The Ely miner., 1937-09-30

through a plastic switch, plate and
fittings, and in all probability
serves a table lamp with a plastic
shade. (For lamp shades are now
being made of paper, glazed with
liquid phenolic resin, as the most
commonly used plastic is called,
commercially. Dials for clocks, ra-
dios and speedometers are similar
ly treated, providing an attractive,
efficient and economical substitute
for previous processes.)
This is just fair morning start.
Driving to business, we use plas-
tic steering wheel, gear shift lever
handle and all sorts of gadgets on
the instrument panel. At the Of
fee the telephone instrument is
made of plastic, and it is an "odds-
on" bet that so are the inkwell, pen
and ashtray on the desk. Veneer
surface woods in the furniture are
cemented in place with a liquid
plastic adhesive.
How Catalin Is Made.
Almost no matter what you do,
you encounter plastic products. Col
orful wall panels in modern thea
ters, dwellings and ocean liners are
made of them. So are jewelry, toilet
articles, cosmetic containers,
buckles, umbrella handles, bag and
golf club fittings and game fish
lures. Even "store teeth" are made
of plastics, as are the dental plates
to which they are affixed. For those
who like to quaff the flowing bowl,
the advent of catalinl dental plates
was welcome boon, for the old
type plates were deteriorated by al
cohol, while catalin is not. But den-
tiStry is only one of the numerous
professional fields in which plastics
has left an indelible mark. You can
turn into almost any other line of
endeavor and there it is-plastics,
making important new strides.
Catalin is made by mixing for
maldehyde and phenol in nickel
lined kettles of approximately 5000
pounds capacity. The weight is re-
duced to about 1900 pounds by the
time the first production phase is
complete. The mixture is cooked
at a low temperature. Heat is pro-
duced by the reaction of the two
ingredients and held down to an
even temperature by the use of wa
ter, vacuum or steam in an out
side jacket. At this stage the color
is added.
Here catalin has the consistency
of molasses, and is poured into
lead molds to form the shapes re-
quired by the fabricators. Two or
three color combinations may be
cast at a single pouring, the mold
leading the different colors into
their proper places. Catalin is also
poured into pans and when semi
cured Cheated until it becomes
gelatinous) is sliced into required
thicknesses.
Magnificent Future Seen.
In the curing ovens, the even,
moderate temperature of which
would permit a mans walking
around in them, catalin is complet-
ed by curing for about so hours. 1t
is then ready for delivery to the
fabricator, who cuts it, lathes it,
bluffs it and otherwise works it into
the finished product which he sells.
So great has been the public GU
riosity about plastics, especially
since the national resources COM
mittee's report, that one of the lead
ing moving picture producers in
Hollywood has filmed the manufac-
ture of multi-colored catalin in full
colors. The picture was scheduled
for release in 5000 theaters in Oc-
tober.
What of the future? The almost
utter lack of limitations in the field
for cast resins defies description.
Because of its beauty, its low cost,
its extreme "workability," and it's
many peculiar characteristics it is
the stuff for pioneers in almost ev-
cry branch of industry.
Country newspaper editor John
Wesley Hyatt really started some
thing when he. began dabbling out
side his chosen field IS years ago.
@Western Newspaper Union.