How to reshine

[davtherav]

Schatz 53 anniversary clock bakelite base. The outer surface has lost all of the shine, how can it be restored to the same as the inner original?

 

[Thomas Sanguigni]

I just finished a 400 day with a base like this. The brass is very thin and formed over the Bakelite. It can easily split. Even when done, the finished product may still have warts. I sent mine to Dan McCann

timeguardian427@yahoo.com

Let him give you a quote. He took the little adjuster wheels off and cleaned it all real nice. Then he lacquered the whole thing.

 

[davtherav]

I just finished a 400 day with a base like this. The brass is very thin and formed over the Bakelite. It can easily split. Even when done, the finished product may still have warts. I sent mine to Dan McCann

timeguardian427@yahoo.com

Let him give you a quote. He took the little adjuster wheels off and cleaned it all real nice. Then he lacquered the whole thing.


View attachment 639136 View attachment 639137

I'll have to try and find a restorer in the UK. If I can get mine to your standard I'd be very pleased.

 

[Thomas Sanguigni]

Sorry, I did not realize your were in the UK. The new forum page hides everyone's location. I get Clock Magazine. It is a UK publication. There are some dial restoration people in the classified section. I get parts back and forth on occasion from the UK. It adds about a week, but the wait would be worth it.

 

[MuseChaser]

I can walk you through this. It's not hard. First, you have to strip the existing lacquer off. Pour very hot water over it and let it soak for a few minutes... hot, as in not boiling but close. You'll see spots where the lacquer starts to lift off if you rub it.. sort of like sheets of thin plastic. Then, use cotton balls and acetone or lacquer thinner. Takes a little time, but again it's not difficult and you don't need to scrub hard.. just keep applying it and use fresh cotton balls. Paper towels work fine if you're not REALLY anal about microscopic scratches that, real world, won't bother anyone. It'll look awful. Don't panic.

Next step... dissolve a few tablespoons of citric acid in a quart of hot water. Soak the base in that solution for fifteen minutes. It'll come out bright and shiny... anything that turns black is a GOOD thing.. it'll rub right off. After rubbing it and rinsing it thoroughly with clean fresh water, dry it, then polish it with Weimann's Brass polish following the directions; apply and rub it in then off until bright and shiny, then RINSE THOROUGHLY with fresh water and rub and polish again with a clean rag. At this point, you have a choice. Either wax it (automotive pure Carnuba wax works great) which results in a beautiful highly polished finish that is lighter in color than original (my preference), spray it with clear lacquer which returns it to it's original as-new state, or do nothing and let it develop an authentic patina over time. The adjuster wheels and feet benefit greatly from this, too... you can do everything other than the movement parts like this... anything originally brass and lacquered.

It's a LOT of fun to do, works great, and I've used it on a LOT of basket case 400-day clocks that come out looking beautiful. This is for the base, columns, and other non-movement parts, just to be clear. I learned the technique from another pursuit of mine; renovating and restoring vintage center draft kerosene lamps.

Edit:

Just snapped a pic for you... this is one I did about two months ago, and left alone after the hand polishing stage; no wax, no lacquer, just bare brass polished. It was in MUCH worse shape than yours when I got it. You can see, in the bottom right of the pic, another base in good but original aged condition for comparison that I have left untouched.

 

[davtherav]

I can walk you through this. It's not hard. First, you have to strip the existing lacquer off. Pour very hot water over it and let it soak for a few minutes... hot, as in not boiling but close. You'll see spots where the lacquer starts to lift off if you rub it.. sort of like sheets of thin plastic. Then, use cotton balls and acetone or lacquer thinner. Takes a little time, but again it's not difficult and you don't need to scrub hard.. just keep applying it and use fresh cotton balls. Paper towels work fine if you're not REALLY anal about microscopic scratches that, real world, won't bother anyone. It'll look awful. Don't panic.

Next step... dissolve a few tablespoons of citric acid in a quart of hot water. Soak the base in that solution for fifteen minutes. It'll come out bright and shiny... anything that turns black is a GOOD thing.. it'll rub right off. After rubbing it and rinsing it thoroughly with clean fresh water, dry it, then polish it with Weimann's Brass polish following the directions; apply and rub it in then off until bright and shiny, then RINSE THOROUGHLY with fresh water and rub and polish again with a clean rag. At this point, you have a choice. Either wax it (automotive pure Carnuba wax works great) which results in a beautiful highly polished finish that is lighter in color than original (my preference), spray it with clear lacquer which returns it to it's original as-new state, or do nothing and let it develop an authentic patina over time. The adjuster wheels and feet benefit greatly from this, too... you can do everything other than the movement parts like this... anything originally brass and lacquered.

