Sticky rubber

Norman_E

Norman_E

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I know it was asked before, but can some one please point me to what to use to clean up the rubber casing of a power tool that has gone sticky?
 
How timely! I'm on the edge of my seat waiting for 'THE ANSWER'.

Someone suggested in a previous thread white spirit, but that didn't work on my old binoculars, but now the handle on my otherwise excellent guitar stand has gone sticky, too.

I vaguely recall someone subsequently saying you had to physically remove a significant amount of the surface - sandpaper? scraper?
 
Cream cleaner like Cif sometimes works well.
I think its pretty much the talcum powder idea plus a bit of detergent?
 
I’ve had the problem with a pair of bins and an infrared thermometer.

White spirit was a waste of time. Acetone worked but not as well as cellulose thinners. Plus, of course, a lot of elbow grease. Don’t expect the end result to look pretty but it will solve the sticky issue.
 
Thanks Everyone.
The only suggested method I had immediately to hand was Cif, and an application rubbed in with kitchen paper has turned the tool from unusable to quite good, still slightly sticky, but at least OK to use.
 
The problem is that the elastomer has broken down, this could be caused by absorption of grease and oils or simply age and exposure to strong light. It could even be that the elastomer was not formulated with the best filler or even a good base elastomer.
There are two possible options to try to effect a remedy:

Try to get the sticky elastomer to absorb more inert filler, the talcum powder route. This is likely to be temporary as it will only "dry" out the surface much like a gymnast using rosin on his hands. It will eventually wear off and require replenishing.

Remove the sticky layer, either by mechanical means or chemical solvents like acetone or white spirit. The first is obvious but scraping is unlikely to get rid of all the sticky stuff only a complete removal of the rubberised coating will work leaving a slippy drill or whatever, the coating could be replaced with something like bicycle handlebar tape which could also just be wrapped over the sticky stuff the disadvantage being that it will change the ergonomics perhaps making the tool difficult to hold. Using a solvent is a double edged sword, any that work are likely to penetrate into as yet unaffected rubber compound resulting in it quickly going soft and the problem reappearing. Perhaps the best is a wipe or rub with a solvent that works followed by a dusting with talc. Probably won't be a permanent solution but needs must.

Out of interest which manufacturers tools seem to be giving the problems? I have never experienced it but there again I always wipe my tool clean after use ;)
 
We had this problem with our Canon binoculars. Our solution was to spend several hours carefully scraping off as much as possible of the tacky rubber. This is a therapeutic way of passing time on a slow sail. Only then did we go at it with repeated applications of acetone. End result is still not perfect or pretty, but is no longer sticky to handle.

So the next question is: where do we go to get a replacement surface material?
Peter
 
Desolvit-Thumbnail_250ml-Sticky-Stuff.png
 
The other option is to cover the sticky rubber with some new rubber.
Bicycle handlebar tape perhaps?
 
LittleSister said:
How timely! I'm on the edge of my seat waiting for 'THE ANSWER'.

Someone suggested in a previous thread white spirit, but that didn't work on my old binoculars, but now the handle on my otherwise excellent guitar stand has gone sticky, too.

I vaguely recall someone subsequently saying you had to physically remove a significant amount of the surface - sandpaper? scraper?
[/Q
Is the guitar stand made by Hercules? If so then contact them as they replaced mine free of charge.
Click to expand...
 
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