[rescue] Rubber rot?

[James Fogg]

> So, what causes this?  are there any prophylactic measures to
> ward it off?  Are any types of rubber more susceptible than
> others (I am sure these are all synthetics and not
> *really* "rubber").  I've had particularly bad luck with the
> rubber on Sun devices (e.g., the various "feet").


If you have rubber that hasn't gone too far to rot you can preserve it
and even reverse the damage a bit with silicone oil. Your best and
cheapest source for silicone oil is DOT-5 brake fluid. Make sure it's
type DOT-5, other versions may damage rubber over time.

A lesser alternative is something like Armor-all, which contains
silicone oil. They also contain lots of other things that might not be
good for the rubber (it's meant for vinyl).