Bakelite Radios
Bakelite radios refer to a type of radio that was built on plastic. Bakelite is the first form of plastic that was introduced in 1909 by Leo Baekland. It was patented in the same year which has impressed a lot of manufacturers. Radio manufacturers entertained in using Bakelite because of its usage as an insulator. Protection from different electric shock is enhanced with the help of Bakelite. It also ushered a new type of radio
–instead of wooden boxes that would be very heavy even though they are portable, radios made of Bakelite are considerably lighter. The compact Bakelite radios were introduced in the early 30s which eventually outsold wooden type radios.
Most portable radios that were built after the 30s were made of Bakelite. Companies are able to produce radios by thousands because Bakelite is more affordable and offers better portability compared to wood. Collectors are also attracted to Bakelite because it can be easily restored. The durability of Bakelite has also been noted compared to contemporary plastic products that tends to be softer and could easily be broken. Although repainting is a challenge for restoration, a good clean-up should be more than enough to restore the radio to its original color.
