Many ZW's that I've seen have spotted bakelite almost like a "granite finish".
What is the best way to achieve a nice shiny black look ?
My ZW has the same finish as this one:
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I've never tried to put a shine on a PW transformer, so take this for what it's worth. If it were mine, I'd use a good brand of automotive wax. My choice is Meguiar's Gold. If anything will make it glossier, Meguiar's probably will.
The mottling of the finish is a change over time that goes all the way through the Bakelite. It cannot be polished out, but the case will look a lot better with cleaning and polishing. I use a polishing wheel on a cordless drill with a mild polishing compound meant for plastic, then follow up with Meguiar's Cleaner Wax (any automotive cleaner wax will do). The cleaner wax smooths out the polishing marks and takes away the residue of the polishing compound. I've done a number of Z transformers this way, and they still look mottled but the mottling is less pronounced and the appearance is much improved.
Given how Bakelite is made, there is no way to polish and restore the finish to the new look. The glaze is baked on, hence the term Bakelite. It's a thermosetting resin, and it's a once-and-done type of process.
