On 17/08/2012 20:23, John Rumm wrote:
On 17/08/2012 20:06, HellyB wrote:
We have a nice pair of "rubberised" binoculars, but the "rubber" has
recently become quite sticky to the touch. Washing up liquid and other
gentle cleaners have had no effect.

Any other possible ways of removing the stickiness? (Apart from angle
grinders, of course).

perhaps a dusting of talc or cornstarch would help...

Talc or diatomaceous earth sold in garden centres as organic snail
discourager (don't breathe the dust). You want something to bind the
stickyness and make it inert again at the surface.

My old Psion 3 went this way all over. I think the damage is caused by
ozone breaking up the soft rubber polymer to shorter chains.

I don't know if you can ever really recover since the material is
basically shot at this stage and not far off losing structural integrity.

Regards,
Martin Brown