Catalin Storage
Bfayette
of? I have a couple of catalin sets now and I don't want to wreck them due to
improper storage. Thanks!
MSchu46776
moisture and oxygen-free environment. Everything but the oxygen-free part is
easily do-able by the collector. In other words, don't store them in a hot
attic, a damp basement, or the garge or barn. The yellow color that is so
characteristic of Catalin is a surface layer of oxidation caused mainly by
ultra-violet light, and various chemical agents. As this process continues,
the material becomes ever so slightly thinner. So, darkness is important for
storage. If you display them, don't use flourescent bulbs. And, make no
mistake: Restoring Catalin (sanding and repolishing) makes them look great,
but the oxidation process will continue, and in a few years that bright white
bullet will be yellow again! And, by "restoring" the radio, the case is that
much thinner. So, the "restored" radios that people are paying premium prices
for on e**y are not going to stay "restored"!
Mike Schultz
Fran
this out when I tried to take it apart to clean and test. The chassis was
very hard to remove and it took me several days to do without breaking the
case. If I didn't take it apart I think it would have eventually cracked the
case or the mounting tracks for the chassis. I did not but it back together
yet because the chassis won't slide in very easy. I was thinking of using a
file to trim the chassis to fit without pressure. From what I learned I
would check the fit of the chassis to make sure that the catalin won't crack
under pressure before I let it sit for a few more years. I was lucky because
I took it apart beforehand.
fran golden
enfield,ct
MSchu46776
Yes, Catalin shrinks, but I believe most of the shrinkage took place early on.
I have not observed any evidence of current shrinkage in any of my Catalins,
and I have a few that I have owned close to 10 years. You were lucky that you
were able to get the chassis out of your Sentinel. I got one a few years ago
that was so tight that I had to actually cut the chassis apart to get it out!
Fortunately, the chassis is fairly easy to find in an inexpensive Bakelite
model. Anyway, I recommend you go ahead and trim the chassis so it fits
losely, and maybe not re-install the little metal pieces that are supposed to
hold the chassis in. And, just in case, check it every once in a while to
satisfy yourself that the chassis is not getting tight.
Mike
Ken G.
..
How about suntan loation :-)
Donald Borowski
undamaged example...)
Donald Borowski
Agilent Technologies, Spokane PGU
"Ken G." wrote:
> I wonder why something so expensive falls apart so easy ? it`s a shame
> ...
Peter Wieck
phenolic resin often opaque, marbelised, translucent or richly
coloured. It becomes a favourite material of art deco product
designers.""
Catalin is an inherently unstabile material that is still outgassing
(shrinking) and will continue to do so as it powders slowly over time. Neither
heat nor dryness help either. Eventually, ALL catalin will powder. Objects with
built-in stresses such as radio cases and such will do so sooner. Such radios
that are actually used and subject to the heat of operation will do so sooner
still.
Gorgeous, but not a good long-term investment, guys & gals.
Spammers successfully cancelled to date: 1147
Peter Wieck
Wyncote, PA
Bfayette
>Eventually, ALL catalin will powder.
Eventually, the universe will decay into neutrinos. So what?
>Gorgeous, but not a good long-term investment, guys & gals.
I am not investing in this stuff. I buy it beause I like it. In any event, if
it has lasted 50 years, with proper care it should last another 50. And I will
be very pleased if that turns out not to be long enough.
Catalins bought to date: 3
Brad Fayette
Peter Wieck
The expected lifetime of a catalin radio in now-perfect shape might be 25 years
if the radio is stored under climate-controlled conditions.... and unused.
That same radio used with any regularity might go 10 years. The issue is that
the case is shrinking constantly due to the outgassing of the material (to link
to another thread, much of the "Old Radio Smell" is due to the phenolic wafers
(tube sockets) outgassing when heated). Given that Catalin radios are molded
and the mold stresses are pretty much unrelieved due to the nature of the
plastic, there comes a time when the shrinkage overcomes the strength of the
material. At that point, spontaneous cracks begin. As the shrinkage continues,
the cracks spread and key out. Eventually, the radio will crack through until
the stresses are relieved.
The saddest part is that "repairing" the crack merely continues the process
somewhere else.
Now, if you are lucky and the cracks occur on the bottom of the radio (most do
as the anchor screw holes are a natural stress point) you can have your beauty
at a fraction of the cost of a "whole" radio. But the brute fact of the matter
is that catalin, as materials go, is ephemeral. At least as compared to
Bakelite, wood, styrene plastics and the like.
You mention that your radios have lasted 50 years.... Well, that is true. But
as a material first showing up in the 30s, catalin is at the base of a curve of
increasing slope in decay. We will see more damage in the next 10 years than in
the last 50.
Mike Freeman
that the plastic was going to molder into dust?
Mike Freeman; Internet: mi...@pacifier.com; Amateur Radio Callsign: K7UIJ
/* PGP2.6.2 Public Key available via my ".plan" file */
... Where there's a will, there's a lawyer.
Terry Schwartz
>Did the folks who built those Catalin radios during the thirties *know*
>that the plastic was going to molder into dust?
Why would they have cared? These were appliances, sold to be replaced in just a
few years. Could GM make a car that wouldn't rust? Certainly. Will they? No
way.
Terry S.
Terry S -- Collector specializing in (but not limited to) 30's - 50's plastic
radios
Proud owner --> 1977 Triumph Bonneville
Shoreview MN
See my radios at: http://members.aol.com/tschw10117/mypage.htm
Peter Wieck
The makers certainly did know that they were marketing an ephemeral product.
But what might be enlightening is some of the advertizing based around
Catalins..... they were seen almost entirely as decorator items with the radio
function being secondary. Some of the ads included phrases such as "buy in
several colors to match your decorating....." or even "at this price, you can
afford several, one for each room in your house..."
And, mostly, they were AM-only AA5-style radios, some even used resistance line
cords. These were *CHEAP* radios at the time and longevity was NOT a factor.
They were made at a time when the band was not terribly crowded, and stations
were (usually) quite powerful. So even sensitivity was not a big deal.
i.e. these were decorator items.... like curtains.
Bfayette
>as a material first showing up in the 30s, catalin is at the base of a curve
>of
>
I looked on the web for more info on catalin decy. Thre does not seem to be
much out there. Where do you get your info?
Brad Fayette
Peter Wieck
>I looked on the web for more info on catalin decy. Thre does not seem to be
>much out there. Where do you get your info?
One of the (few) advantages of working for a major educational institution is
that one can call over to the chemistry department and ask about any silly
question one wants and get a straight answer... (actually they referred me to
the engineering school across the street). Actually, once I asked I was treated
to a whole bunch of "hidden" flaws that will come home to haunt us. Amongst
which were:
Galvanized brick ties in cavity walls
Masonry adhesives (Sarabond was an early one)
Formaldehyde-based plastics
Nitrate-based plastics (old films for one)
Sulphurated paper (this is commonly known)
on.... and on.... and on.
Bfayette
Well, that's good to know. If university professors say it, then it must be
true. Thanks.