Thread: 'Plastics' declining Quality

Manufacturers consider a car has an 8 year life so if the plastic goes at 10 years they probably consider it was not a problem as is beyond expectations. Now their expectations and yours may not in this instance coincide

Plastic that degrades rapidly is a bad idea for shoes But it is a Great idea for the enviroment.
Using plastics and quality in the same sentance is an oxymoron.

I've had the same with binoculars and other items, sometimes trying different solvents you can remove the sticky surface.

Shoes/boots with polymer soles seem to have a very finite life. I had a pair of Redbacks that I hadn't used for years, wore them one day and the soles crumbled & fell off.
I now tend to get boots from the Blundstone Outlet Shop so at least I'm only paying about $55 per pair !

Colin

thats one of the reasons you pay more for RM Williams boots.

my feet spread the wrong way for RM Williams boots and after a long search to find the right boot for me I ended up at Rivers and walked out in new pair of their boots with a warranty similar to RM Williams. the sole is stitchdown , very soft , very comfortable , so you can get quality from Rivers. They are now around 7-8yo still look perfect.....dubbined them this morning.

After having several soles fall off what appear to be good shoes I now buy stitchdown on all shoes, even my "good" leather thongs are stitchdown.

Try to avoid plastic anything.

Originally Posted by ramblingboy42

thats one of the reasons you pay more for RM Williams boots.

my feet spread the wrong way for RM Williams boots and after a long search to find the right boot for me I ended up at Rivers and walked out in new pair of their boots with a warranty similar to RM Williams. the sole is stitchdown , very soft , very comfortable , so you can get quality from Rivers. They are now around 7-8yo still look perfect.....dubbined them this morning.

After having several soles fall off what appear to be good shoes I now buy stitchdown on all shoes, even my "good" leather thongs are stitchdown.

Try to avoid plastic anything.

Is that your "Formal" thongs, good "Going Out" thongs, "Yard" thongs or "Just Dagging to the Shops" thongs?

When we had our Engineering business we supplied our workers with two pair of steel cap boots a year , some of the guys didn't need them straight away so would put in the cupboard until needed , problem was when they did start wearing them the soles would fall off with in a couple of days . The Rep from the clothing supplier told us the boots needed to be worn straight away so the soles would flex or they would brake up.
As for Car upholstery it has to start braking down with in 7 years . Our Citroen C4 the foam started disintegrating after 2 years , every time I vacuumed the car I would find powdered foam grit under the front seats , We got rid of after 4 years & don't think the seats would have lasted 7 years.

Originally Posted by superquag

First noticed this years ago, the 'rubbery' coating on a favourite binocular was... becoming sticky...followed by a favourite pair of Ooooor workboots going the same way. - Urethane sole losing layers and sticking to smoooth surfaces like tiles. SWMBO was unimpressed.
Years later two pairs of dress shoes - minimal use - dry-cracked across sole/midstep
.
Long story shrt,
--- Bootmaker informs the phenomena is now "common", and suddenly started +10 years ago, mens and ladies shoes (soles mainly)
His theory is the "base" polyurethane which is made in You Know Where, has been programmed to decompose ... Based on "speed of onset" and continuation.

( Very like Flu from Wuhan... also loses strength with time... )

F/Forward to now. Wife's Magna developed a coolant leak around heater. PAX carpet soaked. Two bottles of RISLONE slowed it right down, now "no" great loss of water, but...

Turns out, BOTH the "plastic" fittings - matrix - through - firewall were cracked. Plastic gone rotten, brittle, obviously cracked and both snapped off when hoses disturbed... broken surfaces look 'granular' supporting "Decomposition" theory, as opposed to excess lateral load.

We'll be seeing more of this, many other cars use this design approach..

Interesting. Back in the ‘90s at Uni we had a design teacher who told us he’d been required to help design a compost tumbler, like the old Sunbeam ones. They proudly showed the manufacturer a design using a plastic that would last decades, like the old ones did. They were then promptly instructed to incorporate an enzyme in the plastic to ensure it broke down, “even in the shade”, within from memory 5 or 8 years (studies showed that’s what people accepted as ‘good quality’). Likely that is 2 or 3 years now!
Every noticed how toys and lampshades from the ‘70s are maybe faded if left in the sun but seem pliable and fine? Hmmm. Yet where are those late ‘80s onwards items??
Oh! I’m sure it’s all done to save the environment! “Biodegradable”!. If only this were the true motivation!!!

formals.....my daggy's are really old surfer joes......and I need a new pair