Old cushions

[chuck amos]

I am restoring my anniversary table.
It has the original monarch cushions which still play great so I don’t want to replace them. Question is would it be advisable to treat the rubber with something like armorall
Tire treatment?

 

[o.g. (old guy)]

If they are playing fine I wouldn't mess with them. Personally, I wouldn't treat them with anything, never heard of anyone doing that.

 

[garczar]

I am restoring my anniversary table.
It has the original monarch cushions which still play great so I don’t want to replace them. Question is would it be advisable to treat the rubber with something like armorall
Tire treatment?

That stuff is just for looks. If they play ok then keep using them but i wouldn't put anything on them.

 

[BrownDawg]

I've often wondered how some cushions from the same manufacturer can last decades and others don't last five years before turning hard and brittle. I suspect it comes down to whoever mixed the rubber that day. Opinions?

As a rail rubber ages from time and flexing when a ball hits it they begin to develop a "crust" at the point, this is especially predominant near the pockets where the most hits occur. Most of the time these rubbers need to be thrown away but sometimes if I determine it's not too bad, I will lightly sand the very 1/16th of the point with 220 to remove the thin "crust" then wipe a thin coat of brake cleaner to the same 1/16th (not the whole rubber) and then immediately wipe any excess dry. As you might suspect, the brake cleaner softens the rubber and makes it more pliable. I'll probably catch some flack for this, but there it is.

Where's King?

 

[rexus31]

I've often wondered how some cushions from the same manufacturer can last decades and others don't last five years before turning hard and brittle. I suspect it comes down to whoever mixed the rubber that day. Opinions?

As a rail rubber ages from time and flexing when a ball hits it they begin to develop a "crust" at the point, this is especially predominant near the pockets where the most hits occur. Most of the time these rubbers need to be thrown away but sometimes if I determine it's not too bad, I will lightly sand the very 1/16th of the point with 220 to remove the thin "crust" then wipe a thin coat of brake cleaner to the same 1/16th (not the whole rubber) and then immediately wipe any excess dry. As you might suspect, the brake cleaner softens the rubber and makes it more pliable. I'll probably catch some flack for this, but there it is.

Where's King?

I think you mean brake fluid. Brake cleaner will dry up the rubber in short order.

 

[fastone371]

I've often wondered how some cushions from the same manufacturer can last decades and others don't last five years before turning hard and brittle. I suspect it comes down to whoever mixed the rubber that day. Opinions?

As a rail rubber ages from time and flexing when a ball hits it they begin to develop a "crust" at the point, this is especially predominant near the pockets where the most hits occur. Most of the time these rubbers need to be thrown away but sometimes if I determine it's not too bad, I will lightly sand the very 1/16th of the point with 220 to remove the thin "crust" then wipe a thin coat of brake cleaner to the same 1/16th (not the whole rubber) and then immediately wipe any excess dry. As you might suspect, the brake cleaner softens the rubber and makes it more pliable. I'll probably catch some flack for this, but there it is.

Where's King?

Like Rexus said, in the short term brake clean will appear to soften the rubber because it is melting the rubber but it will end drying the cushion out much quicker, kinda like it does to your hands. Brake fluid on the other hand will soften the rubber and keep it pliable without melting. Brake fluid also works well on wiper blades but you have to rinse them off well after application, fortunately its water soluble.

 

[Renegade_56]

even if the rubber is responding well I would have a concern over the contact cement by now.

 

[BrownDawg]

I think you mean brake fluid. Brake cleaner will dry up the rubber in short order.

Good catch, I did mean brake fluid. We'll just call that "having a Biden moment".

 

[bradsh98]

I had an old friend who used to cover his own tables at his pool hall. Every time he did so, he would wipe down the old Monarch rubber with DOT3 brake fluid. He claimed that it kept the rubber playing nice, and also prevented that nasty brown staining of the rail cloth that Monarch rubber is known to cause.

 

[TrxR]

Don't let brake fluid get anywhere near paint.

 

[fastone371]

Don't let brake fluid get anywhere near paint.

Not that you shouldn't be cautious when using brake fluid around paint but in 40 years of auto repair I have only seen brake fluid damage paint one time and that was on fresh single stage paint. If it did actually work as paint stripper there are many times that I would have been happy to use it as such.

 

[TrxR]

Not that you shouldn't be cautious when using brake fluid around paint but in 40 years of auto repair I have only seen brake fluid damage paint one time and that was on fresh single stage paint. If it did actually work as paint stripper there are many times that I would have been happy to use it as such.

I've used it to strip paint before.

I also remember old school auto body guys tell me it would strip paint and was a real pain to get paint to stick to a panel that got brake fluid on it. Maybe that was just old school brake fluid or maybe just old style paint.

 

[3kushn]

If you want to do something with the rubber, this is what I'd choose over Armoral.
IMO Armoral is crap.

303 Products - 303® Automotive Protectant

www.303products.com.au