Restore Bakelite to Original Finish

Bakelite is an early plastic, developed at the start of the 20th century.  It was one of the first synthetic plastics ever to be produced.   All those beautiful old radios that you see for sale in antique stores are most likely made from Bakelite.   Also made from Bakelite was a lot of electrical appliances such as light switches, telephones, and also wire insulation.  The reason why it worked so well was it's high resistance - not only to electricity, but to heat and chemical action.


Ok - enough of the history lesson.   This Instructable is about how to restore Bakelite to its original shine and lustre.  Over time Bakelite starts to oxidise due to sunlight and over time will become dull.  The surface has a thin layer of oxidised material which can be removed with some careful cleaning.  

So if you have some plastic that is Bakelite and need to clean - read on.

Here's a very old promo reel on Bakelite for those who want to learn more about Bakelite.  Tip - skip through the first 6 minutes as this is just an interview and is very tedious.

Oh and if your not too sure if it is Baklite or not, run the item under hot tap water. If it smells like formaldehyde, it is Bakelite. If it smells like camphor or burnt milk, it is not Bakelite.

Step 1: Restoring Light Switches. Removing the Screws

In this Instructable I will be restoring some old light light switches.  I rescued these from an old shearing shed  near where we go camping.  We had been camping in the area for over 20 years and the shed has deteriorated so much that it wont be long until someone decides to tear it down.

1.  The first step is to remove all of the screws holding the cowling on.  

2.  If the screws are rusty put them into some rust remover and let them soak for 30 minutes.

*Safety*
Please make sure that you always were a face mask when dealing with Bakelite.  It can be dangerous to breath in the dust when polishing.

Step 2: Clean the Bakelite

As you can see from the photos bellow, the switches were very dull and dirty.  As mentioned before, they had been in a shearing shed for over 70 years so it's no wonder their condition was poor.

Steps.

1.  Clean with either some soapy water or a non acidic product.  I used a foaming window cleaning as I find it removed the dirt well.

2.  Spray with the cleaner and let sit for a couple of minutes.

3.  Clean with a rag and wipe off all excess cleaner.

Step 3: Buffing With a Grinder

I have a grinder with a buffing wheel attached so I used this to restore my switches.  If you don''t have one don't worry, you can also do the same with with elbow grease!

Steps:

1.  Add some buffing agent to the wheel.  I used a car polisher to do the job.

2.  Start to press the cowling against the wheel.  You can add some pressure but just remember, Bakelite can become brittle over time so try and determine how much pressure to add.   Also, keep a good hold on the cowling, you don't want it to fly off and smash on the ground.

3.  Keep moving the cowling around, don't let the polishing wheel stay too long in one place as it will heat-up the Bakelite and it will change colour.

4.  Keep going until you have removed all oxidised coating.

5.  The finish should come to a high shine.

Step 4: Buffing Manually

Steps:

1.  Grab some Brasso and work it into the Bakelite.  You will need to use some elbow grease and it can take some time to remove all of the oxidisation.

2.  Use another cloth to wipe off any excess Brasso and polish it well.

3.  If you  notice a couple of spots not quite shining, then repeat the process until you have the desired finish.  Just remember to give the switch a good polish with a clean rag after you have done with the brasso.

Step 5: Finishing Touches

Steps:

1.  Finally clean off any rust remover from the screws and replace back into the switches

2.  Give one finial polish to the switches and your done.