Help with Bakelite case

[slybrewguy]

Just recently acquired an all black ww2 era Bakelite tech w/ case in very good condition. I did a quick warm dish detergent toothbrush scrub on the razor and case, just to be safe, then rinsed and let air dry. Well, while cleaning up the sink area I accidentally bumped a shot glass full of 90% ISO that my wife had some earrings soaking in and it got onto the case (fortunately it didn't hit the razor). Well I quickly rinsed the case off and wiped it dry only to find where the alcohol touched... It's now discolored with a white hazyness! I tried cleaning it again with dish soap, rubbing it with a soft towel and a baby wipe, and rinsing again while running with my thumb... Nothing seems to be working.

Anyone have any insight on how to fix this? I can include pics if needed.

 

[Bookworm]

Let it fully re-harden, and use some light plastic polish.

 

[KeenDogg]

I don't know, but @mgbbrown may have some insight to this.

Kindly,
Adam

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Tapatalk

 

[mgbbrown]

Slybrewguy; Can you show us a picture of the damage? I do think, like Bookworm, that the film is a superficial reaction layer. Bakelite is porous polymer, but remains dense enough to resist deeper penetration chemically, keeping the reaction on the case surface. If you do not have Mother's Polish on hand- toothpaste on a toothbrush or Kleenex sheet should give you the aggression that you need to remove the surface layer. The horn center pictured is Bakelite that was extensively oxidized

. If you look closely, you can see the porous outer surface of the Bakelite horn center. God Bless! Tony Brown RN mgbbrown

 

[slybrewguy]

Great, thank you all very much! I'll attach a pic tomorrow morning and will also try what has been brought up here.

 

[santamariasteve]

I called my brother-in-law who is a professional chemist. I read him the posts, and these were his comments:

Not every chemical reaction can be reversed. [Gulp!]

He agree with post #2 and post #4 (above) as viable possibilities.

He had nothing further to suggest.

He commented (if I understood him correctly) that Bakelite is the original "plastic," dating from the late 19th century. Modern plastics are vastly superior. Bakelite is brittle and does not take kindly to being dropped.

I do have one suggestion, but keep in mind I am a social worker by training who flunked 4th grade science. In an auto supply store you can buy a product used to make hazy automobile headlight lenses clear. I've used it and it does a fine job. Wipe it on, rub it in thoroughly, and wipe it off with a clean soft cloth. It removes fine scratches, oxidation & grime, and haze & cloudiness.

Shaver to shaver disclaimer: Exercise your best judgment, and use any such product at your own risk.

Please let us know the outcome, what worked and what didn't work. We wish you well.

 

[slybrewguy]

Sorry for the delay on the pics but just a quick update: toothpaste + old toothbrush did help, a little. I am going to hit it this way a few more times over the next couple days as to not over do it. I'll keep everyone posted.

Thanks again for the quick responses everybody!

 

[Bookworm]

Not all plastics are superior. What they are is more flexible in use. Bakelite generally came in a very few colors, mostly muted. They were VERY strong, and the brittleness was generally compensated for by thickness. Pick up a 1950's phone receiver, like @mgbbrown has, and you can KILL someone with that sucker. Later plastic handles had lead or steel plates added for weight - and I can tell you that they'll still crack if you drop them. Possibly one way to compare is that I _think_ (please, someone correct me if they have more knowledge) that Bakelite is closer to fiberglass than modern plastics are. Modern plastics are extruded, molded, spun, and injected. All you did with bakelite was mold and polish.

Casein plastics were possibly the first true plastics, with celluloid coming along at the same time. Bakelite was a MAJOR improvement from both of those. 1) it didn't explode, and 2) it didn't absorb water and warp. (Look at an old Wearever, Wahl, or Eversharp pen. If the sac degraded inside of them, the ink would stain and swell the pen)

 

[mgbbrown]

Slybrewguy; In the Super Speed thread, I discuss Bakelite and the later Catalin. Bakelite is a thermosetting phenol formaldehyde resin, and was first developed by the Belgian-American chemist Leo Baekland, who developed it in 1907. A wide variety of filling materials were used in the resin commercially, including cotton, powdered bronze, and slate dust, but was most often mixed with wood and asbestos fibers. A can of Mother's Polish applied with a Kleenex across the affected area should do the trick. God Speed my friend! God Bless! Tony Brown RN mgbbrown

 

[slybrewguy]

Not the best pics but will atleast give you a better idea. Keeping in mind this case was a nice glossy black, you can see where it has the hazy discoloration. Also keep in mind it's now a little better since I went at it with a toothbrush and paste. I'll look into mother's polish, I'm pretty sure my grandfather has some around.

 

[mgbbrown]

Skybrewguy; Because Bakelite is relatively inert (resistant to degradation)- I do think that your efforts will be successful. Hone those removal skills on the outside before tackling those nooks and crannies on the inside of the case. Mother's Polish will be just fine for this. If necessary, a final polish with Novus 2 will return the original luster to the Bakelite surface. God Bless! Tony Brown RN mgbbrown

 

[Bookworm]

Yup. Looks a lot like what happens when you get alcohol on a 78 RPM record. Just polish it lightly until that surface layer is gone - you'll also get a really nice, shiny case.

 

[Bookworm]

To add to what mgbbrown has to say, Novus comes in three grades. heavy scratches (1), light scratches (2), and a final wax polish (3). You can use the three together to polish your car headlights