12-01-2013, 01:22 AM
Mark R/Joe, Thanks.
Ok, I love experimenting and have delved further. Some of the bakelite surface was rough (from the manufacturing process) when inspected under magnification and this must have picked up the abrasive in the cleaner (T-Cut/Brasso) that I used to remove the paint. Once dry, this showed up as a white deposit which could only be removed by scratching, then we were back to square one again.
A different approach was needed...... so I started trying out some of the concoctions sitting in the cupboard under the kitchen sink. Nothing really helped until I tried Colron 'Liquid Scratch Cover' for disguising scracthes on antique wooden items. Normally, this should be applied liberally to fill a scratch, then allowed to dry before buffing off. I applied the liquid, then buffed it away while it was still wet (you must be quick) and found that the uneven surfaces were filled and the white appearance disappeared. A second application after 30 minutes resulted in a mirror finish which I have never obtained before.
This picture below shows the stuff I used and hopefully, you can see the resulting finish that was obtained with little effort. I am very pleased with the result, considering this material is supposed to be used on wood and not bakelite.
(Please note this material is available in different shades and I purchased 'Dark Wood' for a couple of my clocks.)
Ok, I love experimenting and have delved further. Some of the bakelite surface was rough (from the manufacturing process) when inspected under magnification and this must have picked up the abrasive in the cleaner (T-Cut/Brasso) that I used to remove the paint. Once dry, this showed up as a white deposit which could only be removed by scratching, then we were back to square one again.
A different approach was needed...... so I started trying out some of the concoctions sitting in the cupboard under the kitchen sink. Nothing really helped until I tried Colron 'Liquid Scratch Cover' for disguising scracthes on antique wooden items. Normally, this should be applied liberally to fill a scratch, then allowed to dry before buffing off. I applied the liquid, then buffed it away while it was still wet (you must be quick) and found that the uneven surfaces were filled and the white appearance disappeared. A second application after 30 minutes resulted in a mirror finish which I have never obtained before.
This picture below shows the stuff I used and hopefully, you can see the resulting finish that was obtained with little effort. I am very pleased with the result, considering this material is supposed to be used on wood and not bakelite.
(Please note this material is available in different shades and I purchased 'Dark Wood' for a couple of my clocks.)
