Replace light seal on Canon A series

Photux · 2013-10-08T23:56:09+00:00

Moin, da ich nun schon den zweiten Film mit merkwürdigen Lichteinfall(1) habe, vermute ich, dass meine Canon AT-1 nicht mehr richtig lichtdicht ist. Ich wei...

Photux

Hi, As this is now the second roll of film I’ve had with strange light leaks(1), I suspect my Canon AT-1 is no longer properly light-tight. I know the repair itself isn’t a huge job, but I’d rather not try it myself and I don’t know where to go for help. Could any of you perhaps recommend a repair shop? € Thanks and best regards, Daniel € € (1) Fortunately, this time it’s a Silvermax, where there’s only a bit of light leakage in two places – though right in the middle of the film, so I can’t think of any other logical explanation. Last time it was a CHS, which was affected over a larger area ‘thanks’ to the PET base, but at the time I thought it had been exposed to too much light when I loaded it...

wosis123

I did this myself on my A1 using the set from Kameradoktor; it came with clear instructions and went without a hitch. Hendrik

pittyman

Hi Daniel, I’ve already sealed quite a few camera bodies and roll film magazines with 100% success. I started out using ready-made kits, which are okay for the price – though sometimes the laser-cutting isn’t perfect; these days I always do it myself. The most tedious part is removing the old seals. You’ll need plenty of patience, isopropyl alcohol and small tools to remove . For the sealing material, I bought self-adhesive velvet (black). It doesn’t cost much more and lasts forever. I cut the new seals to size with a razor blade and a ruler and stuck them in place. Done. IMPORTANT: when positioning them, wet the adhesive side slightly first. This makes the adhesive barely stick, so you can position the seal correctly without rushing. Once all the seals are in place and the adhesive has dried again, press the seals down firmly. Toothpicks are also very useful. Don’t worry, it really isn’t rocket science! Dirk

Photux

Thanks so much for your replies! I think I’ll give one of those kits a go first. That’s a good tip about the isopropyl alcohol too; I might as well get some anyway to clean my clay pots (up until now I’ve always used methylated spirits because it’s cheap and readily available). € Best regards, Daniel

Sandra

Daniel, I can also recommend the seals from Kameradoktor. I’ve used them to reseal my Pentax 6x7 and my Mamiya M645J. They’re brilliant. The tricky bit is just removing the old seals cleanly – it’s a job that requires patience… put on some nice music, have a nice cup of coffee by your side, and just keep working bit by bit. You don’t have to finish it all in one day. Good lighting is important here too! Shine a light on it from different angles every now and then, and you’ll see where bits of the old sealant are still stuck. You might miss that if the light is always coming from the same direction. Good luck and keep a steady hand!

Olivinyl

Thanks so much for your replies! I think I’ll give one of those kits a go first. That’s a good tip about the isopropyl alcohol too; I might get some anyway to clean my clay pots (so far I’ve always used methylated spirits because it’s cheap and readily available). … Regards, Daniel

… OFFTOPIC: … Oh! Clay cups with methylated spirits! Oh no! … The methylated spirits available here (burning spirit) contain oil-based bittering agents. These leave a thin film on the clay cups and an even worse film on the pressure rollers, which can damage them over time. Drinking spirit is absolutely fine in this regard… … Best regards, Oliver

pittyman

Using methylated spirits always carries a certain risk, as it can damage some paints, varnishes and plastics. Dirk

Photux

Daniel, I can also recommend the seals from Kameradoktor. I’ve used them to reseal my Pentax 6x7 and my Mamiya M645J. They’re brilliant. The tricky bit is just removing the old seals cleanly – it’s a job that requires patience… put on some nice music, have a nice cup of coffee by your side, and just keep working bit by bit. You don’t have to finish it all in one day. Good lighting is important here too! Shine a light on it from different angles every now and then, then you’ll see where bits of the old sealant are still stuck. You might miss that if the light is always coming from the same direction. Good luck and steady hands!

Thanks, I’ll give it a go and then report back here (though it might take a while). And even if I manage to mess it up somehow, it’s no great loss...

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Photux" data-cid="16567" data-time="1381490326"> <div> Thanks so much for your replies! I think I’ll give one of those kits a go first. Good tip about the isopropanol too; I might get some anyway to clean the cartridge heads (so far I’ve always used methylated spirits because it’s cheap and readily available). Regards Daniel </div> </blockquote> OFFTOPIC: Oh! Cartridge heads with methylated spirits! Oh no! The methylated spirits available here contain oil-based bittering agents. These leave a thin film on the tonearms and an even worse film on the pressure rollers, which can damage them over time. Drinking spirit is absolutely fine in this regard... Best wishes, Oliver Ah, good to know! Until now, I’ve only ever been told that it’s supposed to be bad, but not why. I’d already noticed the film and always rubbed it off afterwards. But I’ll ask for propanol at the chemist’s, I promise. ;)