Re: Fixing Spud bakelite

[Joel Alpers <joel.alpers@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

John Bercovitz wrote:
> 
> > Dr. T appears to be the expert on bakelite
> > repairs since he patches up all those cracked
> > Red Buttons.
> 
> There's a member of this list who is also an
> expert.  I've seen some of his work and the
> joints are hard to find.  I can't tell you
> who it is because that wouldn't be fair.
> The only fair thing is to let him announce
> himself.
> 
> John B
> 
> Hint: His initials are ERS.

You are really bad  ;)


Here's a copy of a posting I saved by someone who coincidentally
has those same initials:


My call is that the Spuds are bakelite, not styrene as you find in model
kits. Bakelite is brittle (weapon's grade plastic! :) but quite stable if
you keep it away from a lot of direct heat. A test is to see if it will
dissolve or soften with acetone or tolulene. Styrene melts with powerful
organic solvents, baklelite may soften minutely, but not so's you'd
notice. Which is why you always, repeat always, rebuild broken bakelite
with cyanoacrylate cement (superglue) and accelerators not model making
cement or epoxy. Fixing a bakelite red button viewer with epoxy dooms it
to look like a piece of ugly junk forever.