bakelite paint

ID: 340670
? bakelite paint 
04.Feb.14 23:25
15

Alec Anglum (USA)
Articles: 12
Count of Thanks: 9

Hello I gave a radio that is that classic marron bakelite color however the radio had some scratches that I can't buff out. So therefore I would like to repaint the radio and keep it's original maroon color. Does anybody know where I can find this color of paint. I've attached a picture of the specific color I'm referring to. Please help. Thanks, Alec Attachments:

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 2
Bakelie Paint 
05.Feb.14 00:37
15 from 5679

Adalbert Gebhart (CH)
Articles: 157
Count of Thanks: 9

Hi Alec

I once had the same Problem:
One side of a bakelite cabinet was badly damaged.
I even had to glue pieces together and fill same holes with Resin.

I proceeded as follows:

I first sanded it (wet! under water!) starting with grain - say - 500, ending with grain 2000.

(Don't worry about sanding heavily, there is lots of material.)

At the end of sanding, the surface was very smooth but not glossy.
Now I polished it with normal car polish, and it become glossy.

However, it still looked a little bit more greyish than the rest of the cabinet.

The reason - I guess - is, that bakelite besides resin usually contains a filler material (wood shavings or rock flour or whatsoever).

When the cabinet is pressed, probably a layer of more or less pure resin is formed on the surface, making it well glossy.

However when you sand it, you eventually come to the filler particles, and when they lie open an the surface, you can polish them until the end of time, they will never be as glossy as the resin itself, because they have different light reflection properties.

So, I cleaned the surface again to remove all the rests of the polish and I then painted (rolled!) the sanded side of the cabinet with clear, glossy DD-varnish. 

DD-Varnish is the name, a regional varnish company gave it. It's probably called different elsewhere. It's a One-Component PUR Varnish hardening by reacting with the humidity in the air. It's very clear, very hard and robust (even resistant against light acids) and has low viscosity, so the layer becomes very thin. If you like to, I can send you a product sheet.

The result was absolutely convincing. One could not tell, which side was old and which was new.

So, maybe this helps you, to solve your problem.

Regards

Adalbert Gebhart

 

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 3
product forum/catlin 
05.Feb.14 01:55
25 from 5679

Alec Anglum (USA)
Articles: 12
Count of Thanks: 11

Thank you very much and if possible it would be great if you could mail me a product forum. Do you think that the company would be able to send me the product even though I live in the United states. Also I have a radio face plate that is made of catlin and has the same problem, do you think that this method would be effective on catlin.

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 4
Bakelit Paint 
05.Feb.14 13:40
58 from 5679

Adalbert Gebhart (CH)
Articles: 157
Count of Thanks: 10

No. I  asked them. They don't sell to USA.

I have sent you the technical datasheet by mail - unfortunately in German.

But maybe you can find a similar product from a US manufacturer.

If you can get it, be advised to use special thinner for it, because normal varnish thinner contains water, and this causes the varnish to harden in the bin after some months.

Since catalin is only a different brand name for bakelit, it should work also for catalin.

Regards.

A.

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