Wednesday, December 30, 2015

Baking Soda And Bakelite Test Part Two

 So when I discovered that baking soda appears to be just as effective for testing Bakelite as Simichrome is, I never dreamed I would learn so much. This blog is meant to be more informational than entertaining, so please excuse the lack of bells and whistles. I promise to keep the typos to a minimum and not to destroy the English language too much. 

  Bakelite and Catalin are both phenol formaldehyde resin plastics. 


  Fillers and the molding process are the difference. Bakelite is opaque due to fillers, can stand up to compression molding and does not require polishing. 

Where as Catalin is translucent, brittle due to the lack of fillers, cast molded and polished.

Now to complicate things:

Black Bakelite. 
 Sometimes it tests with substances, other times it does not. But can pass a smell test. I am still unclear as of why. I've read many opinions on this. Does it have something to do with the fillers? Does the formula of black sometimes require less formaldehyde? Does it have something to do with the 3 types of Bakelite ( A B C) and the year it was made? There is a comment section below, if you have something to contribute, please share! This topic could be a whole other blog!

To complicate things further:
Galalithe 
 There is another type of plastic that sometimes gets in the mix called Galalith aka French Bakelite. It is Casein-formaldehyde, made from milk protein. It is sometimes mistakenly bought and sold as Bakelite. Some say it has tested positive for Bakelite, others say it hasn't. The smell test would likely be your best friend with this one. As it smells like burnt milk or wet wool with a heat test. I have not yet found a piece of this myself to know first hand, but know others that have. There will be facts and links below for this as well.


 I am no expert, nor am I genius. As a matter of fact during research I found someone who mentioned baking soda in a forum 2 years ago. (See This Convo) A lot of what I am reading is like a foreign language to me. But this is what I gathered based on the research I did. None of this is meant to be misinformation. So please, if you find something in this blog that is wrong point it out. The last thing I want to do is misinform anyone.

Always test in an inconspicuous area and rub gently.



Bakelite - Phenol formaldehyde resin
Opaque


This photo and the one under Catalin were taken of dice that my Jason held onto from his Grandfather. Interesting story on how the dice were acquired. Maybe another blog, the story is quite funny. You are seeing Simichrome on your left and baking soda on your right. The pic is not fab, but the simi did turn yellow. Although it is easier to see with the baking soda, which makes me think it might have one up on simi there.

Fillers - Fillers were used to strengthen the phenol formaldehyde resin.

"The Achilles heel was color. The pure Bakelite resin was lovely amber, and it could take other colors as well. Unfortunately, it was quite brittle and had to be strengthened by "filling" with other substances, usually cellulose in the form of sawdust. After filling, all colors came out opaque at best and often dull and muddy. Ultimately, Bakelite was replaced by other plastics that shared its desirable qualities, but could also take bright colors."  - American Chemical Society

" Baekeland considered the possibilities of using a wide variety of filling materials, including cotton, powdered bronze, and slate dust, but was most successful with wood and asbestos fibers." - Wikipedia


Pressure Molded - The material was strong enough to compress.
See one of the machines used by Bakelite here.

Uses - From what I understand, Bakelite was used for more utilitarian purposes but was used for some decor and jewelry.

Black Bakelite -
As mentioned above, sometimes it tests sometimes it doesn't. Here are some photo examples from myself and others:

It seems like black tests easily if it is a utilitarian piece. I tested on a steel file box with Bakelite handles/sides and West Bend electric skillet knob.



Lexi Lewis of My Gilded Magpie provided a test and photos of two napkin rings. There was a faint yellow tinge with both simi and baking soda, but the black seems to come with it as well.


Tonya Arnold of Tahoe Tonya's tested this black bracelet and got a very faint result.


Courtney Hubble of Mercy Maude tested her black bangles along with a red one. She said the black had a positive result after rubbing a bit and is the brighter yellow of the two q-tips that you see.  She said the red reacted almost immediately with little effort.






Catalin -  Phenol formaldehyde resin
Transparent


Cast Molded - The plastic was cast, it could not hold up to compression without fillers.

No Fillers - No fillers were needed to cast. It is often translucent, transparent, mottled or solid.

Uses - Jewelry, game pieces and radios mostly, but was used for other items around the home.


Galalith - Casein-formaldehyde


Photo from The Ganoksin Project

Cannot be Molded - It was produced in sheets and tubes and worked by hand.


