Bakelite has a distinctive odor to it. I talked to my Dad and he had this information saved on his computer [img]smile.gif[/img]
http://www.mi-brew.com/brownies/expa...elitetest.html
Essentially it has this tho:
[quote]The Rub Test: This tests relies a great deal on the sense of smell. The surface of the object in question is rubbed with a clean, dry finger. Rub until you get good friction and feel heat being generated. Then, smell the area you rubbed. The bakelite odor has a chemical smell like formaldehyde.
The Hot Water Test: Again, this test relies on how good your sense of smell is. Heat some water close to the boiling point, and place a part of the object in the hot water for a moment and remove. Check for the characteristic smell.
The Hot Needle Test: This test can be very distructive if not done carefully, and a person can get burned, so be careful! Heat a sewing needle to the point that it is red hot. Choose an out of the way spot on the item and touch the needle for only a second to the surface. The bakelite smell should be detectable. It is also thought that by observing whether or not the needle penetrates the surface of the object can be used to determine if the object is bakelite. In theory, bakelite should not be effected by heat, so the needle should not melt at the point it touches the surface.<hr></blockquote>