Questions about restoring handles

[Kwikrp]

I have a few older brushes. But the handles have to be cleaned and polished to bring back some luster. Also if the colors are faded, any way to get them to a bolder or brighter color? How do you do that ? This would be my first attempt. What products to use and the steps Please?

 

[Snargle]

The process depends on the current condition of the handle. If there are any deep scratches, chips, etc., you'll need to sand them out using wet/dry sandpaper, with a progressively finer grit. If there are just light surface scuffs and dulling, a good automotive plastic polish (I like Meguiar's PlastX) should bring back the shine quickly. Faded colors are problematic. Most brush handles are made from a solid-colored material. Sanding may bring back the original...or it may actually make it worse. I'd be content just to have it clean and shiny and not worry about restoring the color.

 

[Capslock]

Post a pic, and we'll give our notion of how to proceed!

 

[JaxJim]

Good advice above. On the issue of restoring faded colors, the following isn't directly on point, but I offer it for purposes of illustration. This is an Ever-Ready 100 in the condition I received it:



On the blue portion of the handle the plastic appeared to be scaling or flaking, almost as if it had been clear-coated and that was wearing away. My hope was to keep sanding to a minimum so that the lettering would be well preserved, but as it turned out, that wasn't possible. Rather, far more sanding was necessary-- and at lower grits than I anticipated-- to remove the white scales/flakes.

Here's how it turned out:



The flakes are gone, and I think in the process of removing the outer layer of plastic, slightly brighter blue plastic was revealed. My guess is that the handle now is fairly close to its original color when new.

In any event, good luck with your restorations and, yes, please post some photos!