Uses - Casein (milk protein) was made to imitate horn, marble and porcelain in the late 1800's. It also has a ton of other uses.  Galalith also had various uses and was patented in 1906. It has a long interesting history worth reading that can be found here

Alias - You will likely see, or have already seen, Galalith referred to as "French Bakelite"  I am not sure how it adopted this nickname but according to this article  it is not correct, and after reading how she puts it, I would say I agree.



More Results
Always test in an inconspicuous area and rub gently.

Here are more examples of the test being done with baking soda on Bakelite pieces. Some folks stumbled upon a treasure or two they did not know they had. I agree with those that say the smell and experience are the best tools. But not all of us have those ;)

Sara Peluso of Sfuso shared her experience testing her Philco radio on her awesome blog the stories behind the stuffs . If you have never visited her shop, you are missing out.



Niki Patterson of  Hey That's Awesome! also shared her tests and results on her very entertaining, blog Hey That's Awesome!




Again from Lexi Lewis. She was so awesome to test several pieces for us. Tortoise and Apple Juice, she even tested the eye on her AJ piece. :) She used Simichrome and Baking Soda to test.




Tonya Arnold tested a bunch of  her Bakelite pieces! Tonya looks to her reference books, purchases from reputable dealers and has used 409 to test her pieces.



Other Plastics

Note just about all of us that contributed tested other plastics to be sure there was no reaction. So far no one has reported a color change on any other plastics.


Celluloid - Lexi Lewis


Various Plastics - Tonya Arnold

Various Plastics (again) - Me




Other known methods for testing Bakelite

Hot Pin Test - Not Recommended.  This method will cause damage. Please do not do this. There is no good reason to poke anything with a hot pin.

Regular 409 - Turns Yellow. I personally have never had consistent results with 409 and switched to Simichrome before discovering baking soda works. Pros - Readily available and works great on certain pieces. Cons- Not dependable for results.

Simichrome Polish - Turns Yellow. With the exception of black, Simichrome is pretty dependable. Pros - Is usually dependable for testing pieces and is a great polish to have on hand. Cons - Pricey, Not Readily Available for everyone.

Scrubbing Bubbles - Not Recommended. I never tried this method because I read it causes damage and is not dependable.

The smell test - If your sniffer works good, this is a great way to test. Bakelite contains Formaldehyde. You can smell it when the piece is run under hot water or rubbed with your finger to create friction. Pros - This test can be done on site, No substances are being used on the piece. Pieces that do not pass a substance test can pass the smell test.
Cons - If you do not have a good sense of smell, or if you cannot smell formaldehyde, this just won't work.

Appearance and Sound - If you handled a lot of Bakelite in your time then this method is likely the one you would use most often.
Pros- You can just walk up to a piece with confidence and purchase it. No weird looks from strangers for rubbing a bracelet and smelling it or pulling out a "kit".  Cons - Years of experience is necessary. For a seasoned Bakelite collector this is easy peasy.

Baking Soda - Turns Yellow. Seems to be just as good as Simichrome for testing. Pros - Cheap, Easily found, Yellow shows better Cons - Damage is unknown. No one has reported any damages using it. Use caution and do not rub hard, be sure to test, like with anything else, in an inconspicuous area.

Well that is all I have for now! If I missed any important details, feel free to include them in comments. I will edit this blog crediting those who provide valid information.

Thanks to those who contributed, and to those that take the time to write informational articles. I am hoping this blog helps clear somethings up for some of you or at least is a helpful start!

~Angie of Bunny Finds Vintage

Don't forget to read  Part One 

Thursday, November 12, 2015

Saturday, September 26, 2015

Testing Bakelite With Baking Soda? No way!

Yes way!
 Today I was cleaning up a few old Bakelite handled utensils when I ran into pesky thrift store sticker residue. I grabbed my trusty box of baking soda and dumped it on my rag and started to scrub it off. It turned that lovely shade of nicotine yellow.
At first I thought: "Great, these are cruddy, not Bakelite". 
So, I washed them real good again, dried them off and tried baking soda on a damp Q Tip. Again nicotine yellow.

 All the handles I tested were red and a little worn. So I ran to grab the only other piece in this house that was not red or worn, and I tested on that. Again it was a positive yellow.

