HomePod's silicone bottom is causing rings on some finished wood surfaces [u]

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Comments

  • Reply 41 of 134
    markiezyy said:
    edinburra said:
    Put on a coaster, a mat or something that isolates it from your precious surface. 
    Exactly.  How is a coaster or a doily, not a "easy and permanent solution"?
    Because there shouldn't be a need to put a coaster underneath a speaker lol. 
    Someone posted elsewhere that their Google Home left a mark. I don’t own this type of wood furniture. For people that do are you careful what you place directly on it?
    I have a credenza that was made from walnut and finished with tung oil. I have an LG soundbar sitting on top of it with no protection between it and the credenza and so far no stains. The only time I use a coaster is whenever I put a cup there. I'm planning on putting my HomePod on that credenza to replace my soundbar so hopefully it doesn't stain it. 
  • Reply 42 of 134
    SoliSoli Posts: 10,035member
    tmay said:
    Soli said:
    While ultimately minor, this is a pretty glaring oversight on Apple's part. Any reasonably successful company should be ashamed at themselves for using a subpar material that can do this to a surface, but for Apple (and many others, not just them) it's an inexcusable oversight.
    Silicone rubber, an elastomer, is probably one of the most inert compounds in common use today, and widely used in medical fields for its biocompatibility.
    You make it sound like it's an all-or-nothing, single chemical formula. I can assure you this isn't the case.
    singularity
  • Reply 43 of 134
    foggyhillfoggyhill Posts: 4,767member
    markiezyy said:
    markiezyy said:
    edinburra said:
    Put on a coaster, a mat or something that isolates it from your precious surface. 
    Exactly.  How is a coaster or a doily, not a "easy and permanent solution"?
    Because there shouldn't be a need to put a coaster underneath a speaker lol. 
    Someone posted elsewhere that their Google Home left a mark. I don’t own this type of wood furniture. For people that do are you careful what you place directly on it?
    I have a credenza that was made from walnut and finished with tung oil. I have an LG soundbar sitting on top of it with no protection between it and the credenza and so far no stains. The only time I use a coaster is whenever I put a cup there. I'm planning on putting my HomePod on that credenza to replace my soundbar so hopefully it doesn't stain it. 
    If it's only oil, it should not. Some people have suggested it's not oil but some other chemicals used to put on top of wood that did this.
    Until a few can use the grade of silicone they use and test them with various cleaning compounds, it's hard to know for sure what caused that.

  • Reply 44 of 134
    foggyhill said:

    Oiled wood? Like wood with no other scellant than oil? That's not a surface I have a lot around here. All my woods have a varnish, laquer or paint on them.
    Obviously, something in oil (or whatever other product in that) leaching something out of silicon.


    From a chemistry standpoint, the fact that the ring fades at least some with time doesn't suggest a leaching, but probably an oxidation/reduction-type reaction.

    We're still looking into it. 
    I hope this is not blown out of proportion. I can tell you that this happens with a whole host of things that have rubber bottoms or feet. I have a lot of Mid Century modern furniture pieces and I encounter this problem all the time. It mainly affects wood that is oil stained and not sealed with a lacquer or varnish. When I got my HomePod last Friday, I had it sitting on my desk at home which is a vintage desk and oil stained. I picked it up and saw it left a ring and I realized "oh", it's got a rubber bottom. The ring faded after a while but I usually use Howard Feed n Wax to remove rings quickly.  Just don't ask me about the chemistry of it all cause that is not my strength.  I just wanted to say that it hasn't permanently harmed my desk.  On my same desk, I have an AirPort Extreme Time Capsule which I have on top of a coaster because it does the same thing.
    edited February 2018 sandorStrangeDaysargonautrandominternetpersonhammeroftruth
  • Reply 45 of 134
    tmaytmay Posts: 6,309member
    Soli said:
    tmay said:
    Soli said:
    While ultimately minor, this is a pretty glaring oversight on Apple's part. Any reasonably successful company should be ashamed at themselves for using a subpar material that can do this to a surface, but for Apple (and many others, not just them) it's an inexcusable oversight.
    Silicone rubber, an elastomer, is probably one of the most inert compounds in common use today, and widely used in medical fields for its biocompatibility.
    You make it sound like it's an all-or-nothing, single chemical formula. I can assure you this isn't the case.
    This is the part where you assure me by explaining why this isn't the case.

  • Reply 46 of 134
    SoliSoli Posts: 10,035member
    foggyhill said:
    markiezyy said:
    markiezyy said:
    edinburra said:
    Put on a coaster, a mat or something that isolates it from your precious surface. 
    Exactly.  How is a coaster or a doily, not a "easy and permanent solution"?
    Because there shouldn't be a need to put a coaster underneath a speaker lol. 
    Someone posted elsewhere that their Google Home left a mark. I don’t own this type of wood furniture. For people that do are you careful what you place directly on it?
    I have a credenza that was made from walnut and finished with tung oil. I have an LG soundbar sitting on top of it with no protection between it and the credenza and so far no stains. The only time I use a coaster is whenever I put a cup there. I'm planning on putting my HomePod on that credenza to replace my soundbar so hopefully it doesn't stain it. 
    If it's only oil, it should not. Some people have suggested it's not oil but some other chemicals used to put on top of wood that did this.
    Until a few can use the grade of silicone they use and test them with various cleaning compounds, it's hard to know for sure what caused that.

