UK Vintage Radio Repair and Restoration Powered By Google Custom Search Vintage Radio and TV Service Data

Go Back   UK Vintage Radio Repair and Restoration Discussion Forum > General Vintage Technology > Cabinet and Chassis Restoration and Refinishing

Notices

Cabinet and Chassis Restoration and Refinishing For help with cabinet or chassis restoration (non-electrical), please leave a message here.

Closed Thread
 
Thread Tools
Old 6th Mar 2017, 4:59 pm   #1
Squipper
Pentode
 
Squipper's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2017
Location: Rossendale, Lancashire, UK.
Posts: 138
Default Rexine cleaning?

I am new as a member to the forum, but have exclusively been collecting Roberts Radios for quite some time, and have gotten myself quite a collection.
I'm in no way a radio techie, nor am I master of anything radio, but I do dabble, and am quite adept at swapping out components, cleaning pots, soldering etc, lots with thanks to the posts on this forum.
One issue I would like some help with, is cleaning rexine. Whatever I try (always in an inconspicuous area first) it seems to remove the colour.
I have just taken in a spares/repair P5A, in blue, and this is much the same, small wipe of the rexine with anything mildly moist removes the colour. I would like to clean the years of grubbiness from this set, and bring out the shine, as despite being described as 'spares' by the vendor, it was revived / repaired electrically by me simply by reflowing several solder points, and it works very well.
I'd like this, and some of my other rexine covered sets to scrub up well, but what with?
Any and all help appreciated!
Attached Thumbnails
Click image for larger version

Name:	DSC_0173.jpg
Views:	335
Size:	82.1 KB
ID:	138701   Click image for larger version

Name:	DSC_0174.jpg
Views:	244
Size:	38.8 KB
ID:	138702   Click image for larger version

Name:	DSC_0175.jpg
Views:	222
Size:	75.0 KB
ID:	138703   Click image for larger version

Name:	DSC_0178.jpg
Views:	188
Size:	70.3 KB
ID:	138704   Click image for larger version

Name:	DSC_0179.jpg
Views:	205
Size:	83.9 KB
ID:	138705  

Squipper is offline  
Old 6th Mar 2017, 5:53 pm   #2
vinrads
Dekatron
 
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Chesterfield, Derbyshire, UK.
Posts: 3,737
Default Re: Rexine cleaning?

I have found leather dye excellent for restoring faded rexine found on E bay. PS have we gone American hope not ! Gotten ? .Mick.
vinrads is offline  
Old 6th Mar 2017, 6:28 pm   #3
Squipper
Pentode
 
Squipper's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2017
Location: Rossendale, Lancashire, UK.
Posts: 138
Default Re: Rexine cleaning?

Thanks Mick. It's not so much restoring the colour, as removing the years of grime without 'also' removing the colour.
One option, as I have done with a few other sets where the finish was beyond repair, is to re-cover it. I am hesitant to do so with this, as generally the P5A is a good, working, & otherwise untouched set, and I would like to restore it, bring it back cosmetically to as-was.

Not 'gotten' American, (Gotten is a middle English word that we simply don't use anymore) I've just a 'multi-national' life history - well travelled
Squipper is offline  
Old 6th Mar 2017, 6:44 pm   #4
Guest
Guest
 
Posts: n/a
Default Re: Rexine cleaning?

Or shoe polish, that renders it a bit more waterproof too.

Quote:
PS have we gone American
American english is more like old english than our morphed/developed/improved version. To do with isolation.
 
Old 6th Mar 2017, 7:05 pm   #5
Squipper
Pentode
 
Squipper's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2017
Location: Rossendale, Lancashire, UK.
Posts: 138
Default Re: Rexine cleaning?

Quote:
Originally Posted by merlinmaxwell View Post
Or shoe polish, that renders it a bit more waterproof too.
It shan't be going anywhere near cold/damp/wet!

It's already the original blue colour, and has the potential to be lovely again, and cleaned without removing the colour whilst doing so is what I'm after. I need to remove grease spots & 80 years worth of skincells from the finish. It has probably never had a clean in its' life!

