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General Vintage Technology Discussions For general discussions about vintage radio and other vintage electronics etc. |
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10th Aug 2010, 12:13 pm | #1 |
Retired Dormant Member
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Zala, Hungary
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Softening Rubber
Sorry if this is in the wrong forum but it relates to record players and tape recorders. I wondered if anyone has tried this stuff on turntable mats, idle wheels or pinch wheels? :
http://cpc.farnell.com/af-automation...100?Ntt=pcl100 |
10th Aug 2010, 5:56 pm | #2 |
Rest in Peace
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: North Bedfordshire, UK.
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Re: Softening Rubber
I am guessing this is very similar to Electrolube RRR250 Rubber Roller Restorer, which I have successfully used to restore grip to paper feed rollers on laser and inkjet printers.
If the rubber is too hard and crusted, an alternative, if the diameter of the roller is not critical (e.g. idler wheels), is to mount the roller/wheel in a lathe or electric drill and carefully abrade the crusted surface with a medium 'Scotchbrite' pad. This was/is the HP approved method for fixing crusted printer feed rollers. I still have a kit, provided by HP, consisting of a sprung metal plate on which are mounted three pieces of Scotchbrite, and designed to 'restore' the rollers on some of their inkjet printers. Edward |
10th Aug 2010, 9:40 pm | #3 |
Retired Dormant Member
Join Date: Mar 2009
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Re: Softening Rubber
It looks like the Electrolube stuff is just a cleaner to remove old ink. Perhaps all such printer servicing products just work by exposing the original surface rather than chemically reversing a degredation process in the rubber itself.
There must be chemicals that would work though. Classic vehicle engine oils contain additives to keep the oil seals soft. I don't know if such seals are natural rubber though or neoprene. |
10th Aug 2010, 10:02 pm | #4 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Kilmarnock, Ayrshire, UK.
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Re: Softening Rubber
Does natural rubber not gradually dissolve in mineral oil?
I have tried to soften "rubber" idlers etc for years with no real success. My old Audi for instance needs the valve seals done so recently I bought a bottle of additive that was put in the oil to soften the seals but needless to say it doesn't work.
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10th Aug 2010, 11:07 pm | #5 |
Dekatron
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Location: near Reading (and sometimes Torquay)
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Re: Softening Rubber
Mineral oil is death to natural rubber!
I have read about a number of rubber remedies but I don't know if any work. I would be interested to know if they do. (But I have lost my list of them). |
10th Aug 2010, 11:43 pm | #6 |
Hexode
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Bristol, UK.
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Re: Softening Rubber
I use cellulose thinners - sparingly.
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11th Aug 2010, 2:29 am | #7 |
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Location: Lower Hutt, Wellington, New Zealand.
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Re: Softening Rubber
I took pinch roller problems to my local O-ring people. O-rings are available in square and round and other cross-sections. Several square section o-rings side by side solved dial drive for an AVO Allwave Osc. Service bythe shop people was way better than the cost of the items justified.
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11th Aug 2010, 7:56 am | #8 |
Retired Dormant Member
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Re: Softening Rubber
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23rd Aug 2010, 9:38 pm | #9 |
Hexode
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Near Lichfield, Staffordshire, UK, most of the time and Crystal Palace, S London, some of the time..
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Re: Softening Rubber
Some years ago whilst working as an electronics engineer on a newspaper (during a sojurn out of the railway industry) we used to use rubber rejuvinator on laserjet printer rolls amongst other things - and it did actually work, for long enough to at least give the impression it worked....
After few days looking I have found a small pump-spray bottle of the stuff, its American made by "The Supplies Division" (probably badge engineered) and the smell is what I have always heard described as "peardrops". Regards Ian |
23rd Aug 2010, 9:45 pm | #10 |
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Re: Softening Rubber
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24th Aug 2010, 8:54 am | #11 |
Dekatron
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Re: Softening Rubber
There seem to be two quite different issues with old rubber that I have found.
One is oxidation, especially helped by UV light, which tends to initially degrade the surface layer (wipe a issue over your wiper blades to see what I mean) but with time will go deeper. The other seems to be dependant on the rubber composition, which varies a great deal I suppose because of being a natural product. Rubber can harden and even disintegrate without any air being involved. I would really like to know if anyone has ever managed to soften rubber that has hardened right through. I have recently acquired a number of moulded rubber cable/plugs that I need to conserve so this is a big issue for me at the moment. |