[Tint]

I have a Tantal lower HG that is pretty scratched up. Anybody have any tips or ideas on how to remove the scratches and polish it back up. I played with the idea of wet sanding it then using plastic polish - but I'm too chicken to give it a try. FWIW the its not one of the more reddish colored HG's, its more on the orange side.

 

[jithaca]

You could try some of the automotive 1500 or 2000 grit sand paper and follow up with some shellac. If you don't like the shellac finish, alcohol will take it off.

You might just try the shellac and no sanding first, depending on hoe deep the scratches are.

 

[moose]

mine were pretty bad also compared to how nice the rifle was!!! trying to find a new set...or a nice set!!

 

[Greentimber]

I took the worst two I had out of 80+ and buffed them with some brown and white polishing compound on e felt wheel. That made a huge difference. I got busy where I was working then & never finished the project, but Jeepcreep has had fantastic results with polishing bakelite mags using a couple different products. I believe polishing compound was one and "Counter top magic" was another. I'd ask him.

 

[rrc870]

I wondered about this too. I don't have any I want to gamble making them worse.

 

[Krinkfreak]

I think we need a "sticky" with pics on polishing the lower handguard. I'm sure they clean up rather nicely.

 

[Enoch]

Has anyone come up with a definitive way to clean and polish bakelite yet; and it would make a great sticky since there are an abundance of Bakelite parts... bayos, mags, handguards and some RPG stuff I believe. Maybe put up a step by step with pictures and some before an after shots.

 

[Tint]

I sure hope someone has. I just might have to get out the sand paper and polishing compound and see what happens.

 

[Enoch]

If you try it let us know how it works, if I get around to it first I'll post back; I'm just suprised with the amount of bakelite out there that nobody has a good system for it.

 

[Fury_58]

I think we need a "sticky" with pics on polishing the lower handguard. I'm sure they clean up rather nicely.

Yes, we do. Mine looks like ass! :sad:

 

[Tapeo1]

You can use "Flitz" metal polish to polish bakelite. They also make bakelite polish.

 

[Tint]

You can use "Flitz" metal polish to polish bakelite. They also make bakelite polish.

I know of Flitz (My dad had a Polished AT-6 - It was my job to keep it that way, I miss the plane - not the work) but I have never heard of Bakelite polish....Don't happen to have link do you?

 

[Fury_58]

Hmm. . . There's actually an interesting story here . . .

For its time, "Bakelite" was a rather innovative and advanced material. Although it is a product of the early 20th Century, its origins can be traced back to the development of plastics in the Victorian era.. .essentially a substance that could be formed under heat and pressure. Working in New York, a Belgian chemist, Dr. Leo Hendrik Baekeland, patented in July 1907 a new and entirely synthetic plastic... he named the new material "Bakelite" after an Anglicized version of his own surname. This development effectively ushered in the modern plastics industry.