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. Almost immediately the baking soda started to turn nicotine yellow. I used 2 items I knew were Bakelite and 2 that were not. These simple procedures will let you test baking soda and baking powder for freshness and is worth your time if you have these products around for very long. The pic is not fab, but the simi did turn yellow. So I retrieved a piece I knew was positively Bakelite and was not red and tested on it. She was so awesome to test several pieces for us. No weird looks from strangers for rubbing a bracelet and smelling it or pulling out a “kit”. But this is what I gathered based on the research I did. The smell test - If your sniffer works good, this is a great way to test. The smell test - If your sniffer works good, this is a great way to test. Sound- One thing I really love about wearing Bakelite is the clack noise when they tap together.This is another way to test the authenticity of the plastic. a bracelet on the inside, brooch on the back etc. Baking soda also works well to test garden soil and to reduce acid levels. True Bakelite produces a yellow, tobacco-like color. It seems like black tests easily if it is a utilitarian piece. Check baking soda by dripping a few drops of vinegar or lemon juice onto a small amount (1/4 teaspoon) of baking soda. The last thing I want to do is misinform anyone. You can smell it when the piece is run under hot water or rubbed with your finger to create friction. In fact, the term cyanoacrylate glue generally describes quick-bonding super glues. ( Log Out /  Color: Silver. Bakelite contains Formaldehyde. ( Log Out /  A note on Bakelite: the Simichrome metal polish we used in the video below can also be used to test unrestored Bakelite. Photo and tests provided by Niki of Past to Pretty. Pieces that do not pass a substance test can pass the smell test. One of these formulations was brought to the attention of German doll maker Käthe Kruse in 1939. It is quite easy. Here are more examples of the test being done with baking soda on Bakelite pieces. Most people test with 409, Simichrome or the hot pin test (NEVER DO THAT!). See one of the machines used by Bakelite here. E Bayberry—Oil of 25 pet. 13" Stainless Steel Solid Basting Spoon With Bakelite Handle (BBLD-13N) Length: 13 Inches. It also has a ton of other uses. There was a faint yellow tinge with both simi and baking soda, but the black seems to come with it as well. Keep in mind there are many other If I missed any important details, feel free to include them in comments. Baking soda can also remove all of the stains that have been mentioned above, and it is also good for removing oily residues. The Baking Soda Test - Dip a cotton swab into baking soda and rub it into a test spot on the item. Fillers and the molding process are the difference. Test for Bakelite. Again from Lexi Lewis. *insert smiley face*. This topic could be a whole other blog! Many oven-safe pans are labelled as such on their bottoms. There is no good reason to poke anything with a hot pin. A Banana Peel Oil pure A Barbiturates as is A Barium Hydrate 0.5 aq. Use caution and do not rub hard, be sure to test, like with anything else, in an inconspicuous area. The Baking Soda Test - Dip a cotton swab into baking soda and rub it into a test spot on the item. You can smell it when the piece is run under hot water or rubbed with your finger to create friction. No Fillers – No fillers were needed to cast. When a portion of the piece was rubbed with Scrubbing Bubbles, you would get a telltale yellow streak, regardless of the color of Bakelite. Galalith is the name of a plastic developed in Germany in the late 19th century.Galalith, made from casein, a milk-based protein gets it trade name ‘milk stone’ from the Greeks – gala for milk and logos for stones. For a seasoned Bakelite collector this is easy peasy. So you ask, “how do I do this?!?”. How to Decide if it's Old, Repro, Fake or a Look-alike. Change ). Tonya Arnold of Tahoe Tonya’s tested this black bracelet and got a very faint result. Some say it has tested positive for Bakelite, others say it hasn’t. How to Test Baking Soda . As you can see, some pieces tested darker than others. Bakelite contains Formaldehyde. Bakelite was designated a National Historic Chemical Landmark by the American Chemical Society in 1993 (3). No one has reported any damages using it. But not all of us have those . Fun to see what things are bakelite and realize they are older than I would have thought. The later development of other plastics makes it sometimes hard to tell at first glance if an object is made from Bakelite or not. She stumbled