I can tell you that 600 grit sandpaper and Ajax only makes it worse.
Im just looking to polish out some scratches and clean it up a bit......Tips on polishing bakelite?
Tips on polishing bakelite?
Title says it all......
I can tell you that 600 grit sandpaper and Ajax only makes it worse. Im just looking to polish out some scratches and clean it up a bit......
I can tell you that 600 grit sandpaper and Ajax only makes it worse.
Im just looking to polish out some scratches and clean it up a bit......My soultion for everything "Get a bigger hammer or larger caliber!"
Re: Tips on polishing bakelite?
Like all things, it should polish up by using successively finer grits of sandpaper -- lots of very careful, tedious work.
I wonder how following up the sanding with Enamel clearcoat would work? Several very light coats followed by smoothing with 800 - 1000 grit paper should give it a good protective coat. (The Enamel formulation should not react with the bakelite. Lacquer clearcoat might not react, either. You could try it on the inside of the grip to check for reaction. If you are able to use the lacquer clearcoat, it will reduce drying time considerably, and make for easier sanding. Just a thought.)
I don't know how shiney the bakelite was when it was first produced, but you have your choice of glossy or semi-glossy clearcoats.
Somebody here might have already tried this, so can give us a yes or no recommendation.
GeeDeeEmm
I wonder how following up the sanding with Enamel clearcoat would work? Several very light coats followed by smoothing with 800 - 1000 grit paper should give it a good protective coat. (The Enamel formulation should not react with the bakelite. Lacquer clearcoat might not react, either. You could try it on the inside of the grip to check for reaction. If you are able to use the lacquer clearcoat, it will reduce drying time considerably, and make for easier sanding. Just a thought.)
I don't know how shiney the bakelite was when it was first produced, but you have your choice of glossy or semi-glossy clearcoats.
Somebody here might have already tried this, so can give us a yes or no recommendation.
GeeDeeEmm
" The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government . . . . When the people fear their government there is tyranny, when the government fear the people, there is liberty." Thomas Jefferson
Re: Tips on polishing bakelite?
Crazy glue.......ive heard of this method before. I am curious as to how its done>>
My soultion for everything "Get a bigger hammer or larger caliber!"
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rocco1911
Re: Tips on polishing bakelite?
There is a tutorial right here in the refinishing section 
Here ya go: viewtopic.php?f=49&t=2048
And DA's Version: viewtopic.php?f=39&t=6490
Here ya go: viewtopic.php?f=49&t=2048
And DA's Version: viewtopic.php?f=39&t=6490
Re: Tips on polishing bakelite?
Cover my 70 year old stock in superglue? Sounds crazy enough to work. I think Im gonn try it on something else first. I can see me gluing my hands to my head, or worse.....
....Honey, help me. I was doing this gun thing with super glue and I had to run to the bathroom, and... well, get the acetone......
....Honey, help me. I was doing this gun thing with super glue and I had to run to the bathroom, and... well, get the acetone......
My soultion for everything "Get a bigger hammer or larger caliber!"
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rocco1911
Re: Tips on polishing bakelite?
[quote="ScottD"]Cover my 70 year old stock in superglue? Sounds crazy enough to work. I think Im gonn try it on something else first. I can see me gluing my hands to my head, or worse.....
....Honey, help me. I was doing this gun thing with super glue and I had to run to the bathroom, and... well, get the acetone......[/quote
Nail Polish remover works also
I will be doing this also but I will be testing it first on a crapy Romi pistol grip from an AK kit It's just that I have so much stuff to finish before I get to this project but I have been planning on doing this for a while since I got a Bakelite stock from Dan @ Angola
....Honey, help me. I was doing this gun thing with super glue and I had to run to the bathroom, and... well, get the acetone......[/quote
Nail Polish remover works also
I will be doing this also but I will be testing it first on a crapy Romi pistol grip from an AK kit It's just that I have so much stuff to finish before I get to this project but I have been planning on doing this for a while since I got a Bakelite stock from Dan @ Angola
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Re: Tips on polishing bakelite?
I have THE BEST way to polish bakelite. I use a cloth buffing wheel and a rouge designed for polishing plastics. It restores the semi-glassy luster to ugly dry looking bakelite. If you are willing to send me your parts, I will do my best to make them look like new. The polishing process will NOT round over sharp edges if you use the correct rouge and the proper direction (along the edge, not cross-edge) when polishing. The wheel can get in crevises that hand sanding cannot and bring out the color in these areas. If ribs and other features are broken or chipped off, there's nothing you can do for that. But if you want the rich dark color to come be restored and get rid of the milky film-like dry and dull finish, I can help you.
I had a spare MP-40 forearm that had no chips (unlike the original one that came with the gun), but it was dull and the color seemed bleached out. After polishing, it literally looked like new. Here is a picture, not a close-up grant you, but you can see the bakelite is shiny now.
http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg22 ... niform.jpg
I had a spare MP-40 forearm that had no chips (unlike the original one that came with the gun), but it was dull and the color seemed bleached out. After polishing, it literally looked like new. Here is a picture, not a close-up grant you, but you can see the bakelite is shiny now.
http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg22 ... niform.jpg
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rocco1911
Re: Tips on polishing bakelite?
Nice Very Nice so DA what ya charge for the restoration process ?
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Re: Tips on polishing bakelite?
It's simple. PM me. You send me the part and enough funds for return postage (but I don't mind tips!). I make the part look pretty. I send it back. You smile and jump for joy. 
Polishing a MP-40 forearm part takes about an hour. Smaller parts like grips take less time. Gouges and deep scratches cannot be repaired. You don't want to make the part LOOK restored, just bring back the surface luster. Bakelite was originally semi-glossy with glossy highlights in the grain where the paper pulp did not reach the surface. I am told that in SOME cases German soldiers actually used sand to dull the finish on MP-40's so they would cut down on reflection in sunlight. I have not seen any MP-40's with scratches that looked like that sort of treatment, so it is hard to corroborate that story. Polishing the bakelite can restore much of the finish to the look it had right out of the mold.
Polishing a MP-40 forearm part takes about an hour. Smaller parts like grips take less time. Gouges and deep scratches cannot be repaired. You don't want to make the part LOOK restored, just bring back the surface luster. Bakelite was originally semi-glossy with glossy highlights in the grain where the paper pulp did not reach the surface. I am told that in SOME cases German soldiers actually used sand to dull the finish on MP-40's so they would cut down on reflection in sunlight. I have not seen any MP-40's with scratches that looked like that sort of treatment, so it is hard to corroborate that story. Polishing the bakelite can restore much of the finish to the look it had right out of the mold.
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