Softening Rubber - UK Vintage Radio Repair and Restoration Discussion Forum

fidobsa · 10th Aug 2010, 12:13 pm

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

igranic · 10th Aug 2010, 5:56 pm

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

fidobsa · 10th Aug 2010, 9:40 pm

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.

murphyv310 · 10th Aug 2010, 10:02 pm

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.

GMB · 10th Aug 2010, 11:07 pm

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).

Patrick Dixon · 10th Aug 2010, 11:43 pm

I use cellulose thinners - sparingly.

Ebrew567 · 11th Aug 2010, 2:29 am

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.

fidobsa · 11th Aug 2010, 7:56 am

Quote:

Originally Posted by Patrick Dixon

I use cellulose thinners - sparingly.

Interesting. Someone else suggested I dip parts in cellulose thinners for 5 minutes. I will try that.

sentinel040 · 23rd Aug 2010, 9:38 pm

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

AlanBeckett · 23rd Aug 2010, 9:45 pm

Ethyl Acetete.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethyl_acetate
Alan

GMB · 24th Aug 2010, 8:54 am

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.

10th Aug 2010, 12:13 pm	#1
fidobsa Retired Dormant Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Zala, Hungary Posts: 418	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
igranic Rest in Peace Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: North Bedfordshire, UK. Posts: 395	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
fidobsa Retired Dormant Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Zala, Hungary Posts: 418	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
murphyv310 Dekatron Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Kilmarnock, Ayrshire, UK. Posts: 5,421	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. __________________ Cheers, Trevor. MM0KJJ. RSGB, GQRP, WACRAL, K&LARC. Member

10th Aug 2010, 11:07 pm	#5
GMB Dekatron Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: near Reading (and sometimes Torquay) Posts: 3,094	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
Patrick Dixon Hexode Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Bristol, UK. Posts: 480	Re: Softening Rubber I use cellulose thinners - sparingly.

11th Aug 2010, 2:29 am	#7
Ebrew567 Retired Dormant Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Lower Hutt, Wellington, New Zealand. Posts: 19	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.

23rd Aug 2010, 9:38 pm	#9
sentinel040 Hexode Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Near Lichfield, Staffordshire, UK, most of the time and Crystal Palace, S London, some of the time.. Posts: 330	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
AlanBeckett Rest in Peace Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Burton upon Trent, East Staffordshire, UK. Posts: 1,686	Re: Softening Rubber Ethyl Acetete. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethyl_acetate Alan

24th Aug 2010, 8:54 am	#11
GMB Dekatron Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: near Reading (and sometimes Torquay) Posts: 3,094	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.