WWI ship switch

K

Ken H>

Joined
Dec 31, 2011
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Hello all, A buddy brought this over last week telling me it's from an old WWI ship radio equipment. I don't have a clue other than what he told me. Does anybody know anything about it? What is the black material the switches are mounted on - Bakelite? I just a small piece from end where it was damaged and it has a "funny" smell when cutting on bandsaw.
Ship-Switch.jpg

and here's a small section cut off:
Ship-Switch-example.jpg

It does polish nice, thinking about using the insulation for knife handles - comments?
 
If it's really a WWI era piece of equipment, I'd be a bit concerned about what it was made from. It's my understanding that material safety was a bit less comprehensive back then. But you've been around long enough, Ken, so you've already thought of that, I'm sure.
 
I'm pretty sure that it is Bakelite. It was when I served.
It contains/is Phenolic resin, not nice to breathe. Stinks pretty much when hot or burned.
 
I've read that old bakelite may contain asbestos.
Cool asit may be, I wouldn't work with it.
 
Reached out to my brother, retired USN electrician/electronics. No asbestos in Bakelite that he has ever heard of.
 
Dan, Thanks for checking with your brother - that asbestos rumor keeps popping up from time to time, but I never really saw any need for asbestos in Bakelite. This doesn't have any "fiber" look at all, not at all like brake shoes for instance. The bakelite that was rumored to have asbestos was made back 100 yrs ago or so. Perhaps it was all so far out of service the idea of asbestos never came up in your brother's career?
 
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Back during WW1 nobody thought of asbestos being bad for you.
Actualy the first tank drivers on the German side got asbestos shirts te wear because it got extremely hot in those beasts.

Anyhow I just wouldn't risk my health over using cool material.
 
There was asbestos in the ships, they wrapped steam pipes and such with it. Just none in his time in the Bakelite. His first ship was a WW II era “tin can” (whatever that was?), bakelite was safe then.
Young, new seamen “picking at” the steam pipe wrap were in for a swift, merciless butt whooping. They didn’t play with that stuff!
 
"tin can" was a term used for the destroyer class ships that were used as escorts in convoys during WWII for protection against subs. I "think" that is correct. I found this on net: "Molded asbestos plastic products are generally less dangerous than other types of asbestos-containing materials. Plastic fixes asbestos fibers in place, making it less likely they will become airborne. Electricians, construction workers, auto mechanics and homeowners can suffer asbestos exposure when old electrical components are drilled, sawed or damaged, but other less durable asbestos products, especially insulation, pose a far greater risk."

From what ya'll have wrote and what I've found online it looks like this is bakelite, but does contain asbestos. Most likely safe enough if only sawed or drilled, but sanding would surely put fine asbestos fibers airborne.
 
Oh my, our Uncle lied to service members! LOL
 
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