Howdy, I have a 1958 1033 transformer I picked up in a box of junk parts from a garage sale. The shell and faceplate are pretty dirty and gummed up. l was wondering if there are any tips or do's and don'ts for cleaning bake-o-lite? Note: I'm assuming the shell is bake-o-lite. If not, it is some pretty junky plastic.
OGR Rocks! -Bill
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I’m assuming you’re taking the shell off?…….what I like to do is simply scrub the shell with hot soapy water, then LIGHTLY scrub the faceplate with an SOS pad. Dry Thoughtfully, there will be water trapped under the faceplate if you’re not removing it. Allow this to dry thoroughly before assembling. Spray furniture polish on the shell after drying, and buff to a shine.
Pat
Its proper name is Bakelite, developed in 1907 and named for its inventor, Leo Hendrik Baekeland. One article calls it the "... first truly synthetic resin."
Thanks guys for the tips and the history lesson. OGR Rocks!
I use Brasso Cleaner/polish. Makes it shine like new.
@B Smith posted:Its proper name is Bakelite, developed in 1907 and named for its inventor, Leo Hendrik Baekeland. One article calls it the "... first truly synthetic resin."
Quite right,in YONKERS,N.Y.
Bakelite is washable. Dawn dish detergent does a decent job if you’re not working around stamped numbers, etc. For nasty grease accumulations, try either baking soda or cornstarch on a Q-tip or, for very small areas, the cardboard stick from the Q-tip. Both baking soda and cornstarch are softer than most plastic, very mildly abrasive and absorbent so they’ll take up goo.
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