I have a MIDI controller keyboard that I have cleaned in the past with disinfectant alcohol wipes, which I know is a bad idea because it degrades the rubber over time.
Well, the rubber on the pitch bend and modulation wheels has indeed degraded, and the surfaces texture is awful, uneven and sticky now. My fault… I know.
So does anyone know of any way to fix, or even improve, this kind of nasty rubber surface degradation once it occurs? Sanding? Applying oils? Is there any way I can even slightly restore these controls back to their original soft-touch rubbery glory?
I just painted it with nail polish. Not longer soft, but at least not sticky and you can use different colours, paint on some designs, glitter or plain boring clear polish.
Haven’t dared do it for movable parts, especially not ones that go into any unreachable mechanical areas, in case the movement makes it flaky in time. But as long as you can open and clean it out it might be worth a try.