AE Monophone model 2 (or 12)

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Actually, the step/process would be to clean the Bakelite surface first and then apply the mineral oil.

I am working on this F1 Bakelite handset which has a decade in the making layer of crud. Soap and water or 409 Cleaner didn't touch it, remove it. Acetone didn't remove it (Bakelite doesn't dissolve in anything but wetting a cue tip with 409 Cleaner and rubbing it on Bakelite will cause the cue tip to have a yellow tint  - that's one of the methods antique collectors use to see if something is Bakelite).

Went right to 0000 steel wool and Novus 2. Put the Novus on the steel wool and gently rubber it on the Bakelite crud. Removed the Novus by using an orbital buffer with a cotton bonnet. Repeated this method once. Only did the surface area shown in the attached image (will do the whole handset tomorrow).

The cleaned surface looks better but the handset is missing a lot of its original shine with the crud gone. The intent here was to clean off the crud leaving the handset as is, as the finish was when removed from service.

With the Bakelite surface now clean, and with a much better looking surface (hiding under the crud), this would be where I would put mineral oil on the Bakelite to re-hydrate it and possible increase the shine. Mineral oil would be the last thing to do to a handset in that one wouldn't want to remove the oil from the Bakelite pits by using a solvent or polish.


It is possible to "rub off" the shiny surface of a Bakelite item that was created during the high pressure injection molding of the item but it takes a lot of pressure with dry wool (no polish applied) or a harsh abrasive such as sandpaper. The Novus acts as a lubricant on the wool and a cutting agent on the crud (a home made Brillo pad if you will, but not an SOS pad which is much more abrasive than Brillo). Light pressure with Novus on 0000 wool is all that is needed to "cut" the crud off of the Bakelite surface. Multiple applications can be used if all of the crud does not come off in the first application.

Never use sandpaper, dry steel wool or anything other than 0000 steel wool on Bakelite.