Turntable refurbishment

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I recently purchased a used turntable, a Technics SL-6. It is one of those small linear tracking tables made approx. thirty years ago.

The buttons on the front were originally chrome-plated plastic. I know it is chrome and not paint, because it is conductive.

The chrome has pitted quite badly. I have found a process on eBay using household cleaners to remove all the chrome from these pieces, and I'd like to paint them a silvery color.

But I have concerns about durability of paint over plastic. This plastic sort of feels a lot like the styrene which models are made from, in terms of weight.

Any opinions here on a super-durable (because I need to touch the buttons) paint for plastic? Am I nuts in shooting these with a Testors metallic silver paint?

Or... If anyone knows where I can send a few small pieces to have them re-finished in chrome, that would be awesome, too. Just don't know how expensive it might be.

Any and all input is welcome!
 
I've been fooling around with Quicksilver Chrome by Createx. It needs to be applied over a gloss black, and with this stuff, the glossier the better. For durability, it will also need to be clear coated. There is some 2k clear in a rattle can that I have read very good things about - I believe it is Spray Max.

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Holy smokes that is a gorgeous chrome finish.

Looking around at pics of these turntables, I see the chrome finish on the buttons was more of a brushed chrome, so not sure I can duplicate that. I think the glossy chrome might not look right.

Are there any enamels that wouldn't need to be top-coated for durability. For example, if I just went with a sort of gray or something similar?
 
I guess you could look at automotive touch up paints. You may find a decent silver color that will approximate what you are looking for.

Me, if I wanted it to last, I would do it right to start with, which would be prime, paint, top coat - you may not find the need to go that far if you can live with the results.
 
I'm including a picture of the turntable. The model is a Technics SL-6.

And I don't need to achieve the look perfectly.

I'm now thinking, after doing some research, of using nail polish?

Seems lots of shiny colors are available and I watched a YT where they thinned it 1:1 and sprayed it, it was dry and tough in 15 minutes without requiring a top coat.

And I'm not opposed to a top-coat, just wondering whether I'd be able to pull it off.
 

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The plastic is most likely ABS. It's what most plastic cases for electronics appliances are made of, and it is very similar to model kit plastic. Model kit plastic is polystyrene, which is one of the components of ABS. ABS generally behaves like a tougher version of styrene.

ABS, like styrene, bonds very well to "hot" solvent based paints, so laquer primers are the best surface treatment to use, regardless of what kind of paints you're putting on top of it.

*Edit* Almost forgot: You don't need a special process to strip plating off ABS or other plastics. Just go down to your local big box or auto parts store, and look for a product called "Super Clean" in a purple plastic jug or spray bottle. Soak the parts in that for an hour or two, and the chrome will come right off. Just be sure to wear gloves: That stuff is an aggressive degreaser, and will take the lipids right out of your skin.
 
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The plastic is most likely ABS. It's what most plastic cases for electronics appliances are made of, and it is very similar to model kit plastic. Model kit plastic is polystyrene, which is one of the components of ABS. ABS generally behaves like a tougher version of styrene.

ABS, like styrene, bonds very well to "hot" solvent based paints, so laquer primers are the best surface treatment to use, regardless of what kind of paints you're putting on top of it.

Thank you for the help, I'll investigate lacquer primers.

I think my largest concern now is getting the paint between the buttons. They're held together in groups by the injection moulding runner (it is a clever design), and I'm not the world's greatest painter. So I might have to upgrade to a better brush. Right now I just have siphon-fed single-action units like the Badger 250 and 350 so I should get a double-action and practice with getting paint into crevices, I suppose.
 
Was going to use some alclad 2 on a set of bmx mag wheels.

Heard a geezer on youtube say, if you want to retain the chrome finish, hit it with the inter wet. Then lacquer (I'm my case 2k) apparently it keeps it mint.

He was doing a set of silver teeth as a prop (joker)
 
Was going to use some alclad 2 on a set of bmx mag wheels.

Heard a geezer on youtube say, if you want to retain the chrome finish, hit it with the inter wet. Then lacquer (I'm my case 2k) apparently it keeps it mint.

He was doing a set of silver teeth as a prop (joker)

Any chance you have a link to that video? I tried googling "interwet" and "inter wet" and I'm not coming up with anything.
 

I had no idea about that stuff.

I don't think I'm after a shiny chrome finish after all, I've been researching pics and the buttons all look like brushed/non-shiny finish. But I will investigate this for future projects, thanks!
 
I saw the button groups on ebay for $25 or so each. So i guess $50 for all.
Anyhow, Im guessing youd like to stay well under $50.
The finish looks like what we might call satin.
Id go for any paint thats supposed to look like chrome, most will approximate satin.

Just an idea;
If you go the nail polish route then gel polish might get you more durability. Dont worry about a UV cure lamp, you could just set it in sunlight.
Im not entirely certain but i have a feeling thinning should be done with a gel polish thinner. I have a feeling thinning it with acetone would give some of the same bad results thinning gel coat with acetone does. Styrene is more appropriate for gel coat but i cant really say if it would be good with nail gel so my gut says go with the thinner made for it.
 
Apropos of nothing: that turntable looks like the exact same one my parents had when I was a wee lad back in the 80s. That close up pic was a face full of nostalgia.

IIRC the metallic finish on the buttons was brushed aluminum.
 
I saw the button groups on ebay for $25 or so each. So i guess $50 for all.
Anyhow, Im guessing youd like to stay well under $50.
The finish looks like what we might call satin.
Id go for any paint thats supposed to look like chrome, most will approximate satin.

Just an idea;
If you go the nail polish route then gel polish might get you more durability. Dont worry about a UV cure lamp, you could just set it in sunlight.
Im not entirely certain but i have a feeling thinning should be done with a gel polish thinner. I have a feeling thinning it with acetone would give some of the same bad results thinning gel coat with acetone does. Styrene is more appropriate for gel coat but i cant really say if it would be good with nail gel so my gut says go with the thinner made for it.

I saw the buttons on eBay but if you look closely, they show signs of pitting as well.

I think a lot of eBay sellers hide behind fairly low-res images, so you have to look pretty closely at what is visible.

I still haven't decided on the nail polish. This last weekend I polished the top using a foam pad that fits my random orbit sander, and Novus plastic polish. But now that I'm done, I'm questioning whether I want to leave this top off and install a clear top that will allow me to see all the bits moving around. I have a CNC router so could cut a flat piece of acrylic that would keep the dust out of the mechanism but still allow me to see. And when I'm not using the unit, I could put a vinyl cover over the top. There is a lot of stuff going on in there, seems like a shame to cover it all up.

AND if I go that route, maybe I don't even care about the buttons being silvery. Maybe I'd go with a color coding. I don't know. I got this thing for $90 shipped, it wasn't near mint, and I'm beginning to wonder whether I was a full restoration on this one, or if I want to make it fun.
 
Apropos of nothing: that turntable looks like the exact same one my parents had when I was a wee lad back in the 80s. That close up pic was a face full of nostalgia.

IIRC the metallic finish on the buttons was brushed aluminum.

They sold quite a few models like this one, I'd say there are twenty units that looks pretty similar, with slightly different features. Some different finishes, too.

Some of them were ungodly expensive. The SL-15 I think sold for around $800, which is like $2500 in 2019 dollars. And the specs on these are amazing, with super-low wow/flutter.

I'm just waiting on the part I need to ship, and I'll fix the arm, then try it out a little and decide where I'm going to take it next.
 
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