It's a LOT of fun to do, works great, and I've used it on a LOT of basket case 400-day clocks that come out looking beautiful. This is for the base, columns, and other non-movement parts, just to be clear. I learned the technique from another pursuit of mine; renovating and restoring vintage center draft kerosene lamps.

Edit:

Just snapped a pic for you... this is one I did about two months ago, and left alone after the hand polishing stage; no wax, no lacquer, just bare brass polished. It was in MUCH worse shape than yours when I got it. You can see, in the bottom right of the pic, another base in good but original aged condition for comparison that I have left untouched. View attachment 639222

Wow, that looks beautiful, thanks for sharing the renovation procedure with me, I'll look forward to following your advice.
David

 

[davtherav]

Sorry, I did not realize your were in the UK. The new forum page hides everyone's location. I get Clock Magazine. It is a UK publication. There are some dial restoration people in the classified section. I get parts back and forth on occasion from the UK. It adds about a week, but the wait would be worth it.

Thank you, I'll have to get a copy of Clock Magazine, should make interesting reading for me too!

 

[JTD]

The new forum page hides everyone's location

No, it doesn't. If you click on the persons name (on the left, beside their message), you will see the flag of their country. (Unless the person concerned has chosen not to state where they are).

JTD

 

[Thomas Sanguigni]

JTD, I think you mean the drop down arrow, and I understand that. It just used to be clearly visible. Now, it is hidden. You just cannot casually look to see the state or country.

 

[davtherav]

I can walk you through this. It's not hard. First, you have to strip the existing lacquer off. Pour very hot water over it and let it soak for a few minutes... hot, as in not boiling but close. You'll see spots where the lacquer starts to lift off if you rub it.. sort of like sheets of thin plastic. Then, use cotton balls and acetone or lacquer thinner. Takes a little time, but again it's not difficult and you don't need to scrub hard.. just keep applying it and use fresh cotton balls. Paper towels work fine if you're not REALLY anal about microscopic scratches that, real world, won't bother anyone. It'll look awful. Don't panic.

Next step... dissolve a few tablespoons of citric acid in a quart of hot water. Soak the base in that solution for fifteen minutes. It'll come out bright and shiny... anything that turns black is a GOOD thing.. it'll rub right off. After rubbing it and rinsing it thoroughly with clean fresh water, dry it, then polish it with Weimann's Brass polish following the directions; apply and rub it in then off until bright and shiny, then RINSE THOROUGHLY with fresh water and rub and polish again with a clean rag. At this point, you have a choice. Either wax it (automotive pure Carnuba wax works great) which results in a beautiful highly polished finish that is lighter in color than original (my preference), spray it with clear lacquer which returns it to it's original as-new state, or do nothing and let it develop an authentic patina over time. The adjuster wheels and feet benefit greatly from this, too... you can do everything other than the movement parts like this... anything originally brass and lacquered.

It's a LOT of fun to do, works great, and I've used it on a LOT of basket case 400-day clocks that come out looking beautiful. This is for the base, columns, and other non-movement parts, just to be clear. I learned the technique from another pursuit of mine; renovating and restoring vintage center draft kerosene lamps.

Edit:

Just snapped a pic for you... this is one I did about two months ago, and left alone after the hand polishing stage; no wax, no lacquer, just bare brass polished. It was in MUCH worse shape than yours when I got it. You can see, in the bottom right of the pic, another base in good but original aged condition for comparison that I have left untouched. View attachment 639222

Thanks to your help and instructions this is the result of my base. I'm thrilled with the result, I didn't think that it would ever be shiny again. Thank you very much.
David

 

[MuseChaser]

Thanks to your help and instructions this is the result of my base. I'm thrilled with the result, I didn't think that it would ever be shiny again. Thank you very much.
David View attachment 639937

Looks great! Glad to know I was finally able to help someone in return for all the help I've received here. Good work!