Gear knob conspiracy theory

[bikerbaker]

I realise there is a thread on gear knob removal which I perused, helped a lot.

Had my 2003 Multispace since 2005 and the knob has looked a bit worn for years, not a problem. 

The car has been used by a friends and family for 4 years and only just got it back permanently. The plastic at the top started coming away in lumps a couple of weeks ago, only the top was brittle the rest of it was pliant and cut easily with a craft knife. Aftermarket item £5 from Amazon and 30 minutes with the knife and screwdrivers and all is well.

My current theory is the brittleness could have been caused by antibacterial hand sanitiser. 

[Gryffindor]

Could be, if it was alcohol based or similar. Interesting point!

Poss combined with UV exposure if the car was kept outside?

Maybe we need to look into finding and using plastic conditioners as we do with leather.

[mission]

I replaced mine before this Corona crap started because the silver finish was all yellow and nasty with a knob from a lower spec junker, a plastic one with a black piece ontop.

Using lots and lots of sanitiser doesnt seem to affect the gearknob the slightest. But the steeringwheel isnt having it, I now use some leather treatment every week and still the leather keeps getting rough and ugly. Got a nasty patch where all the paint left allready

[Gadgetman]

Hand sanitiser containing IPA can actually damage some plastics. It draws out the plastisizer ad turns the outer layers brittle.

But it would take a lot of it and applied very often to have an effect.
Unless someone dipped their hands in the stuff, then grabbed the shifter while their hand was still dripping, it wouldn't make a difference, though. The alcohol in the sanitiser will normally evaporate within the first 30 seconds.
Sanitising vipes or sprays for surfaces though, will apply the IPA to the plastic.
But it would till take a lot of it.

I hang out on the Reapermini painting forums(yeah, I sometimes paint minis) and they produce a series of minis in a soft plastic. way too soft for some. And some enterprising forumite found that he could cure 'floppy sword syndrome' by leaving the mini in an IPA bath overnight.

[Gryffindor]

I thought you meant the cars and was almost too afraid to ask what floppy sword syndrome is! But a quick goggle and all is clear, thankfully!

   

This photo may be of passing interest - a 1970s calc which was once a light ivory (almost white) but is now a horrible nicotiney colour. But it is not nicotine or even general crud (in the main) - it is sunburn. Look closely and you can see a sort of negative (white) shadow in front of each key. The brown areas are also very rough, like chapped skin.

Bought it because it works and was extremely cheap - its vfd display is worth more on its own.

[Sol]

When I was a kid in the 70s, my old man ran an East End type garage (blokes in sheepskin coats, dodgy deals, old school panel beaters with prison tattoos etc)

The workshop transistor radio (a prized possession of the hardcore work crew) was covered in paint spatters, so I decided to clean it. I used cellulose thinners, applied with a clean paintbrush....the casing buckled and melted into a funny shape.

(my old man didn't find it quite so funny)

[jj9]

When I was a kid in the 70s, my old man ran an East End type garage (blokes in sheepskin coats, dodgy deals, old school panel beaters with prison tattoos  etc).....

You've just described my usual haunt  

.

[Gryffindor]

Well at least it was just the radio. I once (late teens) got a job in such a place. On my first day, being the typical 'spare part', I was told to jetwash a yellow flatbed truck. After a few sprays of hot water, I went back in to tell them that it wasn't going very well.

"That's okay" they said, "just so long as you haven't taken the yellow paint off"...

Didn't bother going back for day 2!

[bikerbaker]

Just an afterthought. The new Chineesy gear knob works fine but I realise now why that heavy weight was incorporated in the original. 

[my mucker]

excactly like mine ended up !! but its been falling apart for last 18 months only little bits at a time, i put it down to old age !!