Camera Grunge

[Speed Gray]

I am refurbishing a couple of old Minolta cameras I bought years ago; a 5000 and a 7000, which have been stored away for at least 20 years. Thought I would have some fun cleaning them up and shooting some film just for grins.

Here is somewhat of an odd question. Both these cameras have rubber grips and other rubber-like coverings here and there on the body. On both these cameras these rubber areas have developed a white covering or coating since stored away. I would guess this is oils and dirt from my hand which has molded and hardened over the years. It can be physically scraped off, so I know there is some material there which shouldn't be. I don't think it is just the rubber itself oxidizing.

Maybe some of you have had experience in what to use to remove this grunge. I have tried Windex, water, green cleaner, 409, ethyl acetate, car wax and bicycle wax. Nothing has removed this material effectively. I will try vinegar and turps also.

Anyone have any suggestions?

Thanks,

Speed Gray, K8SG
Grand Rapids, MI

 

[Peltigera]

The rubbery stuff that Canon uses can suffer from deposits of zinc bis which appears as a white deposit on the surface. I do not know how to remove it - I just live with it.

 

[Gerald C Koch]

Since you have tried several cleaners I would suggest a mild abrasive such as tooth paste.

 

[benjiboy]

This product will remove it and is suitable for rubber http://www.amazon.com/Mothers-06108-Back-Black-Trim/dp/B0002U1TXK/ref=cm_cr_pr_pb_t

 

[Alan Gales]

The term for what you are looking at is commonly called "Chalking".

I'd go with benjiboy''s advice and try the Mothers.

 

[Ricardo Miranda]

Have you tried ordinary soap?
I cleaned a rubber hood and some of rubber grip on a 28mm Olympus lens just with a bit soap and water in a cloth.

 

[AgX]

At that period at several camera models of different (japanese) manufactures a rubber material (or different materials) was used either as solid rubber or as coating that shows a degradation over time resulting in a smeary surface.

So far I found no remedy and meanwhile just leave it as it is. For user samples taking off that rubber or coating seems the best solution.

This fenomenon is different from that wax-like egestion found at rubber tires. That can be rubbed off.

 

[blockend]

The "soft touch" coatings of the 1990s have not passed the test of time. In fact they were an unmitigated disaster in camera materials construction, reducing functioning equipment to landfill. As other people have said, a number of manufacturers went down the same route, though Sigma have proved the worst from my own collection. Three perfectly good lenses, including a nice 28mm 1.8, have had their contact surfaces turn to soft gum that sticks to the fingers and can be picked down to the plastic with a finger nail.

If chemical degradation hasn't gone too far, carefully coating the outer surfaces with talcum powder (being careful not to draw any into the internals), helps mitigate against the worst effects, though it requires reapplication on a regular basis.

Unless the camera has sentimental value, or a lens is irreplaceable, the town dump is probably the best place to send them.

 

[tokam]

I have a couple of the Minolta Dynax 7 bodies which have the sticky coating problem. If you are very patient a Q-tip and naptha will remove it back to the base plastic. We're talking hours of work per camera back here. The problem doesn't exist on the front of the bodies. Different materials. Would the Mothers treatment stabilize and dry up the sticky coating?

I could also use the Mothers on the set of RZ67 lens hoods I have which are looking dry and starting to look a bit speckled with white deposits.

 

[Ricardo Miranda]

The Minolta 5000 and 7000 don't have the same rubber sticking, that is another problem.
Speed is talking about the plastic turning white. It is just a cosmetic problem. It doesn't affect functionality.

 

[PentaxBronica]

The sticky rubber is caused by the material decomposing. It's probably the same root cause as the rubber going white, but a different outcome.

 

[Fast14riot]

Probably from outgassing and if they were in a sealed box or something it can accelerate it. Usually a light scuffing or such like a Scotch Brite pad is enough to get rid of it.


-Xander