How To Clean Bakelite

[BamaPen]

I just bought a lovely old dual desk set base with a working windup clock. The entire base and pen sockets are made of bakelite and are completely intact - not a single chip. However, as with most things this old, it is dirty. Not terrible, but definitely in need of a cleaning. So, what is a safe way to clean bakelite?

 

Thanks,

John

[Pentode]

I would start with lukewarm water and mild dish soap. That will definitely be safe for bakelite. If that fails to clean it I would step up to naphtha.

[siamackz]

Never had anything in Bakelite, but if it is as fussy about water as hard rubber then I would use mineral oil on a cloth to wipe it clean and even leave a shine.

[Ron Z]

Wenol, Simicrome, Flitz - bakelite is pretty tough stuff. The pen polish that I sell would work pretty well I imagine. I use it on everything except hard rubber.

[BamaPen]

Wenol, Simicrome, Flitz - bakelite is pretty tough stuff. The pen polish that I sell would work pretty well I imagine. I use it on everything except hard rubber.

 

Ron, I use your polish almost everywhere - great stuff! I will try it on the bakelite. Thanks!

[BamaPen]

In case anyone reads this thread...I used Ron's pen polish on the bakelite and it worked pretty well, but I could not seem to get an even look to the large flat areas on this dual desk set base. So, I pulled out the can of Pre-Lim, from the same folks that make Museum Wax, and used the Pre-Lim to go over the entire base. Both Ron's polish and the Pre-Lim removed significant amounts of brown surface material - either dirt or oxidation, I'm not sure - but repeated applications did not result in more brown stain on my cloth, so I figured I was done. The result was a very even, very shiny finish. I did not use the wax, as I have heard that it is not a good idea on celluloid, so I thought it might not be such a good idea on bakelite, either. Plus, I am very pleased with the overall look.

[BamaPen]

Wenol, Simicrome, Flitz - bakelite is pretty tough stuff. The pen polish that I sell would work pretty well I imagine. I use it on everything except hard rubber.

Ron, Why don't you use your pen polish on hard rubber? I have, and it sure looks good. Should I stop?

[Astronymus]

Bakelite, as far as I know, is best cleaned with destilled water. So no minerals will pour into the pores of the material. Harder to clean stuff you can get away with alcohol. Acids and soapy waters are not good for bakelite.

 

Abrasive methods are a last resort. And dangerous. Bakelite is only bonded on the outer layers. Once these are gone the inner filling can be damaged.

 

It's recommended to maintain a glossy surface with the help of paraffin in a solution with benzine. Also common is vaseline. That fills the pores. Then polish it with a piece of cloth.

 

That's how I know it. Never done it, though. I don't own bakelite pens. But I handled bakelite casings for mining equipment back in the 90s. We never used the extravagant method though. We just cleaned it with water and polished it with Ballistol. Which isn't so far away from the vaseline method - same base ingredients.

Edited December 2, 2018 by Astron

[Goldberg]

Abrasive methods are a last resort. And dangerous. Bakelite is only bonded on the outer layers. Once these are gone the inner filling can be damaged.

 

I would add that bakelite contains asbestos, so abrasive methods are really a no no, and pretty dangerous for your health.

 

From asbestos.com:

 

Molded asbestos plastic products are generally less dangerous than other types of asbestos-containing materials. Plastic fixes asbestos fibers in place, making it less likely they will become airborne. Electricians, construction workers, auto mechanics and homeowners can suffer asbestos exposure when old electrical components are drilled, sawed or damaged, but other less durable asbestos products, especially insulation, pose a far greater risk.

Edited December 3, 2018 by Goldberg

[Astronymus]

I doubt they used asbestos-bakelite for pens.

[Ron Z]

Ron, Why don't you use your pen polish on hard rubber? I have, and it sure looks good. Should I stop?

 

No harm to the rubber, but I find that hard rubber polishes better with something like Wenol, my favorite alternative to Simicrome or Flitz. The pen polish I sell tends to get stuck in the pores of the rubber. I've also found that a Sunshine cloth works nicely on hard rubber.

[Goldberg]

I doubt they used asbestos-bakelite for pens.

]

I would love to know the source for this information.

 

So far I've found unreliable and contrasting sources of information about this topic, and I have a wonderful bakelite phone that needs restoring.

[pen2paper]

You might want to review the information found at connectingtocollections dot org

 

Looking at plastics, intro to care.

Determine the age of your thermoset, condition issues, care options, including whether disturbing the surface requires extra equipment or location.

Click into the photo descriptions. Very well described care/storage issues info, for various other writing instrument materials too.

[Astronymus]

In a phone... maybe. Yet seems overkill for that purpose. In a pen, unlikely. I'm sure they would have preffered another filling.

 

The good thing about bakelite is that the asbestos is captured inside as long as the surface is undamaged.

[pen2paper]

Years ago we used to tap materials on a tooth to "hear" the ID. Now magnification, or gently on glass.

An artisan friend, working pearl decribed strict respirator & location rules.

 

Would old phones have a plastics trademark? Thinking the style & location should ID its source?

[Astronymus]

I would think even old phones have a manufacturer mark, and most likely a model number and a maybe also a serial number.

 

I doubt the type of plastic is marked on old devices.

Edited December 3, 2018 by Astron

[Goldberg]

Yes, I know the phone is a Siemens from the '30.

 

What I've found so far is just this:

https://www.acmsuk.com/adolf-hitlers-telephone-may-contain-asbestos-going-sell-6-figures/

 

It's highly likely that Hitler's phone was a Siemens too.

 

I totally derailed the topic so I will stop here.

 

Astron and Pen2paper thank you both for the informations!

Edited December 4, 2018 by Goldberg