Bakelite switches

[kjshier]

Hi all,
Just browsing the forum and the question of Old Bakelite comes up quite allot.
My company Art Deco Emporium Limited are specialists in the restoration of these old switches, so if your looking to offload then please get in touch.
With regards to fitting and re-use. There is confusion around Regulation and standard. Most switches comply or can be adapted to comply with the regulations but almost none are standard. Fortunately standard simply refers to fittings not to the legal requirements. So a round switch that is not standard can be installed as long as they meet current regulations.

Please get in touch if you need replacements or advise as we have vast stocks and love showing off our knowledge around this area.

Regards,
Ken

 

[davesparks]

So how do you make the old Bakelite switches compliant?

 

[Deleted member 72666]

I was under the impression it was against the law in this country to supply items that contain asbestos.

 

[kjshier]

Each brand is different, the basics for all are that the switch contacts in the off position must be more then 3mm apart and that you cannot access any live parts without the use of a hand tool.
Re-cutting new contacts, replacing worn springs is the easy part, drilling and fitting concealed grub screws into domed switches is a little harder but not impossible. Brass switches are the most difficult because of the earth issue. Once we have resolved that we create hard paper mache insulators that fit within the brass lids.
Time consuming but rewarding work. 90% of the switches we restore are over 80 years old and will easily last another 80.

 

[kjshier]

Your correct which is why we stay away from industrial products and only work on domestic fittings where the Bakelite was strengthened using common wood flour not the more expensive asbestos needed in high voltage applications. Bakelite is still very much in use today, we have a range of new products manufactured here in the UK. Almost every kitchen has Bakelite products in pan handles etc. Car distributor caps are still made of Bakelite because it's still one of the hardest, heat proof chemical proof products available.