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| Testing for Bakelite | ||||||
      
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One of
the best ways to test for Bakelite is to hold it to a very strong
light. Light will not pass thru Bakelite. White Bakelite
might allow a little translucency but by and large it too is
opaque. Some people like to do heat tests but, like Catalin,
Beetle or
Plaskon, Bakelite will not melt. It may put out a Phenol odor
but so will Plaskon and Catalin to some degree. Therefore, smell is
not a conclusive test for Bakelite.
It is not advisable to use substances such as Scrubbing Bubbles, 409, Semichrome or Ajax to test Bakelite as these chemicals usually leave a dull milky spot that will require high speed buffing to remove. Generally Bakelite can be found in Brown or Black although it also came in a wide variety of colors as shown below. The vast majority of non-painted Bakelite products, especially radios, can be found in various shades of Brown and sometimes have a little Black or Copper swirling in the plastic. Black Bakelite is generally used for 'painted' products and the paint is often baked onto the plastic. It can be easily removed with a heavy- duty paint stripper without any damage to the Bakelite. |
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| Testing for Bakelite | ||||||
| Testing for Catalin | ||||||
| Testing for Plaskon/Beetle | ||||||
| Testing for Polystyrene, Tenite, Lucite and Acrylic | ||||||
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