Has Anyone Ever Heard of Dead Rubber?

Hi Troy,

I have a 0.625 " dia Ball bearing that falls about 6" to a hard surface, and want to make the impact quieter.

So a round that is like 0.625 in diameter, or a sheet I can cut my own. Thickness?

That is hard to say. How thick would it need to be to absorb that energy?

I am currently using some self stick on ummm "Feet" you know you put them on the bottom of things to protect like the table tops from getting scratched?

But these are still too hard.

Joe

You might try some butyl rubber sealant caulk...

If you are located in the US I can send you a few samples of various hardness and thickness to try. Just send me a PM with your contact info.

Filling a soft sided container with a viscous fluid could provide quiet landings.

Hot water bottle or doubled heavy duty ziplock bags filled (don't fill to capacity and do get all the air out) with something like corn syrup , motor or cooking oil, laundry detergent, or creamed corn, can provide a sound deadening landing pad.

...."The ball that doesn't bounce is made of a special kind of rubber, called butyl rubber. Butyl rubber is synthetic, or manmade, rubber that absorbs the kinetic energy from the ball falling. Butyl rubber used in athletic shoes can help absorb the impact of your feet as they hit the ground. It can also make things very airtight when the insides are lined with butyl rubber, like basketballs, footballs and soccer balls. You may even find some chewing gum that includes food-grade butyl rubber to keep you chewing!"...

https://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/story/12840995/weird-science-with-dr-v-bounce-vs-no-bounce/

https://www.amazon.com/Durometer-Smooth-Finish-Backing-Thickness/dp/B000MAL0K2/ref=sr_1_2?qid=1581008729&refinements=p_n_feature_seven_browse-bin%3A3071283011&s=industrial&sr=1-2

Cut a sphere out of a flat sheet....

We had a trick in the old magic shop that was exactly what you describe.

I think I thought there may have been an embedded ball bearing in one ball?

The only way to trick someone was for them to belive that there was only one ball and it would bounce / or not as directed.

....perhaps you inherited some magicians props with a misleading story?

No, it was real,

It came actually from some rubber manufacturer it had a special box and all. But it was a like fun promo thing from some rubber company

https://www.stevespanglerscience.com/store/bounce-no-bounce-balls.html?gclid=CjwKCAiAj-_xBRBjEiwAmRbqYpx1x6pALC-w8h84alHreBRPGsfhIK7tkhrdu3hGYjf0qbqwwdZNwRoC03cQAvD_BwE

This may not answer your question but is related to it:

https://framingnailersguide.com/dead-blow-hammer-vs-rubber-mallet/

It isn't rubber but the vibration labs used to recommend Delrin for fixturing. They said that from a vibration fixture point of view it was very dead.

<...One would bounce with great vigor like a "Superball"...>

Temperature is an important consideration. When cooled to -180degC in liquid nitrogen, a <...Superball...> will shatter like glass when dropped from, say 4ft onto a hard floor, for example (been there, done it, secondhand T-shirt now on a popular internet auction site).

Try the material at this link:

https://www.sorbothane.com/what-types-of-materials-are-best-for-shock-absorption.aspx

Sorbothane is available in sheet form if needed at the above link.

My brother in law was one of the top blokes of the Rubber Research Institute of Malaysia's pre-retirement and he says that pure rubber/latex can easily achieve what you want BUT butyl rubber, a copolymer of isobutylene with isoprene, (as Solar Eagle mentioned) would be the better option for one very simple reason – cost.

He further stated that if it is on a floor it should be about 5mm thick butyl rubber and a desk/bench top about 3mm thick butyl rubber (depending on the desk/bench surface) if they are to be removable sheets.
Again with the BUT’s – If it is for a floor in a high traffic area he suggested a floor coating of ???? 400micron thick (He can’t remember the products name, save they are yanks and Woody’s son has an agency here – he’ll check – or I shall be forced to have a beer with Woody…bugger) with a 3mm thick butyl rubber wear mat. See pic.

Looks a lot like Sorbothane;refer to link in my previous post

Sorbothane^® sheet stock is available in an array of sizes, thicknesses and durometers. Available with and without PSA sheets, they can be custom-cut or water-jet-cut.

I haven't heard of 'dead' rubber in this context though a lead filled hammer which has no rebound when it strikes is often called a dead hammer.

Focusing on the words, a dead rubber is a term in the card game bridge where a rubber is the collection of games or hands played and one pair wins. A dead rubber is one where hands are still being played when only one pair can win. And, yes, material science is a cinch compared to explaining how one plays contract bridge!

Really, Josehenry1800 (who, at the time of this post, joined within the last 24 hours and has all of one post), this is the way you introduce yourself and your website?

Sorry to hear that. I will must contribute here.