Thank you!

100 USD, that is plain criminal!

@@thijskennis8757 Yeah, brother! What's awesome is that I've replaced my own seals in about 30 other cameras since my original post. I'm a wiz at it now! 😎 Thanks again to David for the lesson.

Another advantage with the Yarn solution is for the beginners (like me), if it doesn't work so well, you can easily take it out and start again.

100$ is what I payed for my FE, no way some seals should be that much

Thank you!

Thank you!

Thank you, Dave!

Nice! This is a really great way to do it.

Nice! That's a great camera, too!

Thank you!

Thank you!

Thank you!

Thank you!

Thank you!

Same here. I bought the exact cotton yarn before seeing this. Wool yarn works well too. This is a great video and repair method. Unless you do these light seal repairs all the time, it can be difficult for first time DIY person trying to get 1.5 mm adhesive backed foam in the channels. It can stick to the sides first instead of squarely going into the channel. Thanks for sharing this method and video!

Thank you!

Thank you!

Thank you!

Thank you! Congratulations on getting married, too! That's fantastic.

Thank you!

Fantastic! I use this for light seals often and it's easy and reliable.

Thank yo, Paul!

Nice! That's awesome to hear and thank you for the tip on the soap!

Thank you!

Thank you!

Very nice and thank you!

@markgoostree6334 how did it work out?

This should work A-Okay for that. I think I've installed these in about 5,000 cameras now and zero have had recurring light leaks. Also, zero have had issues with the back bowing or anything that could damage the camera. It's a good system and the camera repairman who turned me on to this approach did me a huge favor.

Thank you!

Thank you! I agree, buying local is better. If you do buy online, I try to source from the manufacturer as opposed to Big River, when possible. So for the felt, I just buy it straight from Dick Blick.

@@DavidHancock I managed to find a local shop and get the materials. I'm really happy with how it came out. Thank you so much for a fantastic guide!! Couldn't find any sticky back felt and the thread wouldn't stay in the channel so I used a special adhesive tape for electronics repairs and it works perfectly!

Thank you! Definitely yes. It usually takes me around ten minutes including a full camera cleaning.

A license for isopropyl alcohol? What do you do for cuts and scrapes over there? Over here we put alcohol on it and then open a GoFundMe hoping strangers will pay for our guaranteed emergency room visit when it gets infected anyway.

Can you get those eyeglass wipes what are saturated isopropyl alcohol without a license?

You don't need a license for isopropyl alcohol in UK!!😅

You definitely do not need a license to buy IPA. In the UK, you can buy at the chemist, as "rubbing alcohol".

Thanks form that INFO @@jakereich

Thank you!

Yeah, I think Calumet was the last, and I don't know that I could call them major. Kodak isn't really major any more, either.

Nice. Thank you!

That's a great solution.

Thank you! I think the OM10 can handle the four-ply yarn without issue. If you put it in and feel like you have to really jam the back down to close it, try again with two plies.

The light seals are far enough away from the film that even if the yarn is really ragged it won't be in front of the film.

Thank you! I use Dick Blick Stick-it! felt. It's perfect and doesn't stretch when you place it.

Thank you!

Is silicone adhesive like rubber cement glue, or something completely different?

@@DinosourousRexx It is the stuff that you put around bathroom sinks and showers, it's also used in car engines to make a gasket between the engine components, e.g. Oil Sump, Rocker Cover etc. It's widely available and cheap.

@@davidstorm4015 Ahh, got it, thanks!

Thank you! I prefer felt because acrylic, to the best of my knowledge, had a longer stable life then open-cell polyurethane foam (PUF). I've not seen felt turn to goo, but PUF always will in time.

Thank you, Phil, and mostly correct. Yarn only in the tracks, adhesive-backed felt where there had been foam. Replacing foam with foam is fine; I prefer the felt because it's easy to work with, sturdier, and won't degrade with time.

Thank you! I don't have any links, but the felt can be bought at Amazon for something like $5 or $8 per six sheets.

Thank you! I forget the size. I use four-ply, about as thick around as a standard pencil's graphite. And yes, as long as the film back is clean of sticky foam residue, glue isn't needed. the cotton yarn has good friction and a bit of residual foam or adhesive in the actual channels can also help keep the yarn in place.

Thank you! I'd say that the felt is around 1.5mm. As long as you only use one layer, I've never had an issue with it in any camera model.

@@DavidHancock Gotcha, thanks for the response!

Good idea! Thank you!

Thank you! For the AE-1, make sure you're unscrewing it in the right direction. They unscrew against the arrow on the handle. I use a screwdriver or similar tool in the forks of the post (with the camera back open) to prevent the post from spinning. If it continues to be an issue, the Fix Old Cameras channel may have ideas that I don't.