    I suppose it may not be an oil, but I think it's highly likely an oil-based cleaner since we're talking about a certain type of wood surface. We know there are silicone compounds that are designed for dampening vibrations, which what I'm guessing they used, which are more porous and more likely to absorb and react to even a thin oil residue. This is easily resolved by the customer by placing any nonporous material between the two objects or by Apple by putting a thin coating over the base, which I'm guessing they'll end up doing since it won't affect its ability to absorb vibrations at the base of the unit but will keep it from forming unsightly rings.

    iPod Socks » iPhone Bumpers » HomePod Doilies. :smiley: 
    edited February 2018
  • Reply 47 of 134
    mattinozmattinoz Posts: 2,299member
    edinburra said:
    Put on a coaster, a mat or something that isolates it from your precious surface. 
    Please dont offer common sense solution to a generation that has no sense.
    You mean old people who's kids have moved out and suddenly find they have money for oiled timber furniture. We call them Baby Boomers around here.
    randominternetpersonjcs2305
  • Reply 48 of 134
    SoliSoli Posts: 10,035member
    tmay said:
    Soli said:
    tmay said:
    Soli said:
    While ultimately minor, this is a pretty glaring oversight on Apple's part. Any reasonably successful company should be ashamed at themselves for using a subpar material that can do this to a surface, but for Apple (and many others, not just them) it's an inexcusable oversight.
    Silicone rubber, an elastomer, is probably one of the most inert compounds in common use today, and widely used in medical fields for its biocompatibility.
    You make it sound like it's an all-or-nothing, single chemical formula. I can assure you this isn't the case.
    This is the part where you assure me by explaining why this isn't the case.
    Where does one begin? If you don't know that silicone can come in countless forms for innumerable applications then I'm not sure there's anything I can say that won't come across as too technical. Here's a Wikipedia page that will scratch the surface of the vastness of that term.

    edited February 2018
  • Reply 49 of 134
    sandorsandor Posts: 655member
    finishing wood with oil is a relatively common occurrence - i have multiple wood surfaces in my house that are only oiled. I know people whose wood floors are finished only with oil.

    That being said, if this is only happening on oiled surfaces & not lacquered wood surfaces, then the people it is happening to should know better.
    I know the feet of my Kitchen Aid stand mixer will leave marks until the next time i oil my counter, i know pill bottle can leave a deep black ring.
    The benefit of having a "living" finish like oiled wood is that i like the look & i can fix its appearance relatively easily.
    mistergsfStrangeDays
  • Reply 50 of 134
    tmaytmay Posts: 6,309member
    Soli said:
    tmay said:
    Soli said:
    tmay said:
    Soli said:
    While ultimately minor, this is a pretty glaring oversight on Apple's part. Any reasonably successful company should be ashamed at themselves for using a subpar material that can do this to a surface, but for Apple (and many others, not just them) it's an inexcusable oversight.
    Silicone rubber, an elastomer, is probably one of the most inert compounds in common use today, and widely used in medical fields for its biocompatibility.
    You make it sound like it's an all-or-nothing, single chemical formula. I can assure you this isn't the case.
    This is the part where you assure me by explaining why this isn't the case.
    Where does one begin? If you don't know that silicone can come in countless forms for innumerable applications then I'm not sure there's anything I can say that won't come across as too technical. Here's a Wikipedia page that will scratch the surface of the vastness of that term.

    So you are a chemist? A chemical engineer? A plastics engineer?

    How about an example of the specific silicone formulation that you would have picked if you were Apple?
    How about how you would process that?

    your words;

    "Any reasonably successful company should be ashamed at themselves for using a subpar material that can do this to a surface, but for Apple (and many others, not just them) it's an inexcusable oversight"

    You complained about Apple's choice of material, so give me an alternative.
    edited February 2018
  • Reply 51 of 134
    sandor said:
    The benefit of having a "living" finish like oiled wood is that i like the look & i can fix its appearance relatively easily.
    Exactly!  I love wood furniture.  Especially those with beautiful grain.  I only have a few pieces that are sealed with lacquer or varnish.  My coffee table, for example.  It gets used a lot so having it sealed makes it easier to maintain.
  • Reply 52 of 134
    The last furniture refinishing expert I worked with said never use any furniture polishes because they contain silicon. Use wax only. 
    I use Howard Feed n Wax on all my wood furniture.
    hammeroftruth
  • Reply 53 of 134
    Cheap fix
    randominternetperson
  • Reply 54 of 134
    tmaytmay Posts: 6,309member
    mistergsf said:
    sandor said:
    The benefit of having a "living" finish like oiled wood is that i like the look & i can fix its appearance relatively easily.
    Exactly!  I love wood furniture.  Especially those with beautiful grain.  I only have a few pieces that are sealed with lacquer or varnish.  My coffee table, for example.  It gets used a lot so having it sealed makes it easier to maintain.
    This is a technique that I want to try;

    https://www.canadianwoodworking.com/tipstechniques/french-polishingfrench polishing

