Hard rubber

[Ed Clark]

Does anybody have any secret recipies for cleaning hard rubber? I have heard of mixtures of mineral spirits and whatever, but have not tried any. Something good for removing that old brown coating and restoring a nice black color? Any help appreciated.

Thanks,
Ed

[john elder]

One product that works very well is called Fluid Film. It is sold as a rust preventative treatment and is, by the smell, lanolin based. Spray it on...let it soak a bit, then wipe off and it brings the rubber back nicely.

Another thing that works pretty well is to rub out the hard rubber with Simichrome polish, used to clean up the german silver finish on old reels.

[Ed Clark]

Where can you purchase this Fluid Film? I know about simichrome and elbow grease - have done it that way for years. Was looking for an easier way. I hear people mix things like mineral spirits and lanolin and stuff like that and let it sit for a couple of weeks and it cleans all that brown off. Just not sure what to use or try for that.

Ed

[Randy Fowler]

nm

[john elder]

Not sure if Fluid Film is at Home Depot now or not. My sprinkler supply place carries it and likely marine stores would carry it also...they have it on hand since the gardeners spray it on their tools to prevent rust...really works for that, as well!

I just googled the company...you can read about it at

http://orcaonline.org/images/pixel.gif

I know that it is available at other then john deere and Case, so you may want to call them up and see what they can do for you.
j

[mortepa]

I ordered fluid film out of curiosity, and tried it sparingly on a Pflueger Capitol. It seems to have about the same effect as adding a few drops of Len's reel oil on the side of the hard rubber plate and letting it soak in. The seriously "light-brown" rubber will turn to a darker brown. I was hoping that the fluid film would wipe off easily, but it seems to leave just as much slick residue as the standard reel oil would? I am having a problem trying to "wick" up the excess fluid film residue. The stuff doesn't seem to dry up. I keep sliding the clicker slider back and forth, each time wiping with a clean paper towel to get the excess fluid film that sprayed under it. I suppose I wouldn't recomend spraying directly on the reel. Maybe spray it on a brush or paper towel and wipe it on manually. That might have avoided my problem of getting too much of it under the click and drag. I'll try it on another reel sometime again and see if I have less of a problem. It is fun to try new ways of doing things.

Ok, so who else has ideas on how to darken old hard rubber?

- Paul Mortenson

[SWIM JIG]

well for one you could turn out the lites or close your eyes! As for reality, some of the early socalled rubber was actualy a brownish green, was used on very early auto distibutor caps. As for getting them black, you can use as suggested sima chromepolish, metal glow (our preferance) however we always soak the parts in 100% mineral spirts, even new penn plates etc. This draws out the oil, leaves it with the hazey color,after it dries and then we work like the sharks are after us with the polish if it was originaly black it will come back black, if it was artificialy blackened at the mfg. That color will no longer be black, it will be the actual color of the material ie. Tan, brown or a off shade of green tan , however over time oxidation and cigar smoke , or coal or wood smoke will penitrat the material as those fuels were used to heat homes. Direct sunlight also bleached out the color. If you use oil on the hard rubber plates, I would suggest mineral oil, as it most likly wont soften the rubber plates, I am certain Loraaine Lawrance our calender person can give much insite on what chemecals (WONT HARM THE PLATES) and may actualy do the job! Oxidation is a cruel danger so it may be we must except the fact and not expect too many imposible solutions, Been our problem fo years in the repair business. Col. M. lorens aka SWIM JIG OHIO

[clinton_beeler]

Bowling balls.

I asked father about all this. He said that he once knew a man who made replacement parts for old reels out of hard rubber. The material had to be the same, of course. He made the parts out of bowling balls. What do people use to clean bowling balls?

Regards,
Clinton

[Harvey]

Talk to either Tony Dillender or Herman Voss about the use of bowling balls for hard rubber side plates. I am sure both have done this.
harvey

[Jim Madden]

Ed, just use Armor All. Apply it, let it set a few hours, and repeat the process till you're satisfied. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised. Jim

[Jim Madden]

Ooops, forgot the step where you have to rub it like heck after you let it set. Some stubborn ones do better when they set with the application overnight. Even then, you may have to repeat 2-3 times.

[el Lawrence]

Ok I'll bite... cleaning hard rubber and restoring it to black (if it ever was actually black...). Like the Col. says this stuff was never really jet black as far as I can tell... close but not what we would consider really black today. The hard rubber being a natural product has (depending on the batch being made) a wide range of color tone. From nearly black to colors that could be described as mauve, brown, esspresso, dark plum, to charcoal or black with a touch of blue in it... all of these may vary with the source of the origional "rubber" some not actually from rubber trees but a similar tropical tree (which may explain the color variations). Oxidation will cause the loss of the glossy appearance and shift in color; usually lighter. Soaking the material in mineral (100%) spirits or vinegar can also cause the material to look matte or hazed as it pulls some of the natural oils from the material. Most of this discoloration is only "skin deep" and that is why the liberal application of "elbow grease" will bring new (darker) color or more luster to the surface; you are polishing to an unoxidized layer (not very deep as the oxidation is only a very-near microscopic- thin layer at the surface unless you get crazy and have soaked reels for months-which is not recomended).
You will really need to use something that has some type of polish compound in it. To my experience ones that are just oils will eventually dry off, soak in or have to be removed as they sit up on the surface (not really cleaning the reel) they temporarly give the reel more "gloss" the same as keeping it wet with water would make it appear darker for a time. But this doesn't really cure the oxidation problem.
The polish compounds already mentioned-Metal Glow, Simichrome or products like Autosol (I like) or Mothers Chrome polish, etc. The key is to find a polish that will not leave scratches or has too much abrasive. Ones for polishing fine silver, or other metal are useful. Automotive and boat finish products are also good. One called Novus fine scratch remover used on fiberglass boats is especially good too.
I like to apply a polish of something like Renaissance Micro Crystalline wax or a bees wax polish (very lightly) to the surface after the reel has been cleaned as far as it can be with the compounds above...I use a microfiber polish cloth for that too... then keep the reel out of direct sunlight and away from smoke, etc...

I am working on a reel now and will try some pure lanolin on there and see how that measures up to the products above...

As far as I can tell so far though there are not really any satisfactory substitutes for the elbow grease...

Maybe send it to Milt for the clean and polish