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mike48
16th January 2014, 09:14 PM
Pure “One" DAB and FM Radio - Case Goes Yucky Sticky – A Fix


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I recently found that the plastic case exterior coating of my Pure “One” DAB radio had a very sticky feel to it.
Quite a yucky feeling.
It originally had a soft rubbery feel, but it seems that as it sits on top of my kitchen valve radio (a HMV “Little Nipper”), that the valve radio convected heat has affected the Pure radio case coating.

It really looked like it might be a disaster situation (junk it for parts) at first, but as I had nothing to lose, I got quite adventurous.

I used copious (I mean a hell of a lot!) amounts of methylated spirits with a number of rags, and a vigorous cleaning action, to remove the original rubbery coating, leaving a bright plastic case, looking like new, and amazingly unaffected by the metho.

Get the radio very wet without it going inside. Don’t immerse it; more is not better.
Use a porous type cleaning rag like a singlet (UK = underwear vest) as the pores fill up quickly with muck.
Dry the radio in the sun for a short while.
Clean up any remaining coating.
Wipe over with an oily rag, then wipe clean.

Try this out on your radio in a corner of the back at first, to see if it will work, without going “whole hog”. Your radio coating may be different.

Look up “methylated spirits’ in Wikipedia for its commercial equivalent in your part of the world.
It is mainly ethanol, but with “stuff” added.

Cheerio, mike

Master Splinter
16th January 2014, 11:02 PM
It wasn't the heat - it's a common failure mode for that rubbery soft touch finish.

Uncle Al
17th January 2014, 08:17 AM
I have an Ozito 7-1/4" circular saw with a rubberised grip handle that has gone "all yucky".
I hadn't thought of using metho, so thankyou Mike for the inspiration.
One of these days, I will shout myself a digital radio.

Alan...

mike48
18th January 2014, 09:04 AM
Splinter

I had also heard that the degradation was due to UV; wonder if there are any other ideas as to the exact cause.

Alan
I have had a similar rubber handled tool which went soft, but I had no success with mine at all using common organic solvents. In my case, the "rubber" was completely degraded and not just a surface problem.
Always worth a try.
Bon chance!

cheerio, mike