Emergency Light Seals

[Keith]

I wanted to use my Pentax SP500 tomorrow but I realised it had no light seals in it at all ... I suspect my son removed them when he had the camera. I'll be in strong sun tomorrow working with Carol signwriting a shipping container of all things and want to take some pics of her in her work gear ... at work ... instead of swanning around in front of the fire.

Cotton twine waxed with a candle to remove the fluffing tendency is brilliant ... it's a snug fit in the groove ... easy to fit and wont degrade into a gooey mess over time and very easy to replace when necessary. A couple of dollars for seventy five metres ... :eek:

[MartinP]

Oooh, does that really work well ? I know I have found bits of squashed black cotton-thread in the edges of Fed and Zorki cameras, but I always thought that it was a bit optimistic - or at least on it's own. Those cameras had very deep tongue-and-groove type edges on the backs so perhaps didn't need much extra sealing.

[Vido]

I use artificial waxed sinew available at art supply stores in the same way as Keith, above. The sinew comes both unwaxed and waxed but I found the waxed version more stable and keeps its shape. It's a medium brown color but it takes the deep cuts from the thin metal or plastic and wraps itself around it to keep things light tight. Also, I weave mine into basic cross-under-cross-over three strands to get the width I need depending on the grove. The nice thing about artificial sinew is that you can strip each strand apart for a thinner thread so you can match just about any grove you need to fix.

[Bryce]

Jeez, and I thought it was going to be chewing gum!
Sounds like a workable solution as long as it lets the back close without distorting it.
Let us know how it works out Keith! This sort of fix could become more commonplace as film cameras age and support for them disappears further into the rearview.

[Keith]

Jeez, and I thought it was going to be chewing gum!
Sounds like a workable solution as long as it lets the back close without distorting it.
Let us know how it works out Keith! This sort of fix could become more commonplace as film cameras age and support for them disappears further into the rearview.

So far perfect ... and I've since bought a light seal kit off eBay but have decided not to disturb the string seals as they seem to be fine. They look kind of cool too and being white it's easy to see if they become dislodged! :)

[cmedin]

Can't be any worse than the braided yak pubic hair or whatever horror it is that they stuck in my Kiev. :)

[Nokton48]

I have used black yarn, and Elmer's Glue, on old Mamiya TLR's. Good as new.

For SLR's I've used foam kits off of Ebay, was using some today for a project.

Sounds like that will work well. Mind, too much thickness will distort the back and cause a leak.

[Kim Coxon]

I have to say I have lost count of the number of such seals I have replaced using Jon Goodman's precut foam strips. It is well worth getting some. They are only a few $ and are perfect for the job and so easy to fit. The added bonus for me is that there is very little chance of "overfilling" the channel and putting too much pressure on the door.

Kim

[FallisPhoto]

I have to say I have lost count of the number of such seals I have replaced using Jon Goodman's precut foam strips. It is well worth getting some. They are only a few $ and are perfect for the job and so easy to fit. The added bonus for me is that there is very little chance of "overfilling" the channel and putting too much pressure on the door.

Kim

I'd have to agree totally. Jon's kits are the best thing since sliced bread for vintage camera owners. I have them in ALL of my cameras. Well, all of them that use light seals.

[robbo]

Me too. Jon is a really helpful chap too. He'll always offer extra advice if you need it. However, in an emergency, I'll remember the above tips - thanks for that.

[usagisakana]

I too can vouch for Jon's light seal kits, they are well put together and he offers great instructions and advice.