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Bakelite? Phenolic? Garolite?

I'm looking for a cheap material that is fairly heat resistant (~250 F) to machine a small block out of (about 3.5" x 1' x .75" ...with a few features). I've come across Bakelite as a good candidate and have a few questions:

1. I've seen Bakelite, Phenolic, and Garolite described as the same thing. Is there an industry standard grade that should be used for machining? How would I call this out on a drawing?

2. I've read that it can be molded easily, but haven't seen much on machining. Can it be machined well?

Thanks,

Aaron

Tags: bakelite, garolite, phenolic

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Permalink Reply by Bryan St.Martin on November 3, 2009 at 10:04am: What type of loads are you intending, and is impact or shear forces involved?
Bakelite and phenolics are rather hard and therefore brittle, the design you showed has numerous stress risers which could easily cause fractures under load or impact. The temperature range you specified isn't very high, other polymer types may be suitable as well. Watch out for sharp inside corners and thin anchoring points especially with brittle materials.
More info can help direct towards suitable material. Check into flathead socket screws for added clearance.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Aaron Moncur on November 3, 2009 at 10:12am: Hi Bryan,

Thanks for the reply. I don't expect any high loads (< 5lbf). No shear forces or impacts, either. What other polymers would you suggest? And are there "typical grades" of Phenolic that are suitable for machining? Or is specifying "Bakelite" on my drawing sufficient?

Thanks again.; ▶ Reply to This