The plastic was developed by Eastman Kodak Chemical Co. in Kingsport, Tenn. to utilize abundant pine forests as a feedstock. The idea was to make wood into an easily moldable material.  I believe it was introduced in the early 1930s, it became quite popular, and continued into the 1990s at least. Older formulas of it warp, shrink, get moldy and mildewy in a damp environment, and give off a somewhat unpleasant odor, especially when heated or worked. It is stronger in compression than tension or deflection.

   Bruce Gentry, KA2IVY

Bruce,

Where was Tenite made and what time period?  I had wondered what the keys were made of. 

73

Kevin

W5TTY

On 4/4/2022 11:03 AM, Bruce Gentry via GreenKeys wrote:

The keys are made of Tenite plastic or one of it's derivatives, made from cellulose.  It molds and mildews badly. In worse cases, the mold sort of corrodes the surface, and a mild abrasive polishing compound is needed to make the surface smooth again. Tenite aslo has a distinktive odor when heated or worked. I spent my youth in the place it was made, pieces of the plastic were easy to get, and the whole town had an "air" about it. Typists , however, liked the feel and "touch" of keys made of it, and it was quite popular for keyboards.

    Bruce Gentry, KA2IVY

On 4/4/22 6:35, Kevin H. Phillips wrote:

I know that others who have worked with these machines have encountered similar problems but I can't remember the exact products used to clean the keys and thought I would post about something I "discovered" while working on the machine I picked up a few weeks ago in Houston, TX.



73


Kevin

W5TTY

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