Removing old rubber band residue?
 

I guess we have all encountered that old rubber band that looks like it has melted and stuck firmly to the surface of the item it was wrapped around. Now I found a small lot of NOS revolver grips in mint condition, but held together with those #¤%& rubber bands. I have been able to remove most of it by scraping gently with a piece of wood, but some is still stuck and refuses to come off.

These grips are clear coated so I can't use any harsh solvents, but I figure there must still something that will either soften the rubber or maybe even dissolve it. So what do you expert collectors here do when they find one of them pesky rubber bands stuck to something fragile and expensive?

Olle, You might try "GooGone" It's pretty amazing and unlikely to harm the clear finish?

I used something that I thought would not hurt and it melted the grip.

I think I would try soaking in luke warm water and rubbing with a soft toothbrush first.

:)

Ed

I have had luck using WD-40 to remove sticky goop from fragile things
Perhaps test on a inconspicuous area first

Yes, almost anything is risky..one must proceed with caution. "Goo Gone" is made with citrus oils so might be less toxic than others.

Natural rubber residue would literally be a latex based substance. The product used for removing latex paint is called "Goof-Off". It smells like naphtha, so I tried lighter fluid on a spot of latex tear mender that had dripped onto a bed sheet and cured/dried in place. It removed most of the latex, the rest came right out in the next wash. It does not so much dissolve the latex as it does loosen it and make it fall apart. Naphtha is non-reactive with most finishes other than latex, so I suggest adding it to your list of possibilities. +1 for testing beforehand anything you try!

Most any solvent that will get the rubber residue with also "get" the finish.

Try a hair dryer and warm up the rubber band residue, wipe it off with a rough cloth or paper towel.

+1 on the Goof Off

I, for one, would listen to a chemist. :D

So the results are in... or maybe I should say the lack of results...

I picked around in the shop to see what I could find, and tried (in no particular order) Goo-Gone, rubbing alcohol, Kroil, WD-40, mineral spirits and kerosene. Nothing would even touch it. I did manage to pop most of it off with a scalpel, but that was it.

I'll try a hair dryer to see if it will soften it enough to rub it off, I'm just afraid too much heat will blister the clear coat. I will probably get some Goof-Off too, just to see what it can do.

It's kinda strange that there is no well-known "house remedy" for such a common problem. Maybe I need to invent something and get stinkin' rich? :p

No mention of the naptha/Goog-off/lighter fluid. As Mario suggests, the chemistry is different!

I'm wondering about freezing it?
dju

All are petroleum distillates; except the ones that are citrus oil based.

The advice we see in many places to "check in an inconspicuous spot" really applies here.:thumbup:

Do try a little heat, just not enough to "blister"!:evilgrin:

I wanted to try what I had on the shelf first, so like I said I'm going to get some Goof-Off. If it doesn't work, I will find a thousand uses for it anyway.

"Naphtha" can me a lot of things, IIRC it can be anything that's distilled from natural sources of hydrocarbons. Not sure about mineral spirits but I believe kerosene is sometimes referred to as naphtha. Just plain ol' gasoline might work as well, forgot to try that.

Ollie,
Gasoline is a mixture of "hydrocarbons", used to be benzene and octane- among others- now is is all different.

Naptha is not kerosene, it is a much lighter cut and more volitile- but that does not mean someone called kerosene naptha.

Mineral spirits is just another "cut" of distilates, and is pretty close to kerosene- as was/is "varsol" or paint thinnner.

Whats wrong, no hair dryer in the house? Guaranteed to soften dried up/out rubber.

Thanks! I should know about that as I used to work in a refinery lab, so I just have to claim ignorance.

As for the hair dryer: I do have one, just don't have the balls... yet :)

You'll try gasoline , but hesitate to try a hair dryer!:eek::confused:

Maybe ol' Olle's bald, and he ain't got no hair dryer. :rolleyes:

Disclaimer: The dog made write this post. :D

PS. I ain't got no dog. :evilgrin:

I'm a man, and real men don't use hair dryers. I do have one in the shop though. :p

Truth be told, I haven't got much use for a hair dryer either. :D