IT and banking help keep running old cameras

[btgc]

Recently I had to renew light sealing for some cameras, so instead of felt I used mousepad. Pre-optical one has to be used, mine is 3mm thick, with plastic work surface which should peeled off (it goes easily). With hobby knive I cut stripes of necessary thickness - for C35EF3 I cat 1.5mm thick (and naturally 3mm wide) to use on door. To make seals for grooves around film chamber, I used similar stripe as for film door, just cut with small nail scissors into two stripes (best results after couple of tries).

*** I can not guarantee that pad's material will not set down too much or begin to ruin - obviously this depends on material, way of installation and pure luck. I started to use this material, but haven't done extensive testing on longevity, I'm just pleased from how nice it installs and for me it seems keeper. YMMV.

To install stripes into grooves, until now I used toothpick - wrong! Bank card is better solution - once you stick end of seal into groove, thickness of card practically matches thickness of seal and stripe of seal can be installed better, lying absolutely flat, no traces from toothpick and faster.


In a word, tinkering with old cameras is another pleasure before loading film and using camera for what it were intended for 🙂

 

[titrisol]

Good job, but I still do not understand why go thorugh all that pain if you can buy some premade seals from Jon Goodman

 

[btgc]

My respect to Mr. Goodman (who's articles I've seen and read), but such way I could end up buying CLAed camera! 😱😱😱

Well, this a humorous answer...maybe if life would push me to purchase seal kit, I'd never go back to mouse pad and felt. It's so easy to cut some stripes and put'em in place.

 

[payasam]

... plus there's a certain satisfaction in doing everything oneself.

 

[btgc]

Payasam, you certainly got the point! There's a lot of satisfaction, in fact, fixing something yourself.

Accidentally, this weekend before throwing out electrical water boiler (small one, for making tea) which seemed gone bad dripping water, I took off backplate and realized that heating plate for some reason have shifted a bit. Now it keeps water normally. While I already have bought new boiler in fear of electrical shock, this will stay as backup solution while other will be cleaned from lime deposits, sitting for a day with apple vinegar or lemon juice. It's a really good feeling!

 

[anoldsock]

plus sometimes you're stoked about finding a new camera, and you can't wait a few days for a goodman's kit to come in, so you go to the hobby store and buy foamies + double sided tape. 😀