Help please - "tool" gone "all sticky" outside

[Fergie 307]

That is demonstrably untrue in at least some cases fixit45.

Anyway, in this particular case, (and it suspect it true in many cases also) I didn't set out to buy something "cheap and cheerful" OR something made in China or anywhere else.

I needed the capability of this particular "widget" and bought one - IF I remember correctly, it was bought at some airport or another, and again if I remember correctly, it was the only one for sale there. There are MANY cases where people do NOT choose "just" by price, and certainly not by origin of manufacturer.

Have to agree. This problem occurs with rubberized interior trim on cars all the time. One of the worst offenders is VW, hardly a cheapo Chinese manufacturer.

 

[Agowood]

Had a similar problem with a portable hand held 240V electric planer that has infrequent use. I found that the only solution to stop the problem coming back was to use an old kitchen knife as a scraper and to then wipe down with Iso-propyl alcohol using cotton rags. (Don't be tempted to use paper towels as they disintegrate and stick to the mess making it even more difficult to clean up.) The planer still lives in its case and remains non-sticky - just used it nearly twelve months after the last use and it was fine.

 

[AES]

That sounds rather encouraging, thanks Agowwod. I'll buy some IPA after the hols & trying the baking soda. Point noted about paper towels - already learnt that one, thanks!

 

[Keith 66]

It happens to cameras too, my Dad had an expensive Mamiyaflex & that went the same way. Also boots, years ago i had a pair of really comfy rigger boots, so i bought another pair & stuck them in the loft.
Couple of years ago i found them. Happy days! pulled them on & walked to the workshop 10 yards away, halfway there thought "They feel a bit strange" Got to the workshop & looked down to see a trail of soft disintegrated rubber soles in great chunks all the way down the path. Straight in the bin!

 

[steve9000]

On what product Steve? Same as the OP's? Different mix perhaps?
Worth trying though.

Ah, rereading the OPs message, it may be different materials. I haven't used soda on spongy materials where everything has gone soft. But had lots of success with things which had a surface tackiness which wouldn't otherwise scrub off. E.g remote controls, electric razors, that sort of thing

 

[dephill]

I’m sorry but I don’t have time to read all the replies.
I had the same issue with a kitchen item and after some Googling opted for bicarbonate of soda made into a paste and a bit of scrubbing. Took 10mins and worked a treat.

 

[sometimewoodworker]

I know this is not helpful, but it was probably produced in China and very little lasts long that they produce!

Absolute BS. Yes they produce some rubbish stuff, they also produce extremely high quality stuff, just look at the products from the second wealthiest company by profits. I have products from them that have outlived any of the competitors by years.

 

[AES]

Absolute BS. Yes the produce some rubbish stuff, they also produce extremely high quality stuff, just look at the products from the second wealthiest company by profits. I have products from them that have outlived any of the competitors by years.

Well sometimewoodworker, I may not have expressed my own ideas in quite the way you've done (in fact I didn't!), but I must say that I so agree with the PRINCIPLE of what you've said!

 

[OCtoolguy]

Many years ago (10) we purchased a battery operated wine cork remover from one of the big retailers here in the U.S. After some years of use it got that same stickness to it. I was very unhappy as we used it a lot and I didn't want to have to toss it. One day we happened to be at that same retailer and I got to chatting with the manager at the store and told him about it. He said they had had a lot of complaints about that and told me to bring it back and he'd exchange it for one of the newer ones that didn't have that same outer coating. I have no idea why it degraded as it just sat in it's stand on our kitchen counter. Anyway, if you still know where you purchased your item, you might try to get it exchanged. Best of luck.

 

[sometimewoodworker]

Well sometimewoodworker, I may not have expressed my own ideas in quite the way you've done (in fact I didn't!), but I must say that I so agree with the PRINCIPLE of what you've said!

It was the last 8 words that are so patiently racially prejudiced and untruthful that prompted my tone.
Some Chinese products are produced down to a price demanded by companies buying from them so can be c*a*r*p junk.
They are also produced up to a quality and so are among the, if not the, best in the world.

it is virtually impossible to completely avoid buying any products from china

 

[AES]

Many years ago (10) we purchased a battery operated wine cork remover from one of the big retailers here in the U.S. After some years of use it got that same stickness to it. I was very unhappy as we used it a lot and I didn't want to have to toss it. One day we happened to be at that same retailer and I got to chatting with the manager at the store and told him about it. He said they had had a lot of complaints about that and told me to bring it back and he'd exchange it for one of the newer ones that didn't have that same outer coating. I have no idea why it degraded as it just sat in it's stand on our kitchen counter. Anyway, if you still know where you purchased your item, you might try to get it exchanged. Best of luck.

