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Horn Push
Posted: Wed Aug 12, 2026 9:31 am
by stuffedpike20
Am I right in thinking that the horn push surround (the bit that always brakes when you prise the horn push out of the steering wheel) is made from Bakelite?
If so, is there anything that it can be 'conditioned' with to stop it being so brittle? Bees wax, or furniture polish or teak oil or something?
Re: Horn Push
Posted: Wed Aug 12, 2026 3:51 pm
by King Kenny
Short answer is, no. The later ones are plastic. The early, banjo type are a sort of bakelite and bakelite is prone to cracking if abused.
Re: Horn Push
Posted: Wed Aug 12, 2026 4:54 pm
by stuffedpike20
King Kenny wrote: ↑Wed Aug 12, 2026 3:51 pm
Short answer is, no. The later ones are plastic. The early, banjo type are a sort of bakelite and bakelite is prone to cracking if abused.
If I was being pedantic...I would say 'Bakelite IS plastic!' The later ones crack too. Anything they can be treated with?
Re: Horn Push
Posted: Wed Aug 12, 2026 5:10 pm
by svenedin
Nothing I am aware of that you can treat them with to reverse the brittleness. I only have personal experience of the later types. What I would say is, don't try to remove them in cold weather or if you must, try to warm them up first with a hairdryer or something. They are extra brittle in the cold and I have cracked two of them in winter despite trying to be very careful. Presumably there is an ageing process going on whereby the plastic changes becoming more brittle but this is much worse in the cold. Silicone such as is used in spray furniture polish can help to slow further deterioration by reducing the effects of oxygen in the air and UV light and it also smartens then up (same with steering wheel but do buff it off as you don't want a slippery steering wheel).
Stephen
Re: Horn Push
Posted: Wed Aug 12, 2026 5:44 pm
by stuffedpike20
svenedin wrote: ↑Wed Aug 12, 2026 5:10 pm
Nothing I am aware of that you can treat them with to reverse the brittleness. I only have personal experience of the later types. What I would say is, don't try to remove them in cold weather or if you must, try to warm them up first with a hairdryer or something. They are extra brittle in the cold and I have cracked two of them in winter despite trying to be very careful. Presumably there is an ageing process going on whereby the plastic changes becoming more brittle but this is much worse in the cold. Silicone such as is used in spray furniture polish can help to slow further deterioration by reducing the effects of oxygen in the air and UV light and it also smartens then up (same with steering wheel but do buff it off as you don't want a slippery steering wheel).
Stephen
If I can't get one off with my finger nails, I try to use a filler knife or putty knife to try to spread the load and avoid snapping anything.
It's better than using a screwdriver.
Re: Horn Push
Posted: Wed Aug 12, 2026 7:38 pm
by svenedin
stuffedpike20 wrote: ↑Wed Aug 12, 2026 5:44 pm
svenedin wrote: ↑Wed Aug 12, 2026 5:10 pm
Nothing I am aware of that you can treat them with to reverse the brittleness. I only have personal experience of the later types. What I would say is, don't try to remove them in cold weather or if you must, try to warm them up first with a hairdryer or something. They are extra brittle in the cold and I have cracked two of them in winter despite trying to be very careful. Presumably there is an ageing process going on whereby the plastic changes becoming more brittle but this is much worse in the cold. Silicone such as is used in spray furniture polish can help to slow further deterioration by reducing the effects of oxygen in the air and UV light and it also smartens then up (same with steering wheel but do buff it off as you don't want a slippery steering wheel).
Stephen
If I can't get one off with my finger nails, I try to use a filler knife or putty knife to try to spread the load and avoid snapping anything.
It's better than using a screwdriver.
Good idea!
Stephen
Re: Horn Push
Posted: Thu Aug 13, 2026 7:20 pm
by stuffedpike20
I have seen vaseline used before to rejeuvenate plastic bumpers.
I am going to give it a go on my horn push.