What to do when plastic becomes sticky?

Know? No, but a couple of ideas. A clear acrylic coating might work. Mask off the unaffected areas and airbrush on a light coat or two of Future acrylic.

Or, just try rubbing the sticky sections with talc?

Try vinegar. Let us know if it worked.

-- Boris

plastic parts

a Sears

the

radio.

I had a pair of binoculars with a similar problem where the hard rubber/plastic parts with some black top coating that had become gooey sticky after couple of years ???

i treated it to a bath in %91 Isopropyl alcohol and it disolved and washed the sticky coating completely away exposing the hard rubber or plastic under part.

I had tried some other chemicals like acetone / methanol / tolulene which just made the stuff gooeyer, stickyer or compromised the plastic part underneath the sticky coating.

hth robb

Methinks the plastic is slowly decomposing - so no treatment will stop the problem.

Robert-

That is what I was thinking. I was hoping there was some chemical that would "passivate" the decomposing plastic.

I have some 100% Isopropyl Alcohol (fuel line water remover) that I'll try, just in case that works. If it does, I expect it will just be a matter of time before the remaining plastic starts to decompose.

Fred

Robb-

I liked the idea of using alcohol because it would probably not hurt the underlying plastic. I tried some Isopropyl Alcohol (fuel line water remover) on the Infrared Thermometer. Just as you said, it wiped away the sticky coating.

I was surprised that the "rubberized" surface was actually a coating that had been painted onto the plastic. The alcohol acted as a paint remover. If I can disassemble the Two Meter Handheld radio's case, I'll give it a try as well. It is just too intricate to clean without getting sticky stuff inside the radio.

Fred