The Finest Complete Camera Light Seal Foam Kit - PROOF!

Don Ho sang "Tiny Bubbles." To achieve a more perfect camera sealing foam, you need three things: tiny bubbles, it must be very easy to compress, and it must snap back from compression quickly. This foam has it all! Take a look:

Okay, now let’s solve some mysteries and answer some common questions people seem to have about replacing light seal, light trap, mirror damper, light baffle, or whatever name you wish to use.…

~My Light Seal Products~

All my products are designed for long life and ease of use, they are all made by well known, established and respected foam and fabric companies to my specifications, and all are low and high temperature rated. You will be amazed at the precision and quality.

~Original vs My Seal Products~

I really believe three pictures can settle this. On the left, a camera with original seal material. You can see the goop everywhere--stuck to the bottom of the body, the top part of the body...in this condition, this camera can not be used. In the middle, you can see my work area after I cleaned the gooey mess out of this camera. On the right, the camera re-sealed with material which will NOT turn to goo in a few years. The original material can ruin your camera as it breaks down into a tar-like gooey mess. Which material do you want to put back in your camera?

More Proof...

Above is an Edixa I bought to repair the shutter in...it could have been your Nikon FM2n just as easily. Some people have asked me why I go to so much trouble to provide all these individual selections of seal materials, but people who understand camera repair already know why. I'll let you see for yourself. Look at the first frame above. If you bought a kit which only had 1/16" and 1/8" seal material, you would have no choice but to use 1/16" foam on this hinge...like I did in the first picture. What if you bought a kit with only 2mm and 3mm foam? The situation would be worse! In the second picture above, you can see what the seal material looks like after this door was only shut for 1 hour! Take a good look and see what you think. Do you think this looks good? Do you think this sort of stress could be good for your camera? Do you think this looks like something a pro camera repairer would do? This material is twice too thick!!! In the third frame, you can see I have re-sealed the area with the 1/32" fabric material I provide. In the fourth frame, you can see how the material looks after the door has been closed...the door has been closed for 9 months now! That is right. It still looks like new after 9 months, and there is absolutely no light leak in this camera. Do a pro job...don't "Mickey Mouse" your camera.

~What makes my kits so special?~

I think there are several things. All of my kits give you plenty of choices of thin seal material in both foam and fabric seal material. Many cameras were designed to use thin light seal material, and you'll need it to re-seal them correctly. Among those are some models of Nikon, Konica, Chinon, Pentax, Olympus, Yashica, Ricoh and others. I know you want to do a good job, I know you want seal material that will work well in your camera, and I know you want the best deal possible, so I give you both foam and fabric seals in 1/32” and 1/16” thicknesses in my kits…even in my smaller kit! In the kit’s instructions, I will teach you a little trick of mine to easily and safely determine the proper thickness of seal material your camera needs. Also, I give you FIVE thicknesses of open-celled foam---1mm, 1.5mm, 2mm, 2.5mm and 3mm. Is that important to you? Well, I think it depends on what kind of a job you want to do...how much pride you take in your work, plus not all cameras used the same thickness of damper seal, as I'll show you later. You will get the same seal material camera repair shops and restorers use!

Please keep reading. I’ll show you some more special things.

~The Film Door~

Clearly, this is the area most prone to light leaks. A product I introduced many years ago and began mass producing in 2002 will make your work easier. I call these “Seal Strips.” They are made with a specialty foam that is lighter, longer lasting, more resilient, easier to use and more uniform. Nobody else has these, and nobody else has the unique machine I engineered, designed and built to produce them.

These 2mm non-adhesive strips seal the long thin slots. Here is what you will be doing soon:

First, I clean out the black goo the old OEM seal material has turned into using the free tool I provide in this kit. Next, I use a bit of paper towel and solvent to remove the remainder of the old residue. When all is clean, I use the thin end of the tool to press the special pre-cut “Seal Strip” into the slot, trimming at the end and avoiding the frame counter reset pin. This is easy and quick, and as you can see, the slot is sealed perfectly from edge to edge so there will be no light leak! Will the seal stay in place without adhesive? Yes, I promise you it will, and the fact it has no adhesive made installing it easier and also means the seal can “flex” slightly. This lets it resist fatigue from the lateral motion caused by the opening and closing of the door. ”Engineered Solutions”. Camera repairmen all over the world use these, and I receive compliments about them constantly. Over 50,000 have been sold. Innovative? Well, I think so...with "Seal Strips" and some brainpower we just solved several light seal problems at once, didn't we? Unique and sensible answers to your camera's Most Common Problem.

~The Hinge End Seal~

The hinge end is usually a simple strip of foam or fabric. I believe it is important to use the right thickness and type of seal material so that your film door hinge is not stressed or bent. Make notes about how the original seal looked and fit, measure and cut the new piece. Clean off the old seal and install the new. Here's an example of a Yashica TL-Super. This model Yashica used 1/16” fabric seal. It really looks nice when you do the job properly using the right materials, doesn't it?

Say, it is good clean fun to repair or restore your camera! You and your son/daughter/brother/sister/friend/mom or dad could make a pitcher of iced tea and do this instead of watching the "boob tube" some evening for a pleasant and educational break. Get in the swing of it with this kit! Expand your horizons, your worldview, get happy and say goodbye to weltschmerz. Maybe you just learned a new word? Keep reading, you're on the right path now!

~The Latch End~

Here is the other end of the Yashica TL-Super above. Left-remnants of the old seal…no wonder this camera leaked light! Middle-I’ve cleaned it with solvent and the tool I provide free. Right-the old poor quality foam has been replaced with the 1.5mm sponge for years of trouble-free use, and it will look just like new.

Let’s make your camera clean and pretty again! Don’t compromise quality…get the best for yourself and your camera.

~The Mirror Damper~

Here’s a photo sequence of a Chinon. Left-old foam is almost totally gone. Next, I clean the area carefully with a sharp knife. Then I set the new foam lightly in place with tweezers. Right-I will re-check the pad’s placement before pressing it down.

Above, an Olympus OM-10 uses a different foam pad for the damper. Here’s how I re-seal it…left, the old cracked and dead damper pad. Next, I lift up the old pad with the tip of an X-Acto style knife. After the old pad has been carefully removed, I install the new pad, and this fine camera is back in business again.

~IMPORTANT: NEVER USE SOLVENT NEAR YOUR FOCUS SCREEN!~

The Free Tool
There are two working ends to this simple but handy little tool, designed from input and suggestions of customers. It allows you to clean and work on your camera with less danger of damaging paint.

What Comes With The Kit?
(as numbered in the picture at the top of the auction page)