That's a nice clear pic. Anyway you may already have found this out or hopefully didn't have an issue, but those eraser pads actually have a mild paint thinner type solvent in them and that's where you're getting your scratches is a combination of that thinner softening the plastic and the mild abrasive you mentioned in the pad. I only send this because I know a few folks that have messed up some stuff not knowing that it had that element to the eraser pads. So if that saves you any issues down the road it was worth it.After seeing the title of this thread and reading the first post it reminded me of a problem that I had with my Canon EOS battery holder/grip. It turns out that they used a type of clearcoating to give the grips a matt finish and over time it has degraded and become sticky. I went to my closet and pulled out my Vader FX Saber and found that the grips were exhibiting the same problem.
The problem with pulling the grips and replacing them with what's out there is not really the notch cut for the battery cover but that the curvature on the FX saber is wider and deeper so they replacements will stand off further... probably more like the originals but not like the FX saber.
I was able to clean off the sticky clearcoat from my camera battery cover by using alcohol and one of those Mr. Clean Magic Erasers. I figured I'd try the same method on the saber grips.
It worked quite well... although it will leave very slight scratches on the plastic of the grips. The Magic Erasers are essentially very mildly abrasive. I guess if you wanted to you could mask the grips and give them a coat of Plasti Dip spray.
Here's quick photo showing the difference. The sticky one on the left and the cleaned grip on the right. It's hard to see due to the black grips but the cleaned one is smooth with no sticky residue.
DISCLAIMER: As I mentioned, the eraser sponges ARE abrasive. Use them at your own risk. I detected no damage to the chrome on mine. The cloudiness on the chrome you see in the picture is from the alcohol drying.
Master Replica Vader FX grips are very sticky
- Thread starter thatguyno1
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- star wars a new hope
Paul Andrew
Master Member
Unstickified my FX Vader and removed the blade tonight. This thread was a ton of help. Used the Magic Eraser and isopropyl alcohol. Took several goes, but I eventually got it all. The clamp section was also getting kinda gross and tacky. It must also have some kind of topcoat.
jkno
Legendary Member
If it is made of ABS without rubber coating I see no reason to degrade like MR grips.
JSConnolly
Active Member
I agree. The ONLY Grips that I've seen/felt this happen to are the Master Replicas Grips! So yea it's pretty safe to assume your "Roman's Sabers" will be JUST Fine!
Joe
P.S.
For ANYONE still dealing with this... I scrubbed the "Sticky" **** off with some good ol' fashioned HOT Water, Kitchen Cleanser a Green Scrubby and some Elbow Grease and just went to TOWN on each and every one thoroughly! The TRICK is to NOT get water INSIDE the saber ANYWHERE!
This can be achieved by keeping the point and as STRAIGHT UP as possible when scrubbing and the Tail End DOWN!!! This will ensure that no water get's inside! I also removed the battery pack and STUFFED it with an absorbent cotton cloth, making SURE it was well in there as a barrier to any possible water?!
I sure hope this helps anyone still dealing with this issue?
Joe
Whew! Good to know
Mara Jade's Father
Master Member
There is no reason to use a Magic Eraser. It is a mild abrasive and there is no reason to use it when you can simply use rubbing alcohol pads or put some on a cloth or cotton balls.
Good news is so far after I cleaned mine quite some time ago now, it doesn't come back.
Mara Jade's Father
Master Member
I think because it’s not that the rubber is sticky so much as it is the plastic grip are sticky because the rubber coating has broken down and become the sticky goo (if you get what I mean. More just a matter of perspective). So once you clean the goo off, the only thing left is the plastic base. No more rubber means nothing left to break down into goo.
Yeah I'm pretty sure it's the thin rubber coating degrading and the alcohol is removing that. I have an original run Larbel TPM Obi-Wan lightsaber and I noticed black runny goo on it. It turned out to be one of the rubber o-rings totally liquefied. I've never seen that happen. So I think it's a similar thing happening.
Mara Jade's Father
Master Member
It’s kind of funny when you think about it. When these came out in the early 2000s, the belief was still that the grips were some sort of military windshield wiper therefore every one was making them from rubber materials or in this case, rubber coated. Then they figured out the part was a plastic track for cupboard-like doors. So when you think about it, these grips are self-accurizing themselves.
I think it's more that fans who aren't on here would expect them to be rubber. They're not as
I have a drawer full of mid-2000s cell phones and cables. Pretty much every rubberized "soft-touch plastic" from that era has started to degrade in the same way as these MR grips.
ScourgiousJinx
Master Member
Just checked my MR sabers, thankfully only the Vader/Luke FX's had this issue. Clean up with alcohol took 5 minutes, Thanks for the tips!
SCUDMAN
Sr Member
I purchased my Master Replicas Lightsaber back in 2005 and the black plastic parts were so greasy and sticky I thought it was not salvageable. It was really awful, I used the above method and the results are amazing.
thank you to everyone who has been contributing to this thread.
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My grips have been sticky for years but I haven’t bothered to fix it.
Not a brag by any means but in 2012 I owned a Ferrari 348. Bought when they were at their absolute cheapest. They as well as some of the later models are notorious for getting sticky switches throughout them. Of course all of the items were a rubber coated type switch or cover. There are dedicated services that will remove the stickiness. I would venture to think it is some sort of urethane that eventually breaks down. The stickiness is very similar to uncured urethane. It would make sense that alcohol would work since that effectively cuts urethane. Acetone may do the same thing but you would have to be very careful with it.
Not a brag by any means but in 2012 I owned a Ferrari 348. Bought when they were at their absolute cheapest. They as well as some of the later models are notorious for getting sticky switches throughout them. Of course all of the items were a rubber coated type switch or cover. There are dedicated services that will remove the stickiness. I would venture to think it is some sort of urethane that eventually breaks down. The stickiness is very similar to uncured urethane. It would make sense that alcohol would work since that effectively cuts urethane. Acetone may do the same thing but you would have to be very careful with it.
KWNN
New Member
I have found using windex did the trick, The ammonia you'll find in Windex and other window cleaners is a called ammonium hydroxide or ammonia solution — commonly called ammonia-D. That removed that stickiness from old rubber like the grips on Vader's hilt. I've used it on computer mice, bluetooth headsets etc. I would try a spot and see how it fairs for you, may have to try a few times but found it worked for me. Good luck!
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