Step 3. Shellacing the papertray

OK. So here's the dirty bit. There are lice in India that sweat a kind of lacquer: shellac. If you dillute this stuff in alcohol, you can use it as lacquer or varnish. And if you are in a real nostalgic mood, you can produce your own 78 rpm records! Yes!
The stuff we're talking about here, is the alcohol solution (amber colored), that is great to restore damage decals on old typewriters.

Antique decals have a tendency to lose their golden shine. They turn silverish. If you have a very steady hand, you could try to cover the silver color with gold paint, but you are not likely to get a satisfactory result.

The method is relatively easy.
1. Clean the part well and carefully.
2. Apply a layer of shellac, using a soft, flat brush. Make sure you apply each layer with one stroke.

3. Wet sand with fine sanding paper (1000) to remove stripes.
4. Repeat 2 and 3 until you get the right shade of gold.
5. Sand/rub one last time and apply a clear varnish to protect the shellac coating.

Note:
- On the Molle, I did not restore or fill in scratches in the original decal.
- Clean your brush in alcohol (spirit). Do not use ammonia.
- The amber color of the shellac is invisible on black parts. On typewriters with other colors, you'll get a distinct amber shade on the background color. This may be a reason not to use the shellac method on machines that are not black.