 At this point I need more input. I am pretty excited at the thought of my old trusty friend baking soda coming through, yet again. So I asked other reputable dealers and friends to participate by testing their own pieces... here are the results we have so far:

Note: As with any abrasive substances, do not rub hard and always test in an inconspicuous area.


These pieces tested positive with Simichrome prior to testing with baking soda.



Just moisten a cotton swab, dip in baking soda and rub gently. Dish soap can be added if a different texture is preferred. I like the added dish soap, it doesn't seem as abrasive and is more paste like. The photos below show the test done without.


Here are results from others.


Photo and Test provided by Jodi Bombardier


Photos and tests provided by Niki Patterson


As for black, you have Bakelite and you have Catalin as one experienced dealer puts it: 
 "And we should probably take into account that Bakelite, and Catalin, are two different substances. Bakelite was brown or black, first used for appliance knobs and such, and was more of a dense, even composition material, and heavier. If you break a piece, like break a knob off, you can see the fine ever so slightly granular make-up. Catalin was glossy and lighter and could be brightly colored. Sometimes maybe we're testing two different animals, both black early plastics, but they will react differently" - Courtney Hubble owner of  Mercy, Maude!

For now it seems that it is just as effective, but not better than Simichrome for testing. Lexi Lewis provided 3 photos of black pieces using both baking soda and Simichrome and the results were pretty similar.

All of these pieces are different types of plastic from different eras. None of them reacted to Baking Soda like Bakelite did.



Be sure to look out for Part Two, I am still gathering evidence!
Update as of 12-30 Part Two has been posted!






Saturday, July 25, 2015

Rolled Paper Crafts, 1960s Recycling Fun

Before TV, the internet and social media took over, magazines were an important part of many households. 
That is where you got all of your entertainment that was too risque for television. 
And of course an endless supply of miracle cures, tonics and potions that made life better and eternal.
 Like all good things, you eventually have too much. 
So what to do with all of these treasured sources of information and entertainment? 
 I mean you already have it all, you ordered every single potion, read every single article at least three times and your knowledge in the ways of love are enough to make the Goddess Venus herself blush. You can't just throw them away, they are treasured friends. 
But the stacks of them are becoming a fire hazard and making you out to be a lousy homemaker. 

What does one do? 
You make a waste basket or a necklace, that's what you do!


These were popular craft projects for Bible school, women belonging to organizations such as The Relief Society, and also the Girl Scouts. The waste basket design was very popular in the 60's. Rolled paper, usually from magazines or catalogs, and plastic cord was used to turn an empty ice cream barrel into a fabulous colorful container, for trash, yarn, or even your new magazines!




Waste baskets were not the only masterpieces being created from this technique, jewelry and other items were being crafted also. Like this necklace fashioned from rolled paper and paper clips, I mean no one really needs 1000 paper clips do they?


This is such a simple form of paper crafting, the art gets much more complicated and beautiful the further you go back in history. The art of Paper Quilling is still practiced today and dates back to the 16th century. 

Want to make your own rolled paper container like the one shown here? Here is a great instructional video I found.


Here's a great guide for crafting a different type of paper bead.


Thinking that you might like to dabble in Quilling? This guide is a great place to start.



Stop by my Facebook page to share your thoughts and experiences.

Thanks for reading :)

Saturday, December 6, 2014

Fantastic Gift Ideas For Her

Make the girl in your life feel like a real lady this holiday season! 
Pampering day spas, warm outerwear and gorgeous accessories are right at your fingertips! 

This gift guide is courtesy of Angiezilla's Boutique


1. Paradise Pamper Me Deluxe Gift Set by Paradise Bath Boutique


Treat her to a day at a spa, Spa Finder makes it easy!

2. Gray Wool Coat by Renz Rags


3. Sterling Victorian Pools of Light Earrings by Hey That's Awesome!


4. Tyrolean New York Iridescent Blue Carnival Glass Beaded Handbag by Vintage Meet Modern


5. Wool and Silk Scarf Made Exclusively for The Metropolitan Museum of Art by Sfuso


6. 10K Bohemian Garnet Ring by Zephyr Vintage


7.14k Bangle Bracelet by Lady and Librarian 


8.Royal Montana Blue Demi Parure by The Artisanal


9.Vintage Gold Chain Mesh Coin Purse by Junk In Da Trunk Girls


10.Short Infinity Dress by Tumbleweed Clothing Co.