Plasticizers

Not much, just a quite different situation. I have a whadayacallit, a rechargable battery used as external power supply for phones, big as a big fat pack of cigarettes, grey, but probably entirely plastic, no steel, and it got sticky too. I tried various things, soap and alcohol and I forget which one it was, but I think the same thing that didnt' seem to work the first time worked almost completely the next time. IOW, it probably worked the first time too but there was too much crud to get it all off in one shot.

I'm interested in the answer . I have a very nice spotting scope with the same problem . I was considering using the sticky to adhere a piece of camo fabric ... Got the fabric , haven't got a round tuit .

This topic has come up here before I think. I had a cheap spotting scope that developed this same problem after sitting unused for several years in its original packaging -

- a plastic bag in a paper box. I didn't bother with trying to restore it - just donated it to the Sally Ann. John T.

This isn't a cheap scope , it's selling used on eBay for 300-500 bucks .

get a sand blaster

One guy in this discussion thread claimed that acetone worked for his gun stock < removing the gummy coating - not restoring it >

I already have one .

I tried solvents with acetone . Just made it more sticky .

The only other thing I can think of is scraping it off with a plastic "razor blade" scraper. .. perhaps a tedious task. John T.

Lighter fluid and elbow grease has worked for me. Some say cooking oil works.

There are many solutions found by a quick search.

Don't know what kind of paint thinner you used but I've had good luck using mineral spirits to remove all kinds of sticky label residue from metal, glass and hard plastic items. Test a small area first to make sure it doesn't soften the plastic.

If you haven't got a can laying around, try some of your wife's nail polish remover as I think the active ingredient in it is mineral spirits.

I thought that stuff was usually acetone.

Take these suggestions with a handful of salt.

Yes, acetone and something for aroma.

There are at least 2 kinds of nail polish remover. One is mostly acetone (may or may not have other things in it) and I do not recall what the other is.

Methyl acetate. It doesn't work very well, IME.

Now that you say it, I think I got the nail polish part wrong, it is acetone-- but mineral spirits gets sticky label residue off like nobody's business :-)

Don't know how to FIX it, but not getting it anywhere close to DEET can help prevent the issue.

Is that one sticky too??