@@DavidHancock thanks, but I think I've called it the wrong thing. I'm talking about the cap on the right side of the camera, above the film advance lever and the shutter speed dials. Any tips on getting that off?

@@scruffykl oh got it. You need a spanner wrench. I think those are reverse-threaded, too.

That's definitely a more gentle method.

I think that can be accessed with the prism removed.

Thank you! I've done this on OM10 cameras yes. Those have a TON of foam in them and the foam often degrades into goo on those. The hardest part of the OM10 is cleaning the foam behind the cassette spring (the good thing is that the foam behind the cassette doesn't have to be replaced.) There's also a really thin strip of foam where the film door meets the camera (opposite side of the hinge.) That needs to be replaced and cutting the felt thin enough takes some practice.

David Hancock thank you SOOO MUCH! I’m slightly new to film photography kinda, I’ve been shooting with my minolta 300si & I found the om 10 @ the thrift store for $20 & it’s in beautiful condition but after watching your video on the om 10 I noticed that the foam on mine was gooey & I’m glad I caught it before shooting a roll because now I can avoid light leaks 😭

:D

Thank you! The felt is pretty compressible so as long as you don't get shag carpeting for it, you should be okay. I'm not an affiliate, but here is the felt that I use: www.amazon.com/dp/B0026HR0U8

Many thanks mate! This will be my 2nd attempt! The foam I used on the 1st attempt was not dense enough.

Thank you! I might simply buy direct from the manufacturer. Other options would be craft store websites. I son't know if Michael's is in Canada, but they sell it. Also, Dick Blick would sell the Stick-It acrylic (they're out of stock on their website until November, last I checked a few weeks ago.)

Felt strips work as mirror bumpers, yes. That's what I use. You should be able to use a felt strips in the channels. I've only run into the yarn not staying in place once, on a Mamiya RB 67 back with a rough spot on the door. So felt will work instead, but is likely to be a pain to cut thin enough to fit.

TDL Play's For recent cameras, better machining and engineering reduced the manufacturing tolerances. Older cameras used them to cover minor errors or variances in design and engineering. Some of the 90s cameras kept the foam seals, such and the Maxxum 5, but only in a few small places.

Rolleiflex cameras used yarn for light seals back in they day.

I think that the FE2 only needs one piece of sealant, on the door itself. Nikon typically did not put two pieces down, like Canon did. It's possible that either your light seals have degraded in a spot and need to be replaced or they've been worn away in a point on the door. Both would lead to a light leak.

Nice! Holgas are notoriously hard to prevent light leaks in.

I thought light leaks were a selling point of holgas.

@@Cadwaladr That's true for many but not everyone. I was curious about the other "features" of the camera:)

That could work. I might put something between the tape and leaves or curtain so that the tape doesn't stick to them. That could end badly.

Use a piece of tape a bit bigger than the shutter curtain, stuck to a larger piece of tape that will do the covering. Paper tape worked well for me, easy to cut accurately with scissors.

Definitely yes

That does work better, I just don't like the smell.

With that camera and 4-ply, you'll likely want to break it into two 2-ply lengths. But check first how well the door closes (because not all yarn is equally thick.) If it puts up resistance, it needs thinner yarn.

Felt, rather

Thank you! I've not replaced the foam in a PnS before, so I'm not certain what to use. My best advice is that PnS cameras tend to be made of plastic and will be less-resilient to the wrong material being used (the old plastic is more likely to break than would be metal.) So I'd stick with foam and probably find something in the 1.5mm range if possible.

@@DavidHancock Sounds good. Thanks David

Hi, Yasmin, you may need to remove a ply. Minolta cameras have shallow channels. If you try to close it and it resists, take it down to two ply and try again.

@@DavidHancock okay thank you very much!

Hasn't in any of my cameras. Once it's jammed into the channel the friction of the yarn against the channel is enough to keep it there. If there is leftover sticky foam on the door, however, that will pull the yarn out.

David Hancock thanks! Also in your experience of replacing light seals can felt replace all the foam areas or only specific ones? If specific ones which ones?

Thank you! Wool would work fine, but it's more expensive (out here anyway.) But if it's available or cheaper, go for it.

@@DavidHancock I only had 100% synthetic I hope it works

Definitely yes. I've done this on multiple GSN bodies.

Friction and inertia keep it in place

Oh, good idea. I used to use wood-stick cotton swabs for some cleaning so I'd have those to use, too. The bamboo sticks are a great idea.

Also, which I use, are wooden cuticle pusher sticks. They have a tapered end and a pointed end. Really quite handy.

