Cleaning a grimy XA body

[stillshunter]

OK picked up a promising looking XA recently (complete in presentation box, with A11 flash, 2 instruction booklets and the original receipt 😱).

Was afraid at first, as the shutter seemed stuck and the film wouldn't advance, until I read some threads on here, 2 x SR44s later and the these issues are resolved and we're ready for the next phase....replacing the seals - great instructions available on-line (just need to find the adhesive-backed felt somewhere in Canberra :bang🙂.

So while I have her under the spotlight I'd like to give her outside a clean as she's pretty grimy. Has a black caked residue over the body - like the plastic has baked? Not sure what it is? 😕 I tried a once over with lens cleaner but that did zero. So I wondered what would be the best bet that might lift the grime but not erode the plastic?

 

[wblynch]

Maybe some plastic conditioner like used for autos would help? A popular brand here is called, "Armor-All"

 

[sahe69]

Try microfibre cloth plus some mild non-abrasive detergent.

 

[agour]

lighter fluid should do the trick! put some on a rag and rub away.


also, the sliding part is pretty easy to remove. There is a thread on kyphoto with exact instructions on which screws to remove, in which order. Taking it off might help getting access to more tight spots to clean!

 

[daninjc]

I had the same problem with a X2A, before changing the light seals. The black grimy stuff were probably the baked old light seals.

I cleaned it with lighter fluid (other solvents like alcohol would probably be good too). Took a while but results were perfect! Hope this helps!!

 

[Bingley]

I just replaced the seals in one of my XAs, using the lightseal kit and instructions from Jon Goodman. He's a great guy to deal w/, and the kits are inexpensive and highly recommended with detailed instructions. For a solvent to remove the old seals and other grimy stuff, I used denatured alcohol, and it worked fine. Jon's kits come w/ a bamboo tool that is handy in removing grime and in getting old seal material out from some of the hard to reach parts (using a small piece of paper towel wetted in solvent).

 

[pagpow]

I would stay away from Armor-All. While I am not familiar with its use, I have asked that car washes not use it in my car after reading Consumer reports and internet warnings that it decreases the life of objects it is used on.

Giorgio