Whenever I sell a phone, I put one with it and a small bottle of F-21, I bought some small aerosol bottles that hold I ounce from ebay, for about a buck each. I wrote up an instruction sheet, and put it all together in a ziplock baggy.
D/P

[Kenny C]

We have a harley-daividson shop in Jackson would they sell novus?

[Dennis Markham]

Kenny, call them up and ask them.