Nice. Thank you! I hadn't thought of those.

I use toothpicks. Works good as any

The only times that I've had yarn pull out is if the door (or in your case removable back) have sticky residue on them. The yarn ought to stick in place in the channels because there's more contact area there and clean metal won't pull on it. So the best thing to do is to ensure that the removal back is very clean of residue. If you do find issues with the yarn then pick up some Pliobond and some toothpicks and put a bead of Pliobond into the channels that will work well to hold the glue in place and it doesn't off-gas adhesive that fogs lens elements like superglue will.

Thank you and it should. Pentaxes have pretty shallow channels as a general rule. As for nail polish remover, I would not I think it would potentially damage the finish. Goo Gone would work, but you'll want to clean the area well afterward lest your camera smell like citrus forever.

David Hancock Yeah, I’ll give goo gone a try! What should I clean it off with? I would just get alcohol but its far n few right now considering the state of things. Thanks for the speedy response! Cheers.

David Hancock Would ethyl alcohol work the same?

ETHAN Rubbing alcohol works very well to remove the old seals and clean the channels where the new seals will go in.

@@ethbell fucking covid

Thank you, Mark!

I have, and I've seen camera with Neoprene. Neoprene is another good material because it lasts a long time and works very well. I go with yarn simply because it's super easy and it's also compressible. So if the Neoprene is damaged or not placed correctly, light could make it past. That's just a non-issue with yarn.

Thanks. Do you have links to the yarn and felt? If the yarn does not fit easily is there an adhesive to help stick it into place?

It will. Mine has them.

That's a good idea and I did that for a while when I started doing this. I would definitely suggest that as a good practice whenever a repair is done inside the camera.

Some of the German cameras were made like that.

You can, yes. I use cotton because it holds better and will never degrade. Acrylic, at least the sheet plastic (I've never used the yarn) isn't UV-intolerant, meaning that light that it stops from entering the camera could affect it over time. Also, I think that cotton has better friction and will hold in the channels more effectively. That said, will acrylic yarn last five or ten years, possibly or maybe probably. Give it a shot. The worst that can happen is that it doesn't work like you'd like and within a roll or two you'll know.

It's just Dick Blick Stick It. I think it's 1.5-2mm.

You likely have too thick a yarn in there. Some Minotlas don't like the full four plies and need two of the plies removed, the two remaining plies re-twisted, and inserted. So try it without yarn and if it works correctly you know that the issue is just that the yarn is too thick.

@@DavidHancock so I actually pulled one piece at a time and tested. I started with the top left piece, the long yarn on the top of the door. I took it out and the camera closed just fine. So I removed two piles from that and now it works perfectly. I noticed a little positive divot in the track and a corresponding cutout in the top of the door. I'm betting that was a location for this particular camera that would have needed to be cut away, as it was probably a tight fit even with the foam and too tight with the yarn. So now I have 4x on the right past the door catch, 4x on the bottom, and 2x on the top and it closes fine. I wonder if this will cause inconsistency or warping of the door though I don't feel any pressing on the edge with it closed. Thanks for the advice :D

@@DavidHancock Have you ever done this on a XD5/XD7?

@@Matzgier Nope, but the process ought to be the same.

If the mirror bumper foam doesn't bounce back when you push on it or if it's dry, broken, or brittle then it's failed. It's good to replace it if it's failed because the mirror bumper also protects your mirror from damage when hitting the top of the reflex mirror housing.

@@DavidHancock thank you very much, i am surely going to use this tutorial on my pentax and great video as always : )

It will. I suggest cotton only because I know it lasts a hundred years or so. Acrylic will still last long enough. 😃

Yes, you can do that, my concern would be the tape getting stuck on the shutter. Something like a Frog tape may be safer, or even better maybe a business card taped in place with the tape off to the sides of the film chamber area.

That's definitely a good idea to keep foam out of the shutter. Thank you!

Well, in the coming years this could help. :D

Start with a rocket blaster or similar. That might get rid of the largest pieces. A dry cotton swab could be used to dab off (not smear) the remaining pieces.

@@DavidHancock Thanks David. So ... any application of alcohol will smear the old adhesive and foam bits, never remove/dissolve it?

@@thenexthobby Yes, but if you get it on the focusing screen you won't be able to focus on the parts of the image where the alcohol touches.

I don't use any. If the doors are clean friction holds it in place.

@@DavidHancock I will try, thanks a lot

Hopefully this can help you if you get another camera. :D

Definitely

@@DavidHancock I'll most definitely try it on my cameras soon! Thanks for the tutorial

:D

Yes

@@DavidHancock sample results, pleas look ?

