770 sats \ 6 replies \ @davidw 20 Oct 2023 \ on: Fun Fact Friday - Best Fun Fact Gets 10,000 Sats meta
Plastic used to be made of milk, not oil.
- From the early 1900s until about 1945, milk was commonly used to make many different plastic ornaments, including buttons, decorative buckles, beads and other jewellery, fountain pens, hand-held mirrors, comb and brush sets. Combining the liquid with formaldehyde.
- Milk plastic (usually called casein plastic) was used for jewellery by Queen Mary of England. Lactoid was a popular brand back then. Here's a few interesting reads into the history of plastics - ScienceMuseum, ScientificAmerican, V&A
Yeah, Bakelite. I've made it!
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I'm intrigued.
What was the use case? Were you making it for work?
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Just a high school science project. It was weirdly super-easy to make!
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Sounds perfect for that. I guess it sets pretty quickly.
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Sorry, it's too far back for me to remember clearly - I'm getting on in years.
I did later own a vintage 50's valve radio though - beautiful sound in it's big brown Bakelite shell. The lights from the valves gave it a homely feel.
Very classy.
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No worries, thanks for sharing. Craftsmanship & materials like these have got to make a comeback.
Also something special about kit manufactured and finished in hardwood.
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