I had a few similarly grotty R737s which the finish faded with every wipe, and that was just with a damp cloth. they looked so shocking after I'd gone over them, that I recovered and resprayed both to improve the appearance / hide my mistake
Attached Thumbnails
Click image for larger version

Name:	rob1.jpg
Views:	201
Size:	113.7 KB
ID:	138717   Click image for larger version

Name:	rob2.jpg
Views:	190
Size:	79.8 KB
ID:	138718  
Squipper is offline  
Old 6th Mar 2017, 7:40 pm   #6
vinrads
Dekatron
 
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Chesterfield, Derbyshire, UK.
Posts: 3,737
Default Re: Rexine cleaning?

Sorry! I don't know why but when I hear it ,it makes me cringe I don't recall hearing it before in the UK Mick.
vinrads is offline  
Old 6th Mar 2017, 7:46 pm   #7
ms660
Dekatron
 
ms660's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Cornwall, UK.
Posts: 13,454
Default Re: Rexine cleaning?

I've used the word gotten many times, no problem.

Lawrence.
ms660 is offline  
Old 6th Mar 2017, 8:04 pm   #8
Cobaltblue
Moderator
 
Cobaltblue's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Exeter, Devon and Poole, Dorset UK.
Posts: 6,823
Default Re: Rexine cleaning?

Agree with Lawrence

Gotten often used in our family ( we are all Cornish )

Doesn't sound American from my perspective

Cheers

Mike T
__________________
Invisible airwaves crackle with life or at least they used to
Mike T BVWS member.
www.cossor.co.uk
Cobaltblue is online now  
Old 6th Mar 2017, 8:16 pm   #9
Nicklyons2
Octode
 
Nicklyons2's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: Barnsley, South Yorkshire, UK.
Posts: 1,517
Default Re: Rexine cleaning?

"Stardrops" with ammonia ( the milky looking version ) never known it to damage a finish. Start with it diluted if you wish (around an egg-cup full in half a small bucket of warm water), but I've used it 'neat' on really dirty stuff. Great for cable cleaning too; pour neat on to a damp cloth and drag the cable through - comes up like new.
Nicklyons2 is offline  
Old 6th Mar 2017, 8:40 pm   #10
Squipper
Pentode
 
Squipper's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2017
Location: Rossendale, Lancashire, UK.
Posts: 138
Default Re: Rexine cleaning?

I'll give the Stardrops a go - I'm sure my better half will have some in the lady cupboard...

I only ask what works for others as I have tried all manner of liquidy things over the years, and the result is always the same, a dye-stained cloth, and a faded radio covering
Squipper is offline  
Old 6th Mar 2017, 10:12 pm   #11
G6Tanuki
Dekatron
 
G6Tanuki's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Wiltshire, UK.
Posts: 13,951
Default Re: Rexine cleaning?

In the classic-car world the general restorer for anything-but-Connolly-leather trim is "Gliptone".

In times-past we used "Meltonian" cream on our patent-leather shoes to good glossy effect too. I've not seen this for ages though.
G6Tanuki is offline  
Old 6th Mar 2017, 11:02 pm   #12
Audio1950
Dekatron
 
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Whittlesey, near Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, UK.
Posts: 3,758
Default Re: Rexine cleaning?

I've had success without loss of colour with Swarfega hand cleaner. The green one, not the orange, which has abrasives in it.
Audio1950 is online now  
Old 6th Mar 2017, 11:34 pm   #13
Squipper
Pentode
 
Squipper's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2017
Location: Rossendale, Lancashire, UK.
Posts: 138
Default Re: Rexine cleaning?

Thanks, will give that a go as I have a tub of Swarfega in the man-lab - something I'd certainly never considered, but sounds almost credible...
Squipper is offline  
Old 7th Mar 2017, 2:22 am   #14
Boater Sam
Banned
 
Join Date: Dec 2013
Location: Middlewich, Cheshire, UK. & Winter in the Philippines.
Posts: 3,897
Default Re: Rexine cleaning?

Swarfega is a mix of detergent and white spirit I was told, either may remove colour. The old Rexine was never designed to last so long, its an oil based coating on paper backing. I have used toothpaste in the past, slightly abrasive.

Last edited by Boater Sam; 7th Mar 2017 at 2:24 am. Reason: added
Boater Sam is offline  
Old 7th Mar 2017, 9:56 am   #15
Nickthedentist
Dekatron
 
Nickthedentist's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Oxford, UK.
Posts: 17,820
Default Re: Rexine cleaning?