I did not make a video installing light seals in my F3. I have and I have used it since I replaced the light seals with cotton yarn.

I never do and the only time I've had them come out is if I fail yo clean some sticky foam seal material off the door.

@@DavidHancock I just had to do this tutorial on my GW690iii and it was a challenge getting all the old seal residue off :/ i didn't get 100% of it off

@@julioespana79 You should be fine. I replace the light seals in something like 800 cameras a year and in some makes, like Pentax and Canon, it's almost impossible to remove the residue 100%. As long as you get most of it you'll be fine. What will happen is that over time the foam goo will be trapped (encapsulated in the environmental remediation term and is a bit more accurate) in the cotton yarn. From there it won't be an issue for your camera. As long as there weren't large clumps left that could make the batting material (the yarn) in the channels too thick for the film back to close and as long as the yarn fills in the same spaces as the original foam, everything will be okay.

Yup. I took the silver off a mirror that way once.

So is the Camera Toast now? @@DavidHancock

@@DavidHancock So is the Camera Toast now?

@@LyudmilaRGVK the one I repaired? No. I had to have a mirror custom made (it was a very rare camera) and then I replaced the mirror. If you're asking about your camera, probably not. If the mirror is still shiny, it's fine. Modern mirrors are more resilient to rubbing alcohol, but with time they can be damaged by it.

Oh nice! Once again, German engineering does it the right way.

@@DavidHancock I was suprised as I opened my first Praktika camera (mtl 3 (some of the simpler ones)) and saw that kind of sealing. But these cameras were meant to last (quite easy construction with a good metal shutter etc.).

Acetone will destroy a lot of finish materials (especially plastic) and some paints will wash clean off with it. I ruined a grip on a camera not too long ago using acetone, and so I don't use it for much of anything except cleaning metal components that don't have finishes.

David Hancock yeah don’t get it on plastic. Never had problems with paint though. It’s just incredibly efficient at getting glue off. A very good alternative is turpentine, not nearly as dangerous to plastic as benzine yet easier to handle and almost as effective. Wool is more springy and compressible. Be careful not to deform hinges and metal backs with by using too much force in closing them with newly installed seals. Even slight deformations of the back is far worse and much harder to fix than faulty seals.

I'm curious to know where you learned that because it's not something I had heard. I am happy to provide some added details on why I recommend this approach. For a good number of years I fixed and resold cameras -- up to a couple thousand a year, so not low volume. I had a network of five or six repairmen that I sent broken cameras that needed more work than I could perform. I kept them VERY busy and because of that had good relationships with them and learned a lot from them. I studied the cameras they sent back and asked them questions. I specifically asked three of them why they used cotton yarn light seals. Obviously, ease and speed were good reasons, so was the repair's longevity. Now, yes, old cotton was not as refined as modern cotton. Modern cotton has longer fibers than cotton used to have because cotton has been bread to have longer fibers (longer fibers make cotton fabric last longer.) So the fibers that are spun into cotton yarn don't untangle easily and because the yarn is jammed into the seals it isn't moving and flexing, which means that the fibers aren't breaking. Acrylic yarn, yes, I would see that breaking down with time and periodic exposure to UV when the film doors are opened, which could lead to acrylic yarn being an issue. But as I think I noted in this video, cotton is preferred. As for foam, it has its own problems. Foam turns to dust, breaks, and becomes gummy with age and the pressure of the film door being pressed into and released from it. Foam, especially when it gets sticky, can land in shutter curtains or leaves and jam those mechanisms. Shutters are not going to be damaged by the incidental stray cotton fiber, but they will be ruined by a small piece of sticky foam getting into the leaves or channels of a vertical-travel focal-plane curtain. Every repairman I talked to about light seals agreed that foam is only the solution that was used because 1- machining at the time was not good enough to eliminate the need for light seals (90s cameras, for instance, don't have light seals in general) and 2- petroleum industry tax breaks and government-provided financing to oil companies and refiners allowed petroleum to be artificially cheaper than cotton yarn, which prompted the move to open-cell polyurethane (this is what the foam actually is) and away from cotton yarn. Making a million cameras, if the foam is a dime less expensive than cotton per camera (and it was certainly even cheaper) then the profits from using the foam would be significant. That was the real motive for the change. When foam breaks down, it is far more damaging to camera mechanisms than is cotton.

@@DavidHancockWill not get into discussion about it, my opinion about it stands. Even if you do want to use yarn as a seal, the type you are using is the wort one possible. It is so loosely wound and irregular in thickness and visibly sheds fibers. You would not even glue it in place…

I'm glad to hear you have a solution that works for you.