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zimblewinder
Samba Member
Joined: January 22, 2004
Posts: 893
Location: Australia
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 Posted: Thu Feb 23, 2006 5:50 am Post subject: Rejuvenating a bulkhead mat |
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Hi all, had a flick through the search results and didnt find out much so Id like to hear about your experiences rejuvenating rubber. I have a nice og bulkhead mat that I want to freshen up but I dont want to make any mistakes cos it took long enough to find this one. I heard about glycerine and vasaline. ANy other recommendations? How do you apply this stuff without doing any damage?
Cheers
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58Euro 23 343208 The Ultimate Zimblewinder Machine.
59 mango standard
Wanted- splash pan supports, og pressed bumper coach bolts, ivory blaupunkt knobs (early), armrest alloy strips, NOS door mechanism |
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Clara 
Samba Member
Joined: June 14, 2003
Posts: 12401
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| Posted: Thu Feb 23, 2006 7:12 am Post subject: Re: Rejuvenating a bulkhead mat |
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| zimblewinder wrote: |
Hi all, had a flick through the search results and didnt find out much so Id like to hear about your experiences rejuvenating rubber. I have a nice og bulkhead mat that I want to freshen up but I dont want to make any mistakes cos it took long enough to find this one. I heard about glycerine and vasaline. ANy other recommendations? How do you apply this stuff without doing any damage?
Cheers |
I have had good experiences with glycerin on
real vinyl leatherette (aka og seat covers)
seat stand mats
I've heard of it being used on floor mats.
On the plus side... it can't hurt it. I'd wash the mat with simple green and water and a brush first. Apply glycerin liberally with a clean damp rag. Repeat daily for a few days. It takes a while for the stuff to soak in well. It's good for your skin, too. They put it in stuff like Corn Huskers Lotion.
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The Obsolete Air-Cooled Documentation Project http://oacdp.org/ |
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zimblewinder
Samba Member
Joined: January 22, 2004
Posts: 893
Location: Australia
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| Posted: Thu Feb 23, 2006 8:18 am Post subject: |
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Just a thought. If I grease this thing up really well with glycerine am I going to be able to glue it to the bulkhead again? Should I stick it on first then apply?
Thanks Clara, I always appreciate your postings.
Cheers 
_________________
58Euro 23 343208 The Ultimate Zimblewinder Machine.
59 mango standard
Wanted- splash pan supports, og pressed bumper coach bolts, ivory blaupunkt knobs (early), armrest alloy strips, NOS door mechanism |
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Clara
Samba Member
Joined: June 14, 2003
Posts: 12401
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| Posted: Thu Feb 23, 2006 8:34 am Post subject: |
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Thanks for the props.
The glycerin will all soak into the mat. So I wouldn't think there'd be any trouble sticking it to the bus as long as you don't try to glue it to freshly glycerined (wet) rubber. I'd do it out of the bus, then wait a few days, then stick the mat to the bus.
I haven't actually glued one to a bus, so I am just guessing here. But the glycerin wetness does soak in overnight. I used glycerin on the desert dry seats in my 53 standard, and it made a huge improvement in making the vinyl leatherette actually reclaim some suppleness from being super brittle. It did not discolor the material, FWIW
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The Obsolete Air-Cooled Documentation Project http://oacdp.org/ |
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VWBobby
Samba Member
Joined: April 21, 2004
Posts: 1537
Location: Central Oregon Coast
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| Posted: Thu Feb 23, 2006 9:25 am Post subject: |
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| Once I used vasaline to install some window seals. A few people jumped up and down about how this was such a bad idea and how the vasaline attacks the rubber... Just a word of caution. It didn't do anything to the rubber in the 2 years I observed it, but you never know! I would stick to using glycerin if it work like Clara says. |
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