across a new method of testing Bakelite. Bakelite and Catalin are both phenol formaldehyde resin plastics. All those beautiful old radios that you see for sale in antique stores are most likely made from Bakelite. There is a mix of different plastics from different eras and none of them had the reaction that Bakelite did. So I published a follow up blog to this one with some great info I collected via research. Bakelite – Phenol formaldehyde resin Opaque, This photo and the one under Catalin were taken of dice that my Jason held onto from his Grandfather. The same bracelets now bring over $4,000. No way! As mentioned above, sometimes it tests sometimes it doesn’t. As a matter of fact during research I found someone who mentioned baking soda in a forum 2 years ago. Synonyms for Bakelite in Free Thesaurus. Once you have these two crucial ingredients, slowly pour … Just rub the swab on the object-. Seems to be just as good as Simichrome for testing. With the exception of black, Simichrome is pretty dependable. Although it is easier to see with the baking soda, which makes me think it might have one up on simi there. Black Bakelite. It is sometimes mistakenly bought and sold as Bakelite. To complicate things further: There is another type of plastic that sometimes gets in the mix called Galalith aka French Bakelite. She used Simichrome and Baking Soda to test. How to Do a Baking Soda Test Place 1/4 teaspoon baking soda in a cup and add 2 teaspoons vinegar. This blog is meant to be more informational than entertaining, so please excuse the lack of bells and whistles. Ultimately, Bakelite was replaced by other plastics that shared its desirable qualities, but could also take bright colors.”  – American Chemical Society There’s no consensus on specific measurements. Baking soda bombs are concocted from a mixture of water, bleach, and baking soda. Antonyms for Bakelite. Sep 27, 2015 - Angiezilla's Boutique: Testing Bakelite With Baking Soda? The smell test – If your sniffer works good, this is a great way to test. Pros – Readily available and works great on certain pieces. Here are some photo examples from myself and others: Use a soft dishrag or non-abrasive sponge to clean the cookware with dish detergent and warm water. Besides, it prevents any fungal diseases on plants and if sprinkled around, is a natural snail repellent and slug killer. Baking soda is effective in removing odor. Just moisten a cotton swab, dip in baking soda and rub gently. ... Bakelite & Baking soda. Dish soap can be added if a different texture is preferred. Change ), You are commenting using your Facebook account. It is generally placed next to the item with odor within a container that can be closed to provide an airtight seal. Or maybe you would have something to add? Lemon, vinegar, and baking soda are all organic cleaners that will lift discoloration from plastic. See photo below for her results. If a piece is lacquered, it … Currently the definitive method of testing Bakelite is to put some Formula 409 on the end of a Q-tip and apply a small amount on an inconspicuous portion of the bead in question. Club soda even returns the sparkle to precious gemstones such as diamonds, emeralds, sapphires and rubies. The photos below show the test done without. It was one of the first synthetic plastics ever to be produced. How To Test Bakelite With Baking Soda – Follow Up. Where as Catalin is translucent, brittle due to the lack of fillers, cast molded and polished. It is Casein-formaldehyde, made from milk protein. Change ), You are commenting using your Twitter account. But can pass a smell test. Uses – Casein (milk protein) was made to imitate horn, marble and porcelain in the late 1800’s. Wet the cotton swab and dip into the baking soda. So please, if you find something in this blog that is wrong, point it out. Please note this blog is a follow up to this one. Step 1. Galalith started as a failed attempt to produce a plastic material specifically for “whiteboards,” intended to replace... Read more » Let's test! So, after doing a few of my own tests I asked some friends for their input and if they would be willing to test some of their pieces. Cons- Not dependable for results. It is a condensed version of the original. This method will cause damage. The size and weight of the items will create a different sound so this method isn't as reliable and should always be used with other tests. 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. I promise to keep the typos to a minimum and not to destroy the English language too much. Posted to the ebay jewelry and gemstones forum. 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