10 x 30 IS Sticky binocular coating

[arh2]

My 10x30 IS binocular coating has just started to noticeably deteriorate. Checking the discussions here it seems the problem goes back to 2013. 
There were a couple of proposals to mask it. Has anyone arrived at anything better than spraying with lacquer or buffing with rubbing alcohol?

Shame really I’m a great Canon supporter (probably over £30k of camera equipment) but find this odd. Probably the wrong coating choice when designed.

[Tintype_18]

I don't think anything can be done. I have bite alarms for fishing that are now sticky after nine years. Alternative is to dust them with talcum powder. Otherwise, one will have to live with it.

[arh2]

Thank you for taking the time to reply. 

[shadowsports]

Greetings,

I have also heard form others who wipe them down with isopropyl alcohol. I have an 18 year old Logitech trackball that has a rubber edge.  It got sticky over a year ago.  I wiped it down and its still going strong without my ring and pinky finger sticking to it now.

[arh2]

Thank you for this. I have a lot of isopropyl left over after the Covid period. I’ll give it a try. 

[Tintype_18]

Bringing this up again. I had to change the batteries in my bite alarms today. Hands got sticky which were cleaned with denatured alcohol. Hmmm. Thought about getting a cheap paintbrush and see if I can get the coating off.

[arh2]

Thank you. Not sure what denatured alcohol is but I’ll google it

[Tintype_18]

You can get denatured alcohol at a paint store, box store as Wally World or Lowe's, etc. I buy it by the gallon for making custom pens.

[arh2]

Thank you

[wq9nsc · Accepted solution]

It depends upon the coating used but many of these coatings will respond to cleaning with "Purple Power" spray cleaner.  Paint thinner is a more aggressive treatment but try Purple Power first and then decide whether the sticky texture is still too bad to use.

A lot of consumer stuff was finished with these compounds in the last 20 years, probably partially a result of the global controls/reduction of VOCs in paint/finishing compounds.   

I have a really nice shortwave receiver originally designed by the defunct R L Drake company in the U.S. and intended to be produced by German firm Grundig but due to bankruptcy the radio was ultimately manufactured by U.S. based Eton.  It was basically too annoying to use after a year due to the coating but I first cleaned with alcohol and then a few years later with Purple Power.  After the second cleaning, the finish has been tack free for years.

Another Eton E1 XM owner reached out to Eton corp and Purple Power was their officially recommended product and they included instructions on how to overcome the sticky finish.  The link is here but if it gets removed due to forum guidelines, just do a google search for "Eton's solution for sticky radios" and you will find it:

https://swling.com/blog/2018/08/etons-solution-for-sticky-radios/

Rodger