How do I tell if it's Catalin?
David
I have had people offer radios to me for my collection or seen
them in antique stores, and once in a while I hear they are
made of 'catalin'. Maybe I've never seen the real thing, cuz
it just looked like plastic to me.
So how DO you tell if it's Catalin or not? And why does anyone
really care? Wasn't it just another type of plastic?
This is a long-time curiosity of mine, so I look forward to
learning how to TELL catalin when I see it!
David
Peter Wieck
>learning how to TELL catalin when I see it!
From just "seeing it", there are some indicators, though not positive.
1. Catalin castings tend to be somewhat rough on the unfinished sides and do
not take the crisp edges and details of either thermoplastic materials
(Styrenes) or double-set thermosetting materials (Bakelite).
2. Catalins also tend to be somewhat uneven in thickness.
3. Catalins tend to be translucent.
NOTE: The word "tend" is used. There are exceptions, in quantity, to all of the
above.
Add to this, the term "catalin" is a trademark of the Catalin Corporation, now
(I believe) controlled by Union Carbide. It was used (and is still used by the
costume jewelry collecting community) almost interchangably with Bakelite, a
material using the same precursor chemicals, but not at all the same
as-finished.
Confused yet?
A link to physical testing of plastics:
http://www.plasticfantastic.com/testing.html
Spammers successfully cancelled to date: 4227
Peter Wieck
Wyncote, PA
USA
James Hilins
"Peter Wieck" <pf...@aol.comspam> wrote in message
news:20020911111621...@mb-fc.aol.com...
Michael Jack
> really care? Wasn't it just another type of plastic?
>
> This is a long-time curiosity of mine, so I look forward to
> learning how to TELL catalin when I see it!
Hi David,
The best way to tell is the price tag! If it's horribly over priced
($1000.00 up to the cost of a decent used car) it's most likely catalin.
OUCH!!!!
Robert Casey
> Its crack !
>
Crack is cheaper....... :-)
mrhuntnpeck
....just watch out for those asian fakalite radios :)
http://www.angelfire.com/ca3/gale/
this site has some interesting stuff about bakalite, and catalyn.
phil
On Tue, 10 Sep 2002 16:35:04 -0700, "David" <Dev...@hotmail.com>
wrote:
Sven Franklyn Weil
>
>
> ....just watch out for those asian fakalite radios :)
> http://www.angelfire.com/ca3/gale/
Well..considering that the manufacturing process for Bakelite is still in
existence (Bakelite is used for certain electrical wiring devices), you'd
think that the Asian "fakelite" manufacturers would use the real
stuff....since they're already manufacturing "genuine" phenolic stuff like
some wall outlets, switch toggles and adapter sockets (the plug clusters
that let you plug in two appliances plus a bulb into a lamp socket).
--
sven
Thierry Gerbault
news:slrnao185...@gordsven.com:
I get really PO'd when companies try to pass off ordinary modern plastic
for bakelite and even advertise it that way. I once bought a
reproduction antique-style desk phone which was advertised as being made
from old-fashioned bakelite. Well, it wasn't. The store tried to give
me a hard time because I wanted to return it, but they finally backed
down. There's nothing quite like genuine bakelite or catalin.
--
Regards, Thierry...
Reply to Thierry...@att.net
- I am Homer of Borg. Prepare to be... ooooh donuts...
Mike Schultz
Be aware that dealers that do not know how to tell Catalin from other
plastics are apt to "horribly overprice" non-Catalin objects, especially any
that have marbleized colors. And, there are those who do know the
difference, and don't care. So, an expensive price tag is no guarantee
whatsoever that the item is the real thing.
--
Mike Schultz (My humble website http://uv201.com)
Michael Jack <micha...@sympatico.ca> wrote in message
news:1f703d4d.02091...@posting.google.com...
PyLe
http://www.maarc.org/catalin%20corner/catalin_corner.htm
http://www.catalinradio.com/
HTH,
Pyerre