Tuesday, February 05, 2019
Happy 110th, Bakelite!
Happened to notice a 'this date in history' feature.
Today is Bakelite's birthday!
Polistra's world is full of partly or mostly Bakelite objects:
My real world has only a few mostly Bakelite objects, all decorative or toys.
This Delco radio
and the Triplett voltmeter and Philmore crystal radio.
Only one object is in constant daily use, the handle on this RevereWare pan:
Bakelite is a near-perfect insulator for electricity and an excellent insulator for heat, which makes it ideal for handles on thermally or electrically hot objects. It stands up to a wide variety of chemicals, and can be polished to a deep luster.
In the '30s colored or translucent Bakelite was used for appliance and radio cases and jewelry. Again the surface had a depth that you can't get with newer plastics. Only one of Polistra's objects has translucent Bakelite: the pushbuttons on the 1938 Philco floor radio.
My real world has only a few mostly Bakelite objects, all decorative or toys.
This Delco radio
and the Triplett voltmeter and Philmore crystal radio.
Only one object is in constant daily use, the handle on this RevereWare pan:
Bakelite is a near-perfect insulator for electricity and an excellent insulator for heat, which makes it ideal for handles on thermally or electrically hot objects. It stands up to a wide variety of chemicals, and can be polished to a deep luster.
In the '30s colored or translucent Bakelite was used for appliance and radio cases and jewelry. Again the surface had a depth that you can't get with newer plastics. Only one of Polistra's objects has translucent Bakelite: the pushbuttons on the 1938 Philco floor radio.
Labels: Patient things
¶ 11:57 PM
