How a Dremel and a 90s NBA Legend Saved My Melted Remote
It was a classic “while the cat’s away” scenario. I came home to find that my wife and daughter had teamed up to commit a terrible crime. The victim? My Amazon Fire TV Stick remote.
The story was simple: my daughter, with freshly painted nails, used the remote. My wife, in an attempt to clean the nail polish smudges, used acetone. A noble effort, but a disastrous result. Acetone can be a powerful solvent for common plastics like ABS, and it had completely melted the glossy surface of the buttons.
This wasn’t just any remote. It was for a Fire TV Stick I’d imported, making a simple replacement a real hassle. After a moment of despair, I decided to take matters into my own hands. I would restore the gloss myself. “But how?” you ask. Luckily, I had a secret weapon.
The Toni Kukoč of My Toolbox
If you’re an old-school basketball fan who grew up in the 90s, you’ll remember Toni Kukoč. He wasn’t a starter on that legendary Chicago Bulls team with Jordan, Pippen, and Rodman, but he was the ultimate sixth man—the guy who came off the bench in critical moments to save the day.
In my workshop, I have a tool that feels exactly like that. I don’t use it often, but when I’m in a tough spot, it always comes through. That tool is my Dremel.
I’d used it before to solve impossible problems, like removing broken taps or repairing glasses. Restoring plastic gloss? That’s one of its specialties. So, I dusted it off and got to work.
The Restoration Process: A Step-by-Step Guide
The buttons weren’t just dull; they were also pitted and scratched. So, the first step was to smooth the surface.
Step 1: Sanding
First, I masked off the surrounding areas to prevent any damage. Then, I started with 600-grit sandpaper to even out the major imperfections and finished with 800-grit. For a perfect job, I could have gone up to 2000 or 3000-grit wet sanding, but hey, this is for my own use. Good enough is good enough.
Step 2: Polishing
I attached a wool polishing pad to the flex shaft attachment, which gives me finer control than using the main tool.
Now for the main event. I applied some polishing compound and started buffing the surface at a low speed. The key here is patience and a light touch. Plastic is soft, and too much pressure will melt it again. You need an almost “barely there” touch.
After several passes, the gloss slowly started to return. As the saying goes, “Quit while you’re ahead.” I stopped when I was satisfied, careful not to overdo it.
For those who want to see the full process, here is the video:
The Final Result: The Hero Saves the Day
After cleaning off the masking tape and residual compound, the remote looked almost as good as new. The buttons worked perfectly, and the ugly, melted mess was gone. Success!
Once again, the Dremel proved itself to be the ultimate sixth man of my toolbox. And thanks to my “useless” skills, I earned some impressed looks from my wife and daughter.
But as nice as their praise was, I could do without this kind of “hands-on experience” again. Please…
