Zorki 4 light seal string

[reagan]

After a little tidying up the Zorki 4 tonight and starting to go back together, I double checked at Oleson's site on Zorki 4 disassembly and spotted mention of the "light seal string." This was/is non-existant in my Zorki.

pic
http://rick_oleson.tripod.com/3.jpg

Any suggestions on the material (preferably, something easy to find) I should use for this? Something you've used before maybe? I'm open to suggetions.

Thanks.

< way too old, too tired to finish tonight... or think for that matter... mañana. >

 

[reagan]

Maybe in an effort to keep it "original" I'll just go with the yak hair string that came off the package it was delivered in.

seriously ~ Thanks Daniel. Yep, yarn was kinda what I was thinking. Thought others might have found something better, i.e. tougher, smaller, less fuzzy ha!

 

[Kim Coxon]

You could always try Jon Goodman's seal strips.

Kim

 

[reagan]

Thanks Kim. That's a thought. Probably not a bad idea having some of that around. Might be used in several applications.

 

[kmack]

I use Jon's strips in all the FSU cameras.

Yep, another vote for Jon's package. My Canon AE-1, Konica S2, Kiev 4, and Kiev 2 all have Jon's light seals in them.

 

[Mister_Hat]

I cut thin strips of open cell foam and press them into the light seal grooves. My Kiev and Fed needed them, but the Zorki was fine without.

 

[reagan]

After exchanging emails with Jon, I acquired some black cotton string from the local discount store and installed it in the Zorki 4, holding it in place with an ever-so-thin layer of silicone. I'll be running a test roll through in the near future and we'll see how it works. Thanks for all the comment, suggestions and thanks Jon Goodman for your expertise!

 

[claidemore]

The cotton string is more in the spirit of the original seal material, but I've been using foam from pipe insulation bought at the local hardware store. It's tough stuff, (industrial strength! lol) black in color, has self adhesive edges if you want to use them, packs nicely into light seal areas, and dampens mirrors extremely well. I use my grandfathers old straight razor to cut it into proper sized strips. I've done 5 Canons, two Kievs, a Fed3, a Zeiss Contessa and a Moscva 5 with it and used to leftovers to insulate a pipe!
My sons use it to make padded swords for full contact sparring in SCA type mock combat, so it is very tough stuff.

 

[flashover]

Ok I see what your talking about. My Z4 has like a string material there. I thought it was dirt and was going to pull it out, good thing I didn't.

 

[reagan]

The cotton string is more in the spirit of the original seal material, but I've been using foam...

Yeah, I've got some 2mm foam-like material around, but in this area around the lens mount, there's just no space for anything but string... and very thin string at that. The outter cover has to be seated flat when re-installed, nothing underneath it, or it will ruin the lens mount flatness and flange distance to film plane.

I thought it was dirt and was going to pull it out,

Hey! Dirt would work!