Restoring Bakelite: Cracks, Fractures, and Missing Pieces

Bakelite is a hard, somewhat brittle plastic. It was widely used for steering wheels on cars and tractors, radios, household appliances, electrical switches, and much more. Over time, Bakelite can get damaged. It cracks or breaks, and sometimes entire pieces go missing. In this article, you will learn how to easily repair Bakelite in three simple steps.

Step 1. Preparation

Start by roughening the damaged areas of Bakelite. You can grind out cracks using a small cutting disc on a Dremel tool. Where pieces are missing, sand thoroughly using coarse sandpaper (60 grit). Always wear respiratory protection, such as a P3 dust mask, while sanding. Now clean and degrease everything thoroughly using a solution of ammonia and water to make it dust-free and grease-free. Once the Bakelite is fully dry, you can proceed to the next step: repairing the Bakelite.

Step 2. Repairing Bakelite

Mix thixotropic epoxy with a pigment matching the color of the Bakelite. This is usually black, but sometimes cream, reddish-brown, or another shade. Add hardener to the thixotropic epoxy, mix thoroughly, and apply it into the cracks and missing sections. Thixotropic epoxy can also be used as an adhesive to glue broken pieces back together. Shape the epoxy as closely as possible to the original form. Complex areas may need to be built up in 2 or more layers.

Wear nitrile gloves during this work to prevent skin contact with epoxy.

Now sand the repair areas into the correct shape. This can be done with coarse sandpaper (60 grit), followed by finer sandpaper (120 grit, then 180 grit).

Step 3. Finishing the repair

Once the repairs are sanded, the entire object can be lightly sanded using 280-grit sandpaper. The Bakelite can then be finished with a topcoat. When Bakelite is subject to heavy use, such as a steering wheel, we recommend using Double Coat DD Paint. This paint is available in high gloss, semi-gloss, and matt finishes and is highly resistant to dirt, chemicals, and wear. The paint can be applied directly without primer onto both the Bakelite and the epoxy.

Need more information?

In the article above, you learned how to repair Bakelite using epoxy. If you have any questions about the products or procedure, please feel free to contact our customer service team!