Gooey rubber - not just belts
 

A sidetrack from sticky belts:

My old (1960-70) extractor hood had started to become noisy, especially during spin-up. It was obvious that the fan was lightly rubbing the housing.

I took it apart and found that the motor was mounted with rubber bushings that had turned to a very sticky tar-like mess :o I have heard of this happening with belts in tape recorders but never seen it myself until now.

I was able to scrape the goo off the motor fixtures and clean them with methylated spirits. The hood was assembled again but with steel washers instead of the rubber bushings.

I suppose it should in theory be a bit noisier with steel instead of rubber but I can't say I notice any difference. At least the fan don't scrape it's housing anymore.

The motor is earthed through a wire so the loss of electric insulation should not be of concern.

Re: Gooey rubber - not just belts
 

Looks like a reaction with the fat droplets in the air it's pumping.

David

Re: Gooey rubber - not just belts
 

The rubber feet on my Yamaha piano keyboard turned into goo and before I realised I got some on the cream carpet. Took a lot of effort to clean it away.

Jim

Re: Gooey rubber - not just belts
 

A lot of old rubber will go this way, even without the aid of a warm humid atmosphere and fatty droplets.

Re: Gooey rubber - not just belts
 

Some cameras and binoculars, including very expensive ones, where this has been used to provide increased grip, have had the same problem. It just degrades over time, regardless of the environment.

Re: Gooey rubber - not just belts
 

Must admit these 'tactile surfaces' put me off!
Had a mouse recently part covered in a tactile rubber skin, was so sticky and decomposed I almost threw it away. I did eventually get it all off so it's now back as a 'spare'

Alan

Re: Gooey rubber - not just belts
 

Be VERY careful what you handle before touching rubber things.

Otex eardrops in my case. With your head on one side while the stuff pops and fizzes inside your ear, you want a diversion. So I watched some TV. A tiny trace of the stuff on my fingers got onto the silicone flubber keyboard of the remote.

Within a couple of days the silicone rubber had swelled to the point where the keys I'd touched (the most usual ones) could not be moved in their holes in the plastic case. End of that remote!

Those ear drops work amazingly well, but can give you a surprise with their sound-effects. I did some tests, even a trace ruins the tactile surfaces moulded onto many things. I always wash my hands before touching the Nikons.

David

Re: Gooey rubber - not just belts
 

They certainly did go through a period of making things out of Phillips tape recorder belt rubber.
Cable grommets also do the same thing.
I have also had a computer mouse fall victim to the goo plague.
I have not yet found a multi meter protector that has fallen victim.

Re: Gooey rubber - not just belts
 

I recently had the same problem on an old Yamaha keyboard that I had got down from the loft, the rubber feet were a right mess.

David

Re: Gooey rubber - not just belts
 

Same problem on the battery contact insulator in a Bush TR82/C, thats a first for me!

Re: Gooey rubber - not just belts
 

Same problem for me with the rubber grommets supporting the variable capacitor in my 1950s Cossor Melody Maker.
David

Re: Gooey rubber - not just belts
 

Strangley I have a Generalmusic/GEM S2 Keyboard with a sort of rubberised finish all over and it's not gone sticky at all, and that was made in 1992.

Re: Gooey rubber - not just belts
 

I`ve got an umbrella with a rubber hand grip and this has garn all sticky.
Can something be put on rubber to stabilise it when this starts to happens ?

Robin

Re: Gooey rubber - not just belts
 

Just scrape it off and optionally put some heat shrink on it.

Re: Gooey rubber - not just belts
 

Robin, try talcum powder. Works well on my binoculars, you may need to do it every couple of months.