    I have everything on need on hand excepting the elbow grease.
  • Reply 55 of 134
    SoliSoli Posts: 10,035member
    tmay said:
    Soli said:
    tmay said:
    Soli said:
    tmay said:
    Soli said:
    While ultimately minor, this is a pretty glaring oversight on Apple's part. Any reasonably successful company should be ashamed at themselves for using a subpar material that can do this to a surface, but for Apple (and many others, not just them) it's an inexcusable oversight.
    Silicone rubber, an elastomer, is probably one of the most inert compounds in common use today, and widely used in medical fields for its biocompatibility.
    You make it sound like it's an all-or-nothing, single chemical formula. I can assure you this isn't the case.
    This is the part where you assure me by explaining why this isn't the case.
    Where does one begin? If you don't know that silicone can come in countless forms for innumerable applications then I'm not sure there's anything I can say that won't come across as too technical. Here's a Wikipedia page that will scratch the surface of the vastness of that term.

    So you are a chemist? A chemical engineer? A plastics engineer?

    How about an example of the specific silicone formulation that you would have picked if you were Apple?
    How about how you would process that?

    your words;

    "Any reasonably successful company should be ashamed at themselves for using a subpar material that can do this to a surface, but for Apple (and many others, not just them) it's an inexcusable oversight"

    You complained about Apple's choice of material, so give me an alternative.
    So you're telling me that I need to do all the possible testing for Apple (which they should've knocked out over several months with a team of people testing dozens of compounds) so you can have an answer because you believe Apple is infallible and therefore would've never made a mistake by not putting a thin layer over the base to protect it from a commonly used surfaces in homes? Talk about a logical fallacy. Instead, why not at least read enough to know that not all materials are made the same. I know you didn't read the Wikipedia page I posted so I don't know why I'm posting an even more in-depth link, but here you go.


    PS: Since my comment Apple has literally made an official statement that mentioned exactly what I said about certain surfaces and "vibration-dampening silicon" despite your suggestion that all silicon is created equal.
  • Reply 56 of 134
    gatorguygatorguy Posts: 24,176member
    tmay said:
    mistergsf said:
    sandor said:
    The benefit of having a "living" finish like oiled wood is that i like the look & i can fix its appearance relatively easily.
    Exactly!  I love wood furniture.  Especially those with beautiful grain.  I only have a few pieces that are sealed with lacquer or varnish.  My coffee table, for example.  It gets used a lot so having it sealed makes it easier to maintain.
    This is a technique that I want to try;

    https://www.canadianwoodworking.com/tipstechniques/french-polishingfrench polishing

    I have everything on need on hand excepting the elbow grease.
    https://www.lushusa.com/body/body-lotions/elbow-grease/06422.html
    mistergsf
  • Reply 57 of 134
    fallenjtfallenjt Posts: 4,053member
    LOL, RingGate.
  • Reply 58 of 134
    mattinozmattinoz Posts: 2,299member
    hentaiboy said:
    Cheap fix
    Wait so Apple didn't include the black micro fiber cloth that comes with almost every product?

    randominternetperson
  • Reply 59 of 134
    tmay said:
    mistergsf said:
    sandor said:
    The benefit of having a "living" finish like oiled wood is that i like the look & i can fix its appearance relatively easily.
    Exactly!  I love wood furniture.  Especially those with beautiful grain.  I only have a few pieces that are sealed with lacquer or varnish.  My coffee table, for example.  It gets used a lot so having it sealed makes it easier to maintain.
    This is a technique that I want to try;

    https://www.canadianwoodworking.com/tipstechniques/french-polishing

    I have everything on need on hand excepting the elbow grease.
    I fixed the link for you.  Wow. That is beautiful and worth the effort.  Currently, I have a vintage Saarinen side table with a wood top that my refinishing guy is working on.  He had to teach himself a similar technique because not a lot of people are doing it anymore.  
  • Reply 60 of 134
    SoliSoli Posts: 10,035member
    mattinoz said:
    hentaiboy said:
    Cheap fix

    [image]
    Wait so Apple didn't include the black micro fiber cloth that comes with almost every product?
    Do they still do that? I haven't opened the "envelope" that contains the Apple logo stickers in countless years. If there are microfiber clothes in there that's a score for me since I have all my old device boxes.
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