Has anyone used rubber renew on a platter mat
- Thread starter markl
- Start date
Fred Longworth
audio fanatic
Go ahead and try it . . . but make 100% sure you do this in a well-ventilated space. Rubber rejuvenator is fairly toxic stuff.
Fred
Fred
SpruceMoose
Super Member
and then you put your records on it? no thanx. how about a felt or cork mat instead or on top of the old one?
Don't try that. Any residue will attack the vinyl you put on it. Not much, but enough. It might evaporate completely after a couple of hours or days, but my fear is that some will be absorbed and pressure combined with whatever heat a direct drive platter collects during play might cause some transfer to the PCV LP.
I have had the same issue with a rubber mat that was dirty and hard. I used soap and hot water first and rubbed it with a ond toothbrush (originally hard but softened by use). It took care of the dirt and stains (mostly) and perhaps the hot tub water did a thing to soften the mat. I then repeated cleaning using the same brush but window cleaner. I both sprayed it in aerosol form and scrubbed and then dripped a bit and scrubed again.
Scrubbing after scrubbing, the mate became cleaner and silkier. The hardest part was to penetrate and clean the narrow concentric grooves it had at places and that took patience and lots of scrubbing with the toothbrush.
After 5-6 scrubbings the matte became softer, silkier and clean. It might be that dirt accumulated on it's surface was hardening it. I stopped when the washout water stopped turning brown and the generated foam remained bright white.
I have had the same issue with a rubber mat that was dirty and hard. I used soap and hot water first and rubbed it with a ond toothbrush (originally hard but softened by use). It took care of the dirt and stains (mostly) and perhaps the hot tub water did a thing to soften the mat. I then repeated cleaning using the same brush but window cleaner. I both sprayed it in aerosol form and scrubbed and then dripped a bit and scrubed again.
Scrubbing after scrubbing, the mate became cleaner and silkier. The hardest part was to penetrate and clean the narrow concentric grooves it had at places and that took patience and lots of scrubbing with the toothbrush.
After 5-6 scrubbings the matte became softer, silkier and clean. It might be that dirt accumulated on it's surface was hardening it. I stopped when the washout water stopped turning brown and the generated foam remained bright white.
bobforapples
Angular banjos sound good
I don't think I would,
There's alot of potential to dammage your vinyl with something as strong as rubber renew. I've used 303 aerospace before, and I've had good luck with that.
There's alot of potential to dammage your vinyl with something as strong as rubber renew. I've used 303 aerospace before, and I've had good luck with that.
Jon_Logan
Addicted Member
Regarding the dangers of Rubber rejuvinator, why not make an experiment?
Buy a $0.25 record and drip some of the chemical on it. Let it evaporate on it's own. Look at it, play it and quantify the damage. If it all looks good, then cleaning your mat and allowing it to outgas should be okay. You might want to test on the underside of your platter mat. Maybe the chemical will make it 'blotchy'? Chemicals are used all the time for manufacturing and repair. There should be an appropriate way to use them safely.
I agree with Fred... ...make sure you've got good ventilation for the pink juice (Hurst 116). It'll make you buzz in not a good way.
Buy a $0.25 record and drip some of the chemical on it. Let it evaporate on it's own. Look at it, play it and quantify the damage. If it all looks good, then cleaning your mat and allowing it to outgas should be okay. You might want to test on the underside of your platter mat. Maybe the chemical will make it 'blotchy'? Chemicals are used all the time for manufacturing and repair. There should be an appropriate way to use them safely.
I agree with Fred... ...make sure you've got good ventilation for the pink juice (Hurst 116). It'll make you buzz in not a good way.
I wouldn't risk it. Who knows what the stuff will do to your records, and then you'll be dragging your stylus through that junk on top of that. Way too much risk for very little reward, in my opinion. Replacement mats are just not all that expensive, and you can always to a DIY cork or felt mat if your so inclined. However, if you want to improve your vinyl rig when you do the replacement, I suggest purchasing one of Herbie's Way Excellent II mats. The do a great job of damping unwanted vibrations in the record and tightening up the sound.
cement_head
New Member
I've wondered about this as well. I have a Thorens rubber mat (stock) and it's a bit dull. I've washed it well in dish soap, and rinsed it well, so I know it's clean, but it'd be nice to get that deep black lustre restored. However, I'm hesitant to use anything that might leave a residue. Does the 303 Aerospace Cleaner work well without a residue?
illinoisteve
Super Member
I don't have experience with "Rubber Renew" but an ebay seller occasionally sells a product called "Drive Wheel Cleaner" for the rubber rollers in tape recorders, and I have some of that. I've used it on tape deck capstan rollers, turntable idler rollers, discolored rubber grip surfaces on vintage camera lenses, and on a couple of turntable rubber platter mats. It actually was the least effective on the platter mats. On one of the most stubborn platter mats, from an old (not a classic early) Garrard, I finally resorted to using a cheap off-brand automotive tire shine spray. Not knowing what was in that stuff, I cleaned any excess product off of the mat after it appeared to have completely dried, then I let it dry further for 24 hours before I dared put a record on the mat. Have you tried scrubbing the mat with a soft toothbrush and a gentle soap solution? That's probably do with a mat for a good machine.
totem
Addicted Member
I have some experience with rubber renew, I had an OEM mat for a table that I was restoring
and tried several products with increasing strengths, after none were able to deal
with the rubber deterioration I used rubber renew.
It did the trick BUT as mentioned there was a long off gassing period. After a few day's of the original
application I could still smell some "fragrance" so I washed it with a mild soap and let it dry.
This mat was probably one of the hardest examples to work on due to the very fine and close ridges
making it difficult to get between but since I had tried many things prior to the renew it was the
last resort. It now looks great but only proceed with use when no more off gassing is found
and then do a wash.
Let your nose be the judge and use ventilation/gloves since it contains aromatic solvents.
and tried several products with increasing strengths, after none were able to deal
with the rubber deterioration I used rubber renew.
It did the trick BUT as mentioned there was a long off gassing period. After a few day's of the original
application I could still smell some "fragrance" so I washed it with a mild soap and let it dry.
This mat was probably one of the hardest examples to work on due to the very fine and close ridges
making it difficult to get between but since I had tried many things prior to the renew it was the
last resort. It now looks great but only proceed with use when no more off gassing is found
and then do a wash.
Let your nose be the judge and use ventilation/gloves since it contains aromatic solvents.
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illinoisteve
Super Member
The silicone sprays I have used are not * plastics-friendly * so I would be very careful to remove the mat from an area where there are plastics while spraying it and also to give all of the volatile components of the spray a very long time to evaporate and "out-gas" before letting the treated mat touch anything with plastic on or in it.