Thanks. Unfortunately I have no idea now when and where I bought it.

 

[Sideways]

I’m sorry but I don’t have time to read all the replies.
I had the same issue with a kitchen item and after some Googling opted for bicarbonate of soda made into a paste and a bit of scrubbing. Took 10mins and worked a treat.

Thank you to everyone who knew better than me ! I had an identical diamond sharpener tossed aside in the shed with a revolting sticky handle. A stiff, gritty paste of bicarb sorted it out in a couple of minutes. Excellent !
I think the effect is mostly mechanical, but who cares. It works !

Maybe the bear trimmer has a future ;-)

 

[TheUnicorn]

this has happened to a tape measure I had, i was able to paint over it with a clear varnish, it has brought it back into service but it looks a bit rubbish. Also had a garden weeder/scrapper with a rubber finish that seemed to turn to mush overnight. Scrapped it all off with difficulty, I think I finished off with some wd40 or sticky stuff remover and a stiff brush to get the last of it off.

 

[thikone]

1. What's happened?

2. And more to the point, how the hell do I remove it??

3. And also, will the kit still be serviceable?

The above may well sound strange, but I assure all that this is an "actual", NOT a wind up!

Thanks in advance for any pointers

Had the same with Microsoft Arc Mouse for Surface tablet. Was not using it for a year or two. Then I found it very sticky, almost like wet sticky.

I was able to remove the top coat that became sticky. Used IPA and a lot of rubbing. Now that I think about it, it would be better to use some not polar solvent, like an oil of sorts. Maybe even olive oil will work, or better orange oil (my recent discovery). Or any kind of petrol based solvent is also nonpolar solvent.

After that the mouse lost its soft rubber like surface and now it has just regular shining plastic surface.

I guess it degrades with time due to oxidation by oxygen from air. Don't really understand what is the benefit of this coating. Not environment friendly for sure.

I think it can be removed, had same problem with early hero gopro camera.

Have one of those too! It is sticky now, but I didn't care to remove the coat as it is used inside waterproof case. But maybe I should.

 

[thikone]

Just tried olive oil and orange oil on my old first gen Go Pro.

Olive oil works, but not as good as ornage oil.
Orange oil is much thinner than olive oil.

I put some orange oil on paper towel and then put it to surface and twisted it with my finger for couple of seconds.
As result coat was removed and I can see bare shining plastic now and my finger tells it is completely non-sticky even.

Benefit of orage oil is that it smells better than petrol and also doesn't leave oily surface as it evapurates.

 

[Stevekane]

This sounds very similar to a [not that cheap] black Pure radio of our sons. He'd had it in his bedroom for several years and as he had moved out we thought "We'll have that". Every mm of the rubberised plastic case had turned sticky. I wiped it with soap and water and meths but no effect. I eventually used white spirit and then scrubbed with Cif cream cleaner and a green pan scrubber. It does not look good but at least it is no longer sticky.
I've noticed another Pure radio we own, this time in white is going a similar way but not as bad or as quickly.

Colin

Yep an old pure radio in pink has done the same, its a soft touch rubber coating, however I was able to remove it with I think something like petrol or white spirit on a rag, I remember that it took a fair amount of rubbing to remove it but it was a coating and once gone it has not gone sticky again.
Steve.

 

[OCtoolguy]

Just curious, where would a person buy "orange" oil? I've never seen it on the shelves before. What's it used for?

 

[thikone]

Just curious, where would a person buy "orange" oil? I've never seen it on the shelves before. What's it used for?

It is used as thinner for oil finishes and as flavoring agent in food manufacturing. It is not necessarily orange, when purified it is a colorless liquid.

I got my bottle of it from Dictum here: Pure Orange Oil, 250 ml
The description from Dictum reads:

Low-viscosity orange oil from the peel of the sweet orange, ideal for thinning vegetable-based protective wood oils, and its grease dissolving properties make it a useful household cleaner. Mixing 1-5 % of it with a linseed or tung oil finish markedly improves penetration, facilitates application and lends these oils a refreshing aroma. In combination with carnauba wax or beeswax, it can make a variety of agents for cleaning and caring for wooden surfaces, antiques and leather. Orange oil is also suited for use as aromatic oil.

You can also find it on Amazon.
It is a by-product of orange juice production.
It is has no relation to the orange guy