Wiping a Vibram

[kutz167]

Hey everyone, I have a Vibram Ibex with the 2011 Player's Cup stamp on it that I was thinking of wiping, and I was wondering if anyone had wiped a Vibram disc before. I just don't know how the acetone will react with Vibram's rubbery plastic and I don't want to mess up my disc.

 

[maansmit]

Hey everyone, I have a Vibram Ibex with the 2011 Player's Cup stamp on it that I was thinking of wiping, and I was wondering if anyone had wiped a Vibram disc before. I just don't know how the acetone will react with Vibram's rubbery plastic and I don't want to mess up my disc.

I have never dyed a stamped vibram. Take some acetone to the back of the disc and see how it reacts and then go from there.

 

[eegor]

It is rubber, not plastic. I've never owned one with a stamp, so I haven't wiped one. Let us know how it works out.

 

[kutz167]

If you read on Vibram's website, they technically call it a rubber based compound with the flex of the disc determining the percentage of rubber. Hence why the soft Vibrams will crack if left out in the sun but the mediums and firms won't. The statement about rubber based makes me think that it has some plastic mixed in as well. I think I will give it a try tomorrow after I find some acetone and test it on a small spot on the underside. Will post results!

 

[captain jack]

It's a standard foil stamp, same as on any other disc.

You should be ok dabbing it with Goof Off and a clean towel, you wont pull the color out of the rubber.

Dab though, dont wipe, because the foil color may smear, pull one section at a time.
Rinse clean with warm water before you dye it.

 

[Oklahyzer]

I'd use alcohol instead, but either one shouldn't harm anything in the rubber mix. Go for it.

 

[kutz167]

I tried rubbing alcohol last night and couldn't get it to touch it. Will try some goof off when I get the chance to run get some.

 

[Oklahyzer]

Goof off might work...probably will. btw, "rubbing" alcohol isn't much of a solvent. It's the weaker form of isopropyl alcohol (70% or 71%) that has oils and/or fragrance added to it. The 91% alcohol is what you want. Same price usually, still really cheap, and very effective. If it's not right next to the rubbing alcohol on the shelf, it may be near the diabetic supplies.

I'm not sure if Vibram discs have added elastomers or plastics, but they're more than just rubber, for sure. Regardless, all of the likely materials are resistant enough to chemicals that brief exposure from wiping isn't going to affect them. Soaking or long term exposure to fumes might be a different story.

 

[captain jack]

I use the 70% alcohol as a cleaner.
Its one step above dish soap and hot water for removing grime and dirt from a disc.
Alcohol is good for safely removing label and vinyl residue as well.

Goof Off is substantially stronger, and will take the stamp off of any disc with just a small drop. Its very caustic though, thats why I always recommend a clean water rinse after use.

 

[Oklahyzer]

Goof Off is not caustic...not particularly dangerous either as long as you keep it away from fire and don't drink it or get it in your eyes. And no huffing. I can't remember which is which, but one of the Goof Off formulations (the "professional", I think) is mostly acetone based, and the other one ("heavy duty" maybe?) is a xylene mix.

 

[pobelly]

I can report on acetone wiping having no deleterious effects on my vibrams... I actually did this to reduce the very slight "oily" feeling they had when I got them. Interestingly, the ink on the underside that the weights are marked in seems very removable compared to other discs - it faded to a faint ghost, and I had the feeling that I could have rubbed it all the way out if I'd wanted to.

 

[discdoh]

You can get a nice sized bottle of acetone at Wal-Mart. Go to the make-up area and find the nail polish remover shelf area. There will be a large bottle of ONYX. It is the highest % acetone I have found in the normal market places. Unfortunately, Wal-Mart is the only place that carries the ONYX brand.

 

[kutz167]

I can report on acetone wiping having no deleterious effects on my vibrams... I actually did this to reduce the very slight "oily" feeling they had when I got them. Interestingly, the ink on the underside that the weights are marked in seems very removable compared to other discs - it faded to a faint ghost, and I had the feeling that I could have rubbed it all the way out if I'd wanted to.

Thanks! That is the response I was hoping that someone would have!

 

[ultrapail]

I'm currently trying to wipe a vibram birdie bash stamp, and nothing is touching it. I've tried acetone, bleach, goof off, ammonia, isopropyl alcohol, Hydrogen peroxide. Any suggestions??

 

[roggenb3]

If acetone doesn't get it off, you are pretty much SOL. I wouldn't wanna mess with anything stronger than that.

 

[tbird888]

If acetone isn't doing anything, it's probably more like a dye than a stamp.

 

[ultrapail]

It's a birdie bash spirit winner stamp

 

[djcadence]

I have a stamped Ibex from a tourney, and the stamp slowly peeled itself off the disc after about a year of use. The process used seems unlike any other dyed disc I've owned, and made me question if they used some sort of vinyl for the image and stamped the disc with a vinyl overlay and then used heat or some sort of adhesive to attach the stamp to the disc.