ARCHIVED FORUM -- March 2012 to February 2022READ ONLY FORUM
This is the second Archived Forum which was active between 1st March 2012 and 23rd February 2022
Polishing the Beogram dustcover is not just for restoration, it is also a very good practice for maintenance.
Why?
Because a polished surface offers less resistance and is hence less likely to be scratched.
I clean all my Beograms regularly with a moistened towel applying VERY little pressure. A damp cloth provides “lubrication” and is less likely to cause abrasions as opposed to a dry cloth.
None the less, even after being properly polished a few years ago, over time a slight film of fine dust particles collected on all the Beogram dustcovers, regardless and in spite of the regular damp dusting.
It took 3 to 4 polishings each before achieving the desired look and FEEL.
The improvement to the appearance came as a surprise, but the real improvement was the feel to the touch, these dustcovers are now positively slippery which is the best protection against abrasions of any sorts.
Now when these dustcovers are dusted the fibers in the damp cloth just glide over the surface…. and look good too!
Jeff
Beogram 4000, Beogram 4002, Beogram 4004, Beogram 8000, Beogram 8002, Beogram 1602. Beogram 4500 CD player, B&O CDX player, Beocord 4500, Beocord 5000 T4716, Beocord 5000 T4716, Beocord 5000 T4716, Beocord 8004, Beocord 9000, Beomaster 1000, Beomaster 1600, Beomaster 2400.2, Beomaster 2400.2, Beomaster 4400, Beomaster 4500, Beolab 5000, Beomaster 5000, BeoCenter 9000. BeoSound Century, S-45.2, S-45.2, S-75, S-75, M-75, M-100, MC 120.2 speakers; B&O Illuminated Sign (with crown & red logo). B&O grey & black Illuminated Sign, B&O black Plexiglas dealer sign, B&O ash tray, B&O (Orrefors) dealer award vase, B&O Beotime Clock. Navy blue B&O baseball cap, B&O T-shirt X2, B&O black ball point pen, B&O Retail Management Binder
Like you, I think nice dust covers are a joy to behold, and every time I use or just walk past my equipment, I take a real pleasure to look at the perspex slabs just for the sake of it. To put it bluntly, I just can't be bothered to use things that have an ugly looking piece of scruffy plastic onto them.
So, like you, I covet nice covers only, and I use my elbow grease to polish the ones that are anything less than perfect.
Jacques
Yes Jacques, we are both indeed into esthetics.
My “insight” for the care and preservation of Plexiglas dustcovers came from my research into the care and preservation of wood veneers. (As different a medium as they are, plastic and wood share a good deal in the “care” department.)
Specifically keep both wood and plastic out of direct sunlight and avoid strong chemicals. Beyond these obvious dangers the only other threat which can be mitigated to any meaningful degree, is abrasion avoidance…. this is where the polishing comes in.
As frequently as I dust my Plexiglas dustcovers I readily admit to being a bit taken back by the sheer amount of minute dust particles I found embedded into the plastic.
Suffice to say they all looked MORE than presentable BUT when I wiped my hand across the dustcover top on my Beogram 8000, it felt for all the world like I was touching concrete. Did you get that, concrete?
You must be thinking that I am exaggerating. I wish I was, but candidly, I am not.
I can only assume that my determined effort to apply very little pressure in my near daily dustings allowed, over time, a remarkable amount of fine dust buildup.
Turn the lights up and the BG 8000 dustcover didn’t look all that bad, but wow, it felt terrible. I checked the other Beograms and all very in very similar condition.
Since all of my Beogram dustcovers have at some point in time been well polished, I was surprised that one polishing didn’t achieve the desired smooth effect. On average it took 4 really “good” polishings to get them to be really ultra smooth.
Once achieved the change in appearance was dramatic, almost sufficient for a “before and after” photo comparison. The difference translates going between OK and spectacular.
In short it is a good idea to periodically check the plastic surface condition on our B&O equipment (applies to the plastic panels on Beomasters just as well.) and act accordingly.
As mentioned initially, a smooth surface (either wood or plastic) provides less resistance to a foreign object, and by definition is less likely to suffer abrasions. Making sure a plastic surface is smooth is just sensible preventative medicine…. and it is so easy to do.
I very much like the Meguiar’s Plastic Polish, but there are numerous products which will achieve the same result.
I promise you this guys, a periodic dustcover polish will provide a bit of protection for your dustcover and put a real smile on your face.