Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Hi Paul,
I know this isn't really your bailiwick, but I was wondering if you might have any suggestions on products to improve/maintain the condition of a Ric bakelite steel.
Thanks,
John

Dull Bakelite can be buffed out with compound and a buffing wheel. It's very hard. Bakelite is one of the most neutral and impervious plastics you'll encounter, as it is a thermoset. Categorically, it's a phenolic, as is melamine, and chemically it is highly resistant to solvents, heat, and acids and bases. Anything you can coat it with will be less resistant to chemicals and heat. So, just buff it out really nice and give it a coat of paste wax.

Thanks for the great info, Paul. The last thing I wanted to do is discover a chemical incompatibility... the hard way! Any suggestions for the metal bits?
John
P.S. Why does Peter McC think your name is misspelled?

Those metal bits can be cleaned up, shined, and protected with "Nevr-Dull" Magic Wadding. This stuff is the bomb for metal parts. Home Depot carries it, as do many Ace Hardware outlets.

I'm not aware of the misspelling issue...perhaps you can enlighten me?

When you preview a post, "Paul" is always highlighted as a "Possible Spelling Error". And yet, Ric is not. Just weird...

AH. Let me see.

Paul.

Ric.

Yup. you're right. I don't write to myself much on this Forum, so I never noticed.

That's a good thing Paul - because if you did that's getting in the realm of talking to yourself. But then again, that's not all that bad, I'm sure we all do that - it's only if you get answers that it becomes a problem eh!!

What's that you say, Aitch?

Thanks for the reminder about wadding polish. I used that years ago on my Norton, but I'd totally forgotten about it. As far as the bakelite, would that be a candidate for the Scratch-X/Zymol duo?

Speaking of misspelling... i'm still wondering what is right, Paul: "cy" or "czy"?..

The latter, Sheena...

Remember the #1 rule of Polish spelling:

"Z before Y especially after C but then it could end up the other way in which case toss an S before and after the Z just to fool the silly Latin buggahs who have vowels in their alphabets..."

I had a Polish friend in grade school named "Ron Szytzs".

Some last name, huh?

His family pronounced it "Zites".

The Polish pronunciation is "shits".

Language without vowels can be embarrassing.

John, BTW, the Scratch-X/Zymol is not the way to go on this. I'd use Perfect-It III or Menzerna Fine on a power buffing wheel, to get it shiny and Johnson's paste Floor Wax to keep it protected.

Bakelite has larger pores than thermoplastics like styrene or ABS, or paint, for that matter. Paste wax fills these better. Scratch-X and Zymol will leave a white residue.

Excellent, or should that be Xczyllnt I appreciate the advice, and I'll let you know how it comes out.

If I'm not happy with the result, maybe I'll have you put an FG finish on it...

(Sorry, couldn't resist...)

Now, THAT is true Clownglo!

Emmett Kelly Glo.

That's Mr. Clownglo to you! LOL!