Restore Bakelite to Original Finish
Intro: 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
54 Comments
ray.dadd.1 9 years ago
I'm from the uk and thought I would mention that Bakelite contains asbestos . In the uk it would be against the law to reinstall this product .
Please be careful with these products .
jgrieve1970 3 years ago
flim 9 years ago
It can contain asbestos. Other additives can be sawdust, rock dust, paper or textile fibers. Another version of bakelite is duroplast. Bakelite is just a patented brandname.
lazyletters 6 years ago
I just restored some walnut bakelite handles from an old house. I scraped off the white paint where they had been not removed prior to painting the doors, and then hand cleaned with hob cleaner, it's a mild abrasive in a liquid base, with just a soft cloth. It cleaned off the paint residue and buffed them up nicely and quite quickly. I'm going for a car wax for the final finish as the carnuba wax is a bit more durable than bees wax. As they are handles and still in use, they were not as bad as these light switches.
mjursic 10 years ago
Here's a question for everybody that almost everybody gets wrong--how is it pronounced? If you guessed, like almost every antique dealer I have ever known ever--bake-uh-lite, then you guessed wrong. It's bake-lite. 2 syllables. Now you know!
RetroPlayer 9 years ago
Odd. I have never once in my lifetime heard it pronounced bake-uh-lite. Doesn't even make sense why someone would pronounce it that way.
DavidL812 7 years ago
I think it is named after its inventor, Leo Baekeland, whose name is in three syllables. Why the "ae" in his name got changed to "a" in the product, I don't know.
flim 9 years ago
I am Dutch and we pronounce it bah-kuh-leet :)
mjursic 9 years ago
mjursic 7 years ago
I got it wrong. It's Bake-uh-lite. Sorry, 3 years on.
Yonatan24 7 years ago
I thought it was pronounced something like "Bahk-ul-ite".
daniel.titus 9 years ago
watch the historic video embedded above. It is correctly pronounced Bake-uh-lite. Not bake-lite.
grannyjones 8 years ago
I believe Bakelite is still used in circuit breakers, just not the gorgeous brown color.
goodcookedfood 9 years ago
Can anyone point me in the direction of someone I can hire to repair some bakelite for me? thanks
ray.dadd.1 9 years ago
Mollybracha 9 years ago
Hi, I have a question that may be a challenge. Is there a method for removing mold from Bakelite mah jongg tiles? I restore vintage mah jongg sets and have been unable to find anything that addresses this specifically.
Thank you in advance for your thoughts in this.
Deltic 10 years ago
Nice job! - It always pays to remember that when you're polishing something what you're actually doing is abrading the surface. This process leaves lots of tiny scratches & Brasso is a fairly rough abrasive medium. As a former metal polisher I would always recommend 'Silvo' or toothpaste as a finer product, leaving a much better polished finish. As pointed out below this will need protecting to prevent it deteriorating once again, especially as it will receive a lot of handling. I would be inclined to give it 2 or 3 coats of clear automotive lacquer to keep it looking good.
lonesoulsurfer 10 years ago
Great advice - I'm going to add something to the end of the instructable about adding clear lacquer. Do you have any brands you could recommend?
bricabracwizard 10 years ago
I use wax and polish it well this lasts a long time.
Deltic 10 years ago
Since there is a huge variance in brands depending on country I'd just use a reputable Motor Factors & ask their advice. You will lose a little bit of the shine but that's normal & is a small price to pay for the convenience. Don't forget to thoroughly clean off any polishing residue with soap & hot water prior to lacquering.