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Catalin
Radios, Clocks and more


See the Radio Plastics Explained page to learn more about various plastics.

(Click on the thumbnails below for more info and a larger photo)

Automatic Radio Corp, model 950, red catalin radio plastic, 1938 Bendix Radio model 526C green catalin radio cabinet, 1946 Dewald Radio model B512 Clock Radio with catalin radio cabinet Dewald Radio model A502 with catalin radio cabinet Dewald Radio model B501 Lyre or Harp with catalin radio cabinet
Automatic 950 Bendix 526C DeWald B512 DeWald A502 DeWald B501
Emerson Radio model 520 with catalin radio cabinet and white plaskon grille Emerson Radio model EP-375 Five plus One red Catalin radio cabinet Emerson Radio model AU190 butterscotch catalin radio cabinet, 1937 Fada Radio model 652 Temple with catalin radio cabinet, 1946 Fada Radio model 652 Temple with butterscotch and red catalin radio cabinet, 1946
Emerson 520 Emerson EP-375 Emerson AU-190 Fada 652 Fada 652
Fada Radio model 1000 with blue catalin radio cabinet, 1946 Fada Radio model 1000 with catalin radio cabinet, 1946 Fada Radio model 1000 with catalin radio cabinet, 1946 Fada Radio model 659 Temple with blue catalin radio cabinet Fada Radio model 53 with onyx catalin radio cabinet
Fada 1000 Fada 1000 Fada 1000 Fada 659 Fada 53
Fada Radio model L56 - 136 with burgundy catalin radio cabinet Fada Radio model L56 with blue catalin radio cabinet, 1940 General Electric Radio model L622 Jewelry Box with tortoise shell catalin radio cabinet, 1941 Globe Radio model 532 with catalin radio cabinet in butterscotch and tortoise shell grille, same as Arvin 532 catalin radio Motorola Radio model 50XC3 butterscotch catalin radio with ring grille
Fada 136 Fada L56 General Electric 622 Globe 532 Motorola 50XC3
RCA model 9TX1 butterscotch catalin radio, 1938 Sentinel Radio model 284 catalin radio Sentinel Radio model 284 catalin radio Emerson AX235 green catalin radio FADA 700 plum catalin radio
RCA 9TX1 Sentinel 284 Sentinel 284 Emerson AX-235 Fada 700
Emerson Radio model 400 Patriot catalin radio
Emerson 400 Patriot


Canada

Addison Radio model 5D Courthouse red catalin radio cabinet, 1946 Addison Radio model 5E Courthhouse black catalin radio cabinet, 1946 Addison Radio model R5A1 catalin radio cabinet Addison Radio model R5A1 catalin radio cabinet
Addison 5D Addison 5E Addison 2 Addison 2
Canadian Crosley Radio model G1465 butterscotch catalin radio cabinet, tortoise shell split grille
Crosley G1465


Great Britain

Green catalin crystal radio and speaker
Catalin Ltd.

Catalin Clocks, Thermometers and Barometers


General Electric 7H80 Julip catalin clock French green catalin clock Janes red catalin clock Telechron green catalin clock
GE 7H80 Julip French catalin Janes Telechron
Seth Thomas catalin clocks
Seth Thomas

O.B. McClintock catalin clock Winslow catalin clock
O.B. McClintock and Winslow
catalin clock collection
Windsor, unknown, Windsor
Windsor catalin clock
Windsor
Bond catalin clock Yorke catalin and chrome clock
Bond Yorke
Lackner Neonglo clock with catalin face Lackner Neonglo Dulcy catalin clock Lackner Neonglo brown catalin clock
Lackner Neon-Glo Lackner Neon-Glo Dulcy Lackner Neon-Glo
Twinface catalin clocks
Viking "Twinface"
New Haven small yellow catalin clock GE 3H180 catalin clock
New Haven, General Electric
Oceanic catalin thermometer Taylor catalin barometer, themometer collection Lord catalin thermometer
Oceanic Taylor Lord
Taylor red yellow catalin barometer
Middleburg catalin deco thermometer, barometer
Middleburg
B.T.Co. catalin deco thermometer
B.T. Co.





The following catalin info is an excerpt from the "Radio Plastics Explained" page:


Cast Phenolics (catalin)
Catalin plastic ad



Many plastics manufacturers made cast phenolics catalin using their own names for the plastic.
For using the patented process, they each had a licensing agreement with the Catalin Corp.
Opalon was another cast phenolic catalin plastic,
the name given by its maker, Monsanto Plastics.

Opalon plastic ad

Opalon plastic ad


Both Monsanto Corp (Opalon)⤴ and Marblette ⤵ contributed to Emerson's catalin radio models.


Marblette catalin colors

various catalin items ads


This Bakelite Corporation ad shows cellulose acetate and cast phenolic catalin plastic uses,
including the rare Fada model L56 radio.
They are grouped together, referred to as "Bakelite Plastics".

Fada L56 in Bakelite Corp ad advertisement


The Catalin Corporation also made other plastics such as Styrenes and Polyethylenes.
Although labeled "Catalin Styrene and Polyethylene",
these are NOT the cast phenolics that are now known as catalin plastic.


Catalin Corp styrene advertisement

Catalin Corp styrene advertisement


Catalin in Europe

Dr. Fritz Pollak and Dr Alfons Ostersetzer, chemists in Vienna have been credited with catalin's creation in the mid '20s.

...and from Grace's Guide (https://www.gracesguide.co.uk/Catalin)

Grace's Guide is the leading source of historical information on industry and manufacturing in Britain.
This web publication contains 148,272 pages of information and 233,809 images on early companies,
their products and the people who designed and built them.

"1937 To exploit the market in Europe and the Commonwealth, Catalin Ltd was set up in England,
not as a subsidiary of the American concern but autonomous - although using the latter's technology.
Dr Riesenfeld, who had acted as consultant in America and was one of the inventors of the process, became technical director.
(There were at this time two other companies producing cast phenolics:
Marblette in the USA and Raschig in Germany, with processes differing in some respects from that of Catalin.)
The British company was installed in the large building in Waltham Abbey, Essex,
that had housed the Nobel company in the First World War which made munitions.
The building provided ample space to accommodate a battery
of six nickel reaction vessels (called 'kettles' in the American style) and six large circulating hot-air ovens
for curing (i.e. hardening) the cast resins in their moulds, together with ancillary pumps,
boiler, workshops, laboratories and offices."

Catalin UK ad




See marbled Beetle Plastic radios

Beetle Radios





Fada 652 dial glass for sale

Fada 652 dial glass replacement available

CLICK for details




AND, see many more colorful clocks and radios inside Classic Radio Gallery

Sparton Radio art with Strider the watchdog



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