Restore a 1920's Sun damaged Hard Rubber Radio Faceplate

Those brown hard rubber faceplates are NOT supposed to be brown! That's not "patina" that's UV light damage and removing it is not just a matter of a good cleaning. In this video I'll show you how I address the issue. There are other ways as well, like staining or painting them, but this is how I do it. It should also be said that you should keep your hard rubber faceplates out of direct sunlight so this doesn't happen to your radios. But if it does happen or you inherited one that has the damage, in this video you will learn how to restore it to it's original glory.

[@hds0405]

Wow, what a difference, nicely done!!

[@Manhattanman52]

Isn't it true, though, that after similar "restoration" treatments in subsequent years, no faceplate will remain? How many of these treatments will the faceplate endure? You're removing original physical material from the object and changing its dimensions. Is this treatment "museum correct"? Probably not. Just my opinion.

[@antiqueradioarcheology-wil8878]

I have a couple of radios that are going on 20 years. You have to keep them in climate controlled conditions and most importantly away from direct sunlight.

[@RadioHist]

My experience tells me to never use water based cleaning on old hard rubber... Use plain mineral spirits. Use #0000 steel wool. If really bad, start with 400 grit sandpaper. Finish with 1500 grit buffing pad...

[@antiqueradioarcheology-wil8878]

@@RadioHist I've used that method as well. This needed much more aggressive treatment which involved hours of work. I have a hard rubber faceplate I did like this over a decade ago and it still looks like the day I did it. On plates with less UV damage I agree 100 percent with you and will definitely work with mineral spirits.