I've been working on a fairly filthy P5A too, but in red which shows the grime even more than yours would.

Whatever I tried shifted as much of the red colouring as it did the grime. In the end, I use Cif and a nail brush and warm water, then resorted to shoe dye and wax to restore the rather faded and blotchy mess that was left.
Nickthedentist is offline  
Old 7th Mar 2017, 10:22 am   #16
Squipper
Pentode
 
Squipper's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2017
Location: Rossendale, Lancashire, UK.
Posts: 138
Default Re: Rexine cleaning?

Thanks for all the suggestions so far, I will give each a try later today and post back here with the results.

It might just for the be that Rexine was never designed to last 70 years on the P5A without losing it's colour...

I suppose that another option I have is to learn how to re-cover it completely with new leathercloth, I have studied the threads on here about leathercloth from Ratchfords, and might end up going down that route, if I can convince myself that I can indeed undertake such a mammoth task on the P5A - it would certainly be a lot less daunting task on a Rambler!

Quote:
Originally Posted by Nickthedentist View Post
Whatever I tried shifted as much of the red colouring as it did the grime. In the end, I use Cif and a nail brush and warm water, then resorted to shoe dye and wax to restore the rather faded and blotchy mess that was left.
I feel your pain!
Squipper is offline  
Old 7th Mar 2017, 10:33 am   #17
vidjoman
Dekatron
 
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: East Sussex, UK.
Posts: 3,315
Default Re: Rexine cleaning?

If you decide to recover it, take photos and notes of where the existing joins are. It will help you with the task.
vidjoman is offline  
Old 7th Mar 2017, 10:41 am   #18
Nickthedentist
Dekatron
 
Nickthedentist's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Oxford, UK.
Posts: 17,820
Default Re: Rexine cleaning?

The Rexine on mine was fairly tatty to start with, peeling and bubbly in places, slightly torn in others. At least this made me feel that I had nothing to lose by attempting to clean it.

I will try to take some photos of the finished set and post before, during and after photos.

Yours really looks rather good with a nice shine and a clean grille cloth. I would be tempted just to try blue shoe polish and avoid any aggressive cleaning at all.

P.S. See this thread about Evaporust. I found it worked wonders on the catches, hinges and screws on my set: http://www.vintage-radio.net/forum/s...d.php?t=127151

Last edited by Nickthedentist; 7th Mar 2017 at 10:46 am.
Nickthedentist is offline  
Old 7th Mar 2017, 10:53 am   #19
Nickthedentist
Dekatron
 
Nickthedentist's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Oxford, UK.
Posts: 17,820
Default Re: Rexine cleaning?

Off-topic for this thread, I know, but it bears saying:

Quote:
Originally Posted by Squipper View Post
I'm in no way a radio techie, nor am I master of anything radio, but I do dabble, and am quite adept at swapping out components, cleaning pots, soldering etc, lots with thanks to the posts on this forum...
I'm sure you know already, but in spite of having a mains transformer to supply the valves' heaters, this is a LIVE CHASSIS set, i.e. one side of the mains supply is connected to the chassis with no transformer to isolate it. Furthermore, the mains switch is a single-pole affair, wired between what should be the neutral wire and chassis. So even when the mains is the correct way round, the chassis will essentially be live when the set's switched off! Be sure that the control knobs can't be pulled off, that nobody's going to open the back when it's plugged in, and that you remove the mains plug from the wall when the set's not in use

Back to the Rexine now...
Nickthedentist is offline  
Old 7th Mar 2017, 11:28 am   #20
vinrads
Dekatron
 
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Chesterfield, Derbyshire, UK.
Posts: 3,737
Default Re: Rexine cleaning?

I still say try leather dye it works for me . Mick.
vinrads is offline  
Closed Thread

Thread Tools



All times are GMT +1. The time now is 8:31 pm.


All information and advice on this forum is subject to the WARNING AND DISCLAIMER located at https://www.vintage-radio.net/rules.html.
Failure to heed this warning may result in death or serious injury to yourself and/or others.


Powered by vBulletin®
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
Copyright ©2002 - 2023, Paul Stenning.