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ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

rubber conditioner (1 Viewer)

puprescue

Member
a search didn't give me a satisfactory answer regarding rubber conditioner for rubber eyecups on my SE's and E2's. would appreciate any input.

thanks
 
FWIW... I use 303 Aerospace Protectant on everything rubber, including eyecups, and it seems to keep rubber in very good condition. Pull the cups off, wet a paper towel with 303 and apply liberally. Let it sit wet for a few minutes then wipe dry. Its mainly a UV inhibitor but seems to keep rubber supple also. We used it on fairing seals on the ag planes that I used to fly. Some of the pesticides that we sprayed were very hard on the rubber seals... not to mention the sun. 303 helped a lot.
 
I have used Meguiar’s 57 Marine * RV Vinyl & Rubber Cleaner Protectant with good results.
 

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Do any of the above remove gray haze sometimes found on older rubberized binocular bodies?
I've had some success with 'Back to Black' (Meguiar’s?), but one set of Leica BNs is being stubborn.
 
I have used Meguiar’s 57 Marine * RV Vinyl & Rubber Cleaner Protectant with good results.
The few pairs I cleaned up were only dirty and a little faded . I do not see why the Meguiars 57 would not do the job. It’s a premium rubber cleaner/ conditioner protectant. Could not find it locally, I had to order it off the internet. Reasonably priced too.
 

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appreciate the feedback. several good ideas. i'll look on Amazon and buy a little of each. have 10 binocs with rubber eyecups. the eyecup on my Zeiss 8x30B monocular [50+ years old] disintigrated and that lead me to this inquiry.

Fogdart, i've spent thousands of hours spraying with ground rigs, dryland in Montana. very glad to be retired from that job.
 
I too used Armor All without any worries until a fellow BF member expressed some doubt and suggested other products.
 
A weak solution of an eco detergent for Paramo clothing. Cleans the rubber armouring on my various pairs of binoculars but doesn't give the shine and lustre on certain models as before.
 
a search didn't give me a satisfactory answer regarding rubber conditioner for rubber eyecups on my SE's and E2's. would appreciate any input.

thanks
I've used Armor All on SE eye cups for almost 20 years with great results. Remove the eye cups, cover with Armor All and let them sit overnight. Wipe clean in the morning and you're good to go. I also use Armor All on my Leica and Swarovski bins.
It also works on rubber "blooming" (the white stuff).
 
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Armor All is great for rubber products, eye cups rubber tires etc. However if one uses it on a dashboard which is a vinyl/plastic in a vehicle which gets intense UV ( left out side) it will make the vinyl/plastic brittle. I use the 303 on my vehicle where needed, but for our uses I think Armor All is just fine, especially those SE and E2 eyecups.
 
When the Armor All was still wet, it looked like it worked. But after a few minutes it dried and the grey reappeared, so I wiped it off.
They actually looked better beforehand, with just a thin coat of WD40. I may soap-and-water sponge bathe them to remove both products and do test patches.
 
When the Armor All was still wet, it looked like it worked. But after a few minutes it dried and the grey reappeared, so I wiped it off.
They actually looked better beforehand, with just a thin coat of WD40. I may soap-and-water sponge bathe them to remove both products and do test patches.
Too bad it didn't work. I had success with an old Zeiss dust cap that was almost white.
Good luck.
 
received both the 303 Aerospace and the Meguiar's rubber conditioner. the Meguiar's has a chemical smell...the 303 doesn't. 303 advertises it's product as water based. the directions to apply are the same....wet the rubber down and wipe dry. have used both and no way of knowing which is best or even if they work. the rubber eye cups on my Swift Audubon's [10X50] were pretty hard and seemed to soften them up. will apply again on the Audubon's at a later date. they are approx 30 years old. i have to say i prefer the 303 for two reasons....lack of chemical smell and available in a 2 oz size. the Meguiar's comes in 16 oz size. i'm quite sure i won't live long enough to see how well they work, but it gives me peace of mind. thanks again to all feedback.
 
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