The base materials are very aggressive chemicals. That, and the technique of grinding up the sprues and other wastes for 'filler' material, caused dermatitis in factory workers, and worse.
High pressure is required as the reaction is barely controllable and produces volumes of gasses as the cure proceeds. Bakelite does not melt, it is 'thermo-setting', probably the first true commercial plastic.
Needless to say, trawl the net and sure enough our bretheren in India and China are making artifacts with it still.
I seem to remember when Ma plugged in her electric iron, our unit had a switch built in to turn off/on the side outlet.
Alan.
