Sticky Rubberised Plastic Finish - A Cure?

[ChrisK]

Seem to be a widespread problem with rubberised plastic finishes, they often turn into a gooey mess eventually for which there seems to be no obvious solution - all the usual solvents don't touch it or make it worse. Seems to happen on expensive stuff as well. Searches don't seem to throw up a cure other than a messy temporary fix with talcum powder. Some suggest IPA but this does not work IME.

As a last resort, on trying more of the assorted fluids in the garage, brake fluid seems to work well. Polishing with a cloth soaked in brake fluid seems to remove the sticky component selectively without damaging the rest of the surface - or even affecting lettering and other markings.

Anyone else tried this?

One for the FAQ perhaps?

Chris K

[Brian Gaff]

I imagine the solution depends on the material. Brake fluid as far as I'm aware repels water I think so may well be sealing the surface. I always thought this sticky issue was the break down of the material as the plasticiser leaches out. Brian

[tabbypurr]

Which DOT is it?

NT

[Graham.]

I always thought break fluid absorbed water, given half a chance.

[Chris French]

In message , ChrisK writes

ISTR a thread on this a little while back

[ChrisK]

It's an old bottle of "Comma Universal Brake Fluid DOT3/4" that has been around for several years and I wouldn't trust for its intended purpose any more.

Chris K

[ChrisK]

Not sure, seems to be a specific problem with the rubberised finishes - not the underlying material which is probably ABS or something similar. It may be a reaction of the finish with skin oils over time but I'm not convinced this is the whole story. It seems to attack the entire surface without any particular focus on the bits that are touched. I've never seen it on plastics which are the same or similar base material without the rubberised finish.

Chris K

[dennis]

Some of the old stuff used to strip paint so I wouldn't trust it to clean anything. It was also very flammable and was what caused fires in crashes, not the petrol. You can pour petrol on the exhaust manifold and it won't ignite, the old brake fluid would ignite.

[Dave Liquorice]

ISTR writing an page for the FAQ.

I have a laser pointer with a "soft touch" coating and I think there is an bottle of brake fluid in the garage that has been open a year or so. As I don't like soft touch coatings, sticky or not....

[Fredxxx]

OMG

For petrol it's around -43C. For DOT 3/4 its > 125C

You have excelled yourself this time.

Even the "old stuff" was either glycol or heavy mineral based, possibly some vegetable oil. None had a flash point lower than petrol.

You do know the difference between petrol and diesel? Perhaps you're getting the two muddled up?

[tabbypurr]

just this time?

arse... elbow... arse... elbow... practice Dennis, Harry & Rod.

[Richard]

Now you've done it (mental picture of daisy chain with arms inserted up to elbows)

[dennis]

Try it if you don't believe me. Petrol just vaporises and won't ignite unless there is a spark or flame. Brake fluid smokes and ignites. Flashpoint doesn't tell you much about ignition just when it forms an explosive vapour.

You really need to read more than wiki.

[|||newspam|||]

This recipe sounded so unlikely that when I found some ancient brake fluid tidying up in my father's garage I had to try it on a plastic vacuum cleane r casing that had gone all gooey I was about to take to the tip. To my utte r amazement it works as advertised and removes the tacky residual leaving c lean plastic underneath with a slight loss of the original matt finish as a result of polishing the goo off. But it worked and the plastic was renovat ed.

Only really any good on nice smooth moulded shells but amazingly it does se em to work and doesn't affect the typical pigment paint used on the plastic . (although that must be marginal)

I am surprised how selective a solvent it was - just the right properties t o dissolve the unwanted short chain polymers and plasticisers but not enoug h to attack the sound plastic or printing inks on it.

Swarfega is good for removing the final traces of brake fluid afterwards.

Regards, Martin Brown