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?
Depends on how much work you want to do.
If you can get the pieces off you can remove the layer that is degrading, prep the plastic and use a spray on vinyl polymer to recoat it.
Stuff like spray on ‘electrical tape’ and plastidip can be found in most hardware stores for pretty cheap. If you’re serious, they make a type of primer specifically for plastic, typically used for prepping before painting, but it serves to let the spray adhere to the plastic.