Yesterday I received four plastic reproduction knobs from Alan at GNR. They are brown and I would like them to be black. I'm considering black india ink or laundry marker ink for color, finished with clear brushing lacquer. Does anyone have experience refinishing plastic knobs? Also has anyone ever had a dial excutcheon chrome plated?

Will

:Yesterday I received four plastic reproduction knobs from Alan at GNR. They are brown and I would like them to be black. I'm considering black india ink or laundry marker ink for color, finished with clear brushing lacquer. Does anyone have experience refinishing plastic knobs? Also has anyone ever had a dial excutcheon chrome plated?
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:Will
Hi Will
Well I've had goodluck, beleive it or not with just spray paint and a good poly clear coat spray, just a thought.
Mark

Krylon has a spray point called Fusion that is designed specifically for painting plastics. Quite a remarkable product.

If the knobs are made out of bakelite (cannot be melted), they can be painted with anything. Reproduction Philco knobs for early 1930s models are made of bakelite. Perhaps your knobs are, too. Use black enamel. Black lacquer might give you a better finish. It will have to be applied in about 4 or 5 coats in order to be durable, though.

T.

:If the knobs are made out of bakelite (cannot be melted), they can be painted with anything. Reproduction Philco knobs for early 1930s models are made of bakelite. Perhaps your knobs are, too. Use black enamel. Black lacquer might give you a better finish. It will have to be applied in about 4 or 5 coats in order to be durable, though.
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:T.

Thanks everyone. I colored them with black laundry marker ink today and top coated them with clear gloss poly and they came out perfect. Thomas, They're the plastic repros wirh Z's that GNR sells. They're suppossed to be available in black but black takes a long long time so I accepted brown. They are good quality.

Will

:Krylon has a spray point called Fusion that is designed specifically for painting plastics. Quite a remarkable product.

Mike, I asked the paint wizard at Ace Hardware about top coating the Fusion with poly and he advised me not to. The Fusion is great plastic paint. We used it on our outdoor plastic furniture last season and it still looks good.

Will