help my space navigator has a skin disease....... serious!

Questions and answers about 3Dconnexion devices on Windows.

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yamlcase
Posts: 1
Joined: Mon Jun 12, 2017 5:59 am

Re: help my space navigator has a skin disease....... seriou

Post by yamlcase »

Easy-Off did the trick for me. Just spray it thick into a paper tower, hold the navigator upside down and cake the Easy-Off foam on the knob and buttons. Set it upside down for a few minutes, then rub the gunk off. Throughout this, always keep the navigator upside down so if anything drips it will not get into the innards. Also, ventilation. This stuff stinks and is probably not good for you.
Natty
Posts: 6
Joined: Sun Jan 11, 2015 12:31 pm

Re: help my space navigator has a skin disease....... seriou

Post by Natty »

I do have the exact same problem.. And it feels disgusting.. I've tried to clean it, but with no use. The degrading rubber is something that you should not have to worry when you spend 300€ on a piece of electronic. I don't even remember when i've bought mine to know if it is still under warranty.. But this is very sad, that you would spend that much money and end up with a 2$ rubber cover.
matteolegna
Posts: 1
Joined: Sat Oct 21, 2017 3:47 am

Re: help my space navigator has a skin disease....... seriou

Post by matteolegna »

I just feel the need of adding my voice to the choir. I'm also experiencing the same issue on my SpaceMouse Pro purchased in December 2012
mhoopes
Posts: 137
Joined: Thu Dec 07, 2006 10:48 am
Location: Campbell, CA

Re: help my space navigator has a skin disease....... seriou

Post by mhoopes »

SpaceNavigator, purchased in 2008. Retired in 2016.

Image
Michael Hoopes
razyr
Posts: 1
Joined: Tue Nov 28, 2017 6:02 pm

Re: help my space navigator has a skin disease....... serious!

Post by razyr »

My Space Navigator looked pretty much like the image posted by mhoopes.

I've run across this on multiple items with rubber or synth rubber materials which break down with age. I've seen it with ski boots, wet suits for diving and now 3D mice.

The friction coat is extremely thin and is easy to remove if you have a secret weapon.

The surface is gummy and attempting to scrape it off with your fingernail just pushes it around and smears it.

My go-to trick for removing gummy labels on plastic or metal is WD-40. Spray a bit on a 3M abrasive pad like you'd have in your kitchen. Obviously the pad isn't going back to the kitchen when you're done. Use your fingernail to loosen thick or stubborn areas but the WD-40 prevents the goop from re-sticking itself or smearing and it helps lift it off the Space Navigator knob.

This method doesn't produce any dust (like trying to sand it) and if you don't go crazy with how much WD-40 you spray on the pad, you don't have to worry about anything getting inside your mouse.

It took maybe 15 minutes to clean my 3D navigator up to near-new condition. It's not quite as nice as the original friction surface but neither does it feel like you grabbed the wrong side of an old sticky bandaid. It looks like new again and it's actually easier to keep clean.
steph-tux
Posts: 1
Joined: Fri Dec 01, 2017 3:47 pm

Re: help my space navigator has a skin disease....... serious!

Post by steph-tux »

Hi,
I had the same problem with my SpacePilot (mouse and pad very sticky).
In fact, the solution is very easy !
I bought a 1 liter bottle of 95° alcool (in french : alcool ménager supérieur à 95°), that you can find very easily for 2 or 3 €.
Then, put alcool on a soft cloth, and wipe all sticky parts of the space mouse.
You will have to change many times the soft cloth (it becomes dirty very quikly).
At the end, there will be no more "sticky skin" on your mouse.
You will lose the soft touch feeling, but it's ok, and no more sticky !
michaeld
Posts: 3
Joined: Fri Jan 26, 2018 9:59 am

Re: help my space navigator has a skin disease....... serious!

Post by michaeld »

I got tired of the rubber always becoming a mess so scrubbed it off with some GoJo Cleaner. After the grit dried I air blasted it off and I was left with a nice smooth plastic.

Old Space Explorer, works good as new.
Keerah
Posts: 10
Joined: Thu Feb 11, 2016 8:04 am
Location: Moscow
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Re: help my space navigator has a skin disease....... serious!

Post by Keerah »

My space navigator is just 1+ year in use and first the surface had bubbles in it and now it has "bald" islands of the coating, doesn't look and feel nice, it's very disappointing :cry: There's no extreme weather in my appartments
UtaSH
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Location: Munich, Germany
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Re: help my space navigator has a skin disease....... serious!

Post by UtaSH »

Hello Keerah,

this should definitely NOT happen. If the device is just one year old it is still under warranty. Please contact our Technical Support Team. They will start the RMA process for you.
Delarmi
Posts: 3
Joined: Thu Nov 07, 2013 5:18 am

Re: help my space navigator has a skin disease....... serious!

Post by Delarmi »

A while ago, I wondered why my space navigator is so dirty and sticky... Are my fingers really sooo dirty...? I started to clean it... my charwoman came to help me, but we both did not manage to clean it. Now my space navigator looks really really shitty and sticky sticky sticky...
And today I found this topic ... :evil:
So, can I get a new space navigator, please? :roll: :mrgreen:
I bought it 2013... thank you
dlkeener
Posts: 2
Joined: Thu Oct 18, 2018 6:20 am

Re: help my space navigator has a skin disease....... serious!

Post by dlkeener »

Space Navigator has that sticky feeling and peeling, has for a few years.
currently am using a new wireless version.
The other is my personal navigator, just sits in a box being sticky.
last I used it was fine, then boxed it up, after a few years, took it out, sticky.
Started peeling about 3 years after I had it.
Can't work with out a Navigator...great device.
Mine is was purchased about 2005, give or take a few years.

might try the dipping thing, needs something, i've retired it to my home computer.
jones814
Posts: 1
Joined: Sat Nov 17, 2018 9:45 am

Re: help my space navigator has a skin disease....... serious!

Post by jones814 »

As a last resort, try baby powder. Imagine putting baby powder on duct tape. It stops being sticky. Over the years, I have had several electronic gadgets that were designed with a cool rubbery surface that years later became a gross sticky surface. I put baby powder on the surface, brushed away the excess, and it occupied all those sticky molecules with something to stick to.
MutterOberin
Posts: 6
Joined: Mon Jan 25, 2016 1:30 pm

Re: help my space navigator has a skin disease....... serious!

Post by MutterOberin »

I have the exact same problem with a space pilot! Hopefully the space pilot pro will not have the same issue in the future!
protorixx
Posts: 2
Joined: Thu Jan 24, 2019 9:30 am

Re: help my space navigator has a skin disease....... serious!

Post by protorixx »

You can use oven cleaner to remove the soft painting of the knob
pintom
Posts: 10
Joined: Thu Mar 26, 2009 8:00 am
Location: Fort Worth, TX

Re: help my space navigator has a skin disease....... serious!

Post by pintom »

Why the hell does 3D Connexion still use this rubber coating on these expensive input devices!?! It's like they completely ignore their customers' complaints about it and keep putting this "cool" rubber coating on all of their products! Yeah it looks cool and feels cool for about a year then it becomes a sticky mess!!! Please Stop doing this!!!!!!!
3dconnexion Hardware: SpaceMouse Pro USB, CADMouse
Computer: HP ZBook Studio G3
OS: Windows 10 Pro
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