light seal material

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jorisvanhoute

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So, I have a couple of rangefinders ready for new light seals and I was wondering what you guys favor for used material.

I already gave a few of my cameras new seals with some self adhesive foam strips I had lying around. These were to thick so I cut them with an exacto knife and they work perfectly. Bad news is, I ran out of the foam strip and now I can't really find the same stuff.

SO, what's your favorite material to fix these old beauties?
I live in holland so maybe not every material found in your country is available in mine so please describe it well.
 
I make my own foam strips with all the (now useless) computer mousepads lying around...

Their back is made of closed cells black neoprene foam - unbeatable for durability, and light tightness.

Most of the time, but for hinges and SLR mirror foam strips, you don't even have to glue the strips. They hold by themselves in the throats they have to set in. I have several cameras fixed that way at home...

The key is to carefully and patiently remove ALL the goo left by the old foam strips with Q-tips, woodpicks, and acetone, to get some absolute clean seats for the new foam strips.

You will need a very good cutter with a new blade to precisely cut the strips off the mousepad back, but once you've got it, it's an easy job.

Use some liquid neoprene glue, typically applied with a small tool, to glue the foam pieces which have to be.
 
Highway 61 said:
I make my own foam strips with all the (now useless) computer mousepads lying around...

Their back is made of closed cells black neoprene foam - unbeatable for durability, and light tightness.

Most of the time, but for hinges and SLR mirror foam strips, you don't even have to glue the strips. They hold by themselves in the throats they have to set in.
Click to expand...

yes this kind of tips I mean! there must be some kind of material for sale in hardware stores so that we can make our own kits right? these kind of foams aren't expensive yet specialized kits are.
 
biogo said:
http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=151140

post #4 last sentence, posts #8&9.

Can't confirm yet.
Click to expand...

NICE! you should be careful of little threads comming loose and into the shutter assembly I think. I have searched and found the perfect foam tape for under 3 dollars per 10 meters (+-3 feet). These are the tapes used for cellphone repair for behind the screens making them dust proof.

The problem with these tapes is that they are all dubble sided adhesive tapes and we need single sided!!!

I will continue the search 🙂
 
As noted above .... I get this stuff from Jon Goodman: jon_goodman@yahoo.com

There's lots of stuff you can experiment with, but I doubt you'll come across anything better than what he offers; he doesn't charge much, and he has a great wealth of experience that he's happy to share. To me it isn't worth going to the trouble of trying to find something that might be almost as good.
 
rick oleson said:
As noted above .... I get this stuff from Jon Goodman: jon_goodman@yahoo.com

There's lots of stuff you can experiment with, but I doubt you'll come across anything better than what he offers; he doesn't charge much, and he has a great wealth of experience that he's happy to share. To me it isn't worth going to the trouble of trying to find something that might be almost as good.
Click to expand...

No kidding. All the work has already been done with extremely positive results for little money. For me it's not just the cost of the materials, but also the value of my time. If I spent time researching light foams etc I would barely have enough to dole out unwanted advice on RFF.
😉
 
Huss said:
No kidding. All the work has already been done with extremely positive results for little money. For me it's not just the cost of the materials, but also the value of my time. If I spent time researching light foams etc I would barely have enough to dole out unwanted advice on RFF.
😉
Click to expand...

I'm shure john goodman knows his stuff. But since I live in holland I find it rediculous to have to order such a simple material as closed cell foam strips all the way from america. I'm shure this John doesn't fart out this material so he must order the raw material somewhere aswell.

I find it more rewarding making something from scratch then putting together a kit.
 
jorisvanhoute said:
I'm shure john goodman knows his stuff. But since I live in holland I find it rediculous to have to order such a simple material as closed cell foam strips all the way from america. I'm shure this John doesn't fart out this material so he must order the raw material somewhere aswell.

I find it more rewarding making something from scratch then putting together a kit.
Click to expand...

Well I live also in The Netherlands (though not in Holland) and am very pleased with the light shield kits from John Goodman. The address to go !
 
jorisvanhoute said:
I'm shure john goodman knows his stuff. But since I live in holland I find it rediculous to have to order such a simple material as closed cell foam strips all the way from america. I'm shure this John doesn't fart out this material so he must order the raw material somewhere aswell.
Click to expand...

http://www.micro-tools.de/ sells everything you could possibly need. Barely cheaper than Jon Goodman, but it will save you the hassle with the customs office you might face if you order from the US. Bulk material is cheaper, but you'll have to buy enough for millions of cameras. 3M and other adhesive laminates makers produce that stuff, and industrial suppliers would be happy to provide you with rolls (of 15m*1m or the like), in minimum orders of a dozen...
 
Hi,

Years and years ago, on holiday and bought a dirt cheap camera and wanted to try it immediately. So I scrounged a used cassette from a lab's bin and used the light seal (self adhesive) from the cassette to replace the hinge bit of light seal. It worked and never needed changing or doing properly.

Did some thinking a while ago and reasoned that a sticky light seal is probably light proof and tested it by using the camera normally for a few days. So it had exposure to the sun and so on. Result; sticky light seals work but are messy if you touch them. Also, SLS's sometimes harden again but that's just an observation...

Regards, David
 
sevo said:
http://www.micro-tools.de/ sells everything you could possibly need. Barely cheaper than Jon Goodman, but it will save you the hassle with the customs office you might face if you order from the US. Bulk material is cheaper, but you'll have to buy enough for millions of cameras. 3M and other adhesive laminates makers produce that stuff, and industrial suppliers would be happy to provide you with rolls (of 15m*1m or the like), in minimum orders of a dozen...
Click to expand...

Hi,

Bulk users probably throw away bits big enough for us to use. I guess it's a matter of finding them and then raiding their dustbins one dark night.

Now, if were to get organised...

Regards, David
 
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