[Healeys] Instrument knobs

[Curt/Nancy Arndt]

Mark,

I restore Bakelite knobs using the same technique I use in restoring Control
Heads (trafficator) units.

The below descripption is a bit overly simplistic and misses a few
important steps.

First of all I typically clean the bakelite part with warm soapy water and
#0000 steel wool, which is very fine.  Also, you don't go from 400 grit
sandpaper to 1000, that's why they make 600 and 800 grit.  In fact I
typically start with 280 or 320 grit (if the surface is very weathered and
rough) and progressively sand to 1200 grit.  As stated below, 400 grit is a
good stating point for most applications.

I use a special leather dye plus black shoe polish AND I then still buff to
a high shine (just as they were originally) with *"Dico"* plastic polish on
a buffing wheel. The white lettering can be put back in with white *
"Testors"* enamal model paint.  Finally I apply a good Carnuba wax.

The results CAN look as good as the originals. I know since I have compared
them to an NOS pair of WIPER and HEAD LAMP knobs that I have for my BN1.

Cheers,

Curt

On Sat, Feb 26, 2011 at 8:54 AM, Oudesluys <coudesluijs at chello.nl> wrote:

> Bakelite can be polished very nicely using Brasso or brass polish
> followed by carcleaner wax. If there are scratches rub them first with
> wet and dry 400 followed by 1000 and flowerpaper. Deep scratches can be
> filled in with colored epoxy.
> The lettering can be filled in with white paint on cleaned (washing up
> liquid and nail brush, degreased with white spirits) before the rubbing
> and polishing.
> This will leave them nice and shiny in the proper  shade of black.
> Indian ink will leave them to black AFAIAC.
> Kees Oudesluijs
> NL

[demime 1.01d removed an attachment of type application/msword which had a name of Austin Healey-AC Trafficator Restoration Flyer-II.doc]