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Alex
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, October 18, 2004 - 03:19 am: | 
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I have just acquired a Yashica TL-Electro-X in good condition. The light seals need replacing, as always with cameras of this age, and that's easy. But the mirror damping foam has also corroded, and lumps of it have come away and stuck to the edge of the mirror surface. I know that mirrors are surface coated and normally shouldn't be touched with anything more than a puff of air, but these pieces look like they should be removed. I'm not sure how to go about it safely, and would be grateful for any advice. |
rick oleson
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, October 18, 2004 - 10:12 am: |
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Here's what I do:
First, with a sharp sewing needle, pick off any lumps of goop that can be lifted that way, taking care not to let the needle touch the mirror.
Next, wrap a Kodak lens cleaning tissue around the end of a cotton swab. Get this SOAKING wet in lighter fluid and lightly wipe the mirror surface. This should remove the foam goo with virtually no pressure and no scratches, but it will leave "water marks" on the mirror where the solvent evaporates.
Finally, get a fresh lens tissue and a fresh cotton swab; wrap the tissue around the swab as before but leave it dry. Breath on the mirror to fog it and very lightly wipe away the fog with the tissue. This will take away the 'water marks' and leave you with a fresh, clean mirror and no scratches.
(Note: this works with mirrors that have a protective coating - pretty much anything from the late 1950s onward. Some earlier mirrors are unprotected and cannot be touched at all, but these were too early to have foam seals and bumpers.....)
rick  = |
Alex
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, October 18, 2004 - 03:58 pm: |
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Excellent, I shall give that method a good and gentle workout on this mirror. I'm grateful for the kind advice, thank you! |
Jackson
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, October 18, 2004 - 07:37 pm: |
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I would also suggest blowing off the mirror with canned air before cleaning it with tissue as described above. That will minimize the possiblity of small particles of grit and dirt scratching the mirror. Also, be sure to remove the loose foam before using pressurized air. You don't want to blow any of that junk into the innards. |
Alex
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, October 20, 2004 - 05:10