Reviving delrin scales?

F

Fujimo

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Jun 7, 2007
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I have two knives with "red bone" jigged delrin scales. The scales appear to have something whitish on them. One knife seems to have no luster, etc. So what might bring them back? I've cleaned them already. Wax? Polish? If so, what kind?
 
I seen:

A) Ink.
B) Wood Stain.
C) Shoe Polish.

All used to freshen old scales with marginal to decent results. Have you tried oiling the scale? I had an old Buck Stockman that was a bit sun bleached, and while it didn't make the knife look new, it did blend the color in the scales togetther a bit.


:).
 
So far, waxing them seems to be doing a good job of bringing a little luster back. No idea how delrin gets to look like that. I've had delrin blocks on a sailboat 10-15 years old that haven't looked quite so faded.
 
Fujimo said:
So far, waxing them seems to be doing a good job of bringing a little luster back. No idea how delrin gets to look like that. I've had delrin blocks on a sailboat 10-15 years old that haven't looked quite so faded.
Click to expand...

There are many grades of Delrin. Some of them are UV stablilized, but most grades of Delrin are somewhat sensitive to UV radiation (ie sunlight). UV damage to such plastics can result in microcracking and chalking of the surface. That is to say the UV breaks down the plastic at the surface.

Glossyness is caused by light reflecting on a smooth surface. UV damage breaks up that smoothness resulting in a non-glossy finish.

I would bet that the Delrin blocks on your boat were made from a grade of Delrin that is UV stabilized. I'd also bet that the Delrin used on knife handles is not.

Anything that either micro-scuffs the finish or attacks the plastic could cause this. I just think that UV is the most likely candidate.
 
I just picked up an Old Timer 125 "Mustang". It was in rather rough shape though still serviceable. The Delrin looked faded and had a lot of particles rubbed into it. I used steel wool and some 3 in 1 oil to rub them out. It brought back some coloring but not fully.
 
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