Restoring pliability to rubber recoil pads

[Stan Hillis]

I read years ago that the pliability could be restored to dried, hardened rubber, like recoil pads, by repeatedly soaking it in liquid silicone. I tried it with a NIB hardened Jostam pad. I bought a can of silicone spray from NAPA and kept it sitting in it in a sealed Ziploc bag for a few months. It did nothing to soften it.

Does anybody know of any way to restore the pliability to old, dried, hardened rubber?

[Bill Murphy]

The solution is to not buy any old NIB or NOS hard pads. Buy new Silver pads or soft NOS pads. Old hard pads are trash. Anyone who wants a half dozen of them, I have a drawer full of them. I have bought a few NOS pads over the years, and most of them were quite soft, but I guess I'm lucky.

[Drew Hause]

Stan: I've not used the product, but have seen reports that Simple Green will soften rubber. Apparently full strength leaves rubber tacky so a 50:50 mixture with water has been recommended. Soak for 10 minutes or so, then clean with water.
It's cheap by the jug at WalMart and Amazon.
Please let us know if you try it.

[Stan Hillis]

Thanks, Doc. If I can find some other old, hardened rubber around here somewhere I'll try it. If it works I'll put the old Jostam No-Kick Coming into it.

Have been also told by a good friend that boiling it in water will soften the rubber somewhat, and that the trick to it is to "knead" the rubber, with the base of the pad flat on a table, while it's still hot, while wearing gloves.

Both are worth a try!

[Bill Murphy]

Yes, knead it like you would.... Oh, forget it.