Results 1 to 9 of 9

Thread: My mixer has sticky knobs

  1. #1
    Member PONTUS.2's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2012
    Location
    United States
    Posts
    326

    My mixer has sticky knobs

    so i havnt used my Vestax PMC 05 pro III in quite a long time and have recently discovered that the rubber parts on the knobs on it have become sticky.

    Has anyone else had this issue with rubber on knobs before? did just cleaning them help?

  2. #2
    Moderator pete's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2012
    Location
    old orléans
    Posts
    2,527
    Pontus.
    That's a member I remember.
    Now having problems with your sticky member.

    Rest assured that all materials have a shelf life.

    When Vestax (RIP) made that mixer they certainly weren't thinking "Will Pontus get sticky knobs in 17 years?". They just went with something tactile.

    I have various equipment, some made by Vestax, and, yes, most of that rubberised stuff does end up sticky, regardless of brand or if I kept in a hermetically sealed container in a museum.
    Same with audio equipment, same as anything - industrial, "pro", or amateur.

    Unless its hewn from rock or metal, it aint gonna last 1000 years. Eventually you will run out of spare part suppliers and be unable to replace the bits.

    As for cleaning, you will just rub the rubber off. Any strong cleaning solvent will dissolve it right off.
    There are some products made to prolong the life of rubber polymer parts (like for cars or whatever).
    But eventually you will need to replace it.
    bored, curious, deaf or just bad taste in music?
    finally a mix by me
    and what's this, another shoddy mix...another dull mix

  3. #3
    Moderator pete's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2012
    Location
    old orléans
    Posts
    2,527
    you wanna get technical?
    Lets get technical
    Quote Originally Posted by teh internetz

    Most elastomers will undergo significant changes over time when exposed to heat, light, or oxygen (ozone). These changes can have a dramatic effect on the service life and properties of the elastomers and can only be prevented or slowed down by the addition of UV stabilizers, antiozonates, and antioxidants.

    Depending on the microstructure of the diene elastomer, oxidative degradation will either cause hardening or softening. For example, polybutadiene usually undergoes oxidative hardening whereas polyisoprene softens when exposed to heat and oxygen. Hardening is much more common because free radicals produced when rubber is exposed to heat, oxygen and/or light rapidly combine and in this process form new crosslinks. This drastically reduces the flexibility of the rubber. Polymers with pendent bulky side groups, on the other hand, will undergo strain softening because radical recombination reactions are less likely to occur due to steric hindrance. Instead, these polymers degrade by chain scission caused by disproportionation and hydrogen abstraction.
    bored, curious, deaf or just bad taste in music?
    finally a mix by me
    and what's this, another shoddy mix...another dull mix

  4. #4
    Member PONTUS.2's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2012
    Location
    United States
    Posts
    326
    thanks for the reply pete

    I didnt even realize that vestax went out of business

    will probably try to buy some replacement knobs somewhere

  5. #5
    BanHammer™⚒️ Manu's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2012
    Location
    Behind you
    Posts
    9,519
    I have successfully dried some sticky crap before, playstation controller sticks gone gooey. I also de-gunked a remote control using some Sticky stuff remover successfully treated the gunk without attacking all the remote button labelling. Thought you have to be careful, that stuff is potent so to use in a well ventilated area, using gloves. I'd give them knobs a nothing to lose last try before sourcing new ones.


    Last edited by Manu; 06-20-2021 at 06:13 PM.

  6. #6
    Member PONTUS.2's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2012
    Location
    United States
    Posts
    326
    thanks for the reply manu

    Quote Originally Posted by Manu View Post
    playstation controller sticks gone gooey.

    lol now that you mention it, i also have this problem with a PS2 controller analog stick.

  7. #7
    BanHammer™⚒️ Manu's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2012
    Location
    Behind you
    Posts
    9,519
    That's it. The SSR kind of neutralises the compound that makes it all go gluey and nasty. I still use that remote control too, it's never gone sticky again, and it used to be absolutely disgusting, trapping any dust and dirt etc.

  8. #8
    BanHammer™⚒️ Manu's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2012
    Location
    Behind you
    Posts
    9,519
    Also, I forgot, before going for the hardcore version, please try the old simple version of take your entire knob kit out (no pun intended), and leave all that overnight in some dish soap water. Come back in the morning, dry it out gently and see what happened. Don't know about your dish soap in the USA, but in ours, like Fairy Liquid™ it contains some types of salts that do neutralise oily compounds. Use a rag because you may get some dark dirty traces, by all means just dry gently and never ever rub.

  9. #9
    Try soaking them in vinegar. I had a synth with plastic end panels that over time had this problem so.. I read that vinegar could clean them.
    . well, it took some elbow grease rubbing them with a vinegary rag but it worked.

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  
a