BlackBox' black foot going soft

[Mathy]

Hello guys (m/f)

 

To my surprise, I recently noticed that my BlackBox (which most of the year is wrapped in bubble wrap) is going soft and gooey on my. The BlackBox has four of these rubber feet. One of them (the one closest to the SCSI port) is somehow turning into a black, soft, sticky goo, that's hard to remove from hands and tables/desks. It's still only the surface, but I'ld like to replace it anyhow.

 

Did CSS use "off the shelf" rubber feet or are these somehow shortened?

Are these feet still available?

If I pull the soft foot off the BB, would there be a change of damaging the PCB?

 

Sincerely

 

Mathy

 

 

[fibrewire]

If I pull the soft foot off the BB, would there be a change of damaging the PCB?

 

I think its unlikely you will damage the traces on the board, at most you will lift the conformal coating. In any case I would try freezing the board and seeing if the perished rubber residue will harden and flake off. After a night in the freezer try using a pair of blunt nosed pliers to grab the rubber feet and twist them off.

[+Larry]

Maybe a form of "athlete's foot?"

 

Mine are gray, and I've never had any problem with them. eBay has a very nice selection of "rubber feet" but most are shipped from China. BG Micro here in the US also used to carry a very nice selection of these, but no more.

 

I've peeled these things off many times (including from the BB), and so far never had any pcb issues. Usually what happens is the "foot" leaves residue, so there is no damage to the pcb/coating. But I'd peel slowly,and I would not try to remove any light residue.

 

-Larry

[Mathy]

Hello Larry

 

I don't smell anything, so it can't be athlete's foot.

 

Sincerely

 

Mathy