Glycern, pics of baking bellows

[fltcoils]

Here's a bellows I'm baking in glycerin water.

The part is for my 1-18. Even an shelf bellows might be 20 years old or more. The glycerin helps.

 

[fltcoils]

I found it at Walmart after trying many other places, pharmacy section. But it might be in other locations.

HUMCO
6 oz Glycerin
NDC 0395-1031-96
HUMCO Texarkana TX, 75501

I mixed 3 oz 99% glycerin with 1qt in a pan, then set on warm, letting the bellows sit overnight.

 

[fltcoils]

The result is a nice softer, and I think in better condition bellows

 

[gyrafoam]

Yes, but I wonder just how deeply into the molecular structure of the rubber the glycerin penetrates. And, how quickly the first encounter with hot water and laundry chemicals "wisks" it away (so to speak)?

I mean------ its a great idea and all that, however, I wonder if there really is a way to extend the service life of these old rubber parts or we are just grasping at straws?

I've taken an "wide-mouth" "Ball" jar and filled it with glycerin to soak bellows and other aged rubber parts. You are right----they always come out nice and supple.

I guess it couldn't hurt.

 

[Brent-Aucoin]

Interesting thread.
I have used silicone spray in a can to use on my front wheel drive cars CV Joint boots for ages. I have never had a CV Joint Boot break.
Every oil change, (that I do myself) I spray them. I hear complaints all the time about CV Joint Boots breaking. I have never had one break on me. Some of my cars in the past had almost 300,000 miles on them, with the original boots.
Brent

 

[filterflo]

Glycerin may be good and may work.....but

For years I have brought back many (many!) rubber parts by soaking them in automotive brake fluid. It works wonderfully.....after all every wheel cylinder in every car has at least 4 rubber parts plus the seals in the master cylinder.........Brake fluid is glycerin based with other additives in it to preserve the brake system rubber, keep the fluid in the system and the rubber nice and soft and pliable. Brake fluid is inexpensive and easy to work with.....If possible I soak the rubber part (completely submerged) for about a week. When I worked for Lockheed, all rubber and missle parts were pretreated with brakefluid before installation to prolong their life.......it really does work!

 

[gyrafoam]

Perhaps the additives in the brake fluid help the glycerin penetrate the rubber better than the glycerin alone.
I'm going to give it a try.

 

[saltysam]

brake fluid

The brake fluid sounds like a good idea to help preserve the rubber but the question I would have would be. Brake fluid has a distinct odor and is oily in nature.....How would this do in a washing machine? I would think since the fluid penetrates the rubber that your clothes would come out smelling like brake fluid and might leave an oily residue for quite some time. Brake fluid might be better for just the oil bellows and use the glycerin for the water bellows. Just a thought...
Mark

 

[fltcoils]

Brake fluid not oil

Brake systems use EPDM rubber, it is incompatable with hydrocarbons and will swell/enlarge 20-50% if even small residues get into the brake fluid. So there's no hydrocarbons in brake fluid, but certainly some hygroscopic elements, you learn this if you eat without adequately washing after handling brake fluid.

My Fleck water softener has nitril orings, lots, which have only a 10 year usable life. Correct design would have used EPDM, they last longer, and since it's a water softener you'd think it was safe. But the Fleck engineer told me that they had to use nitril because service installers used petrollium lubes installing the orings, and thus ruining them if they were EPDM.

But glycerin, is it universal for elastnomers as a help?

I don't know. But I've got a large agitator soaking in a bucket right now.

I wish I knew what elastnomer was used for these agitators and bellows...

 

[fltcoils]

I'd caution against using brake fluid if you don't know the rubber compound. I took a look at Efunda's list and find many of the common materials are incompatable with brake fluid. However most of the common materials are compatable with glycerin.