vintage bakelite light switch plates

Bakelite! The plastic that smells like formaldehyde when you rub it! Yummy!
Let's talk about this fun and historic thermosetting plastic, and where you can get a cool vintage Bakelite light switch plate like this one...

First, let me tell you about  Liz's Antique Hardware. It is difficult for me to go there and not end up spending more money than I can afford to spare. They have all the hardware and fixtures you could ever need to restore an old California bungalow. The last time I went, I was very well behaved and just got a few light switch plates for eight dollars a piece. And not just any light switch plates, vintage Bakelite covers, still in their original packaging!

I think I have a special place in my heart for Bakelite because I synthesized it once in a chemistry lab and  I actually had a decent yield. Also, it's a plastic that has real gravitas. It makes polycarbonate seem completely anemic.

A little background: Dr. Leo Baekeland invented Bakelite, the first synthetic plastic. It was soon used to make everything from phones to jewelry. As you can see from the illustration above (which I totally plagiarized from the Internet, sorry), it's a reaction between phenol and formaldehyde. That's why you get that ever so slight smell of formaldehyde when you rub and warm up the plastic. 

Bakelite is highly collectable. But before you start your own collection of early plastics, it's good to practice smelling Bakelite and developing a nose for it. That way, if you're ever at a flea market and someone tries to sell you something made of plastic for a premium by claiming it's Bakelite, you can confirm this for yourself. So get out there and get yourself some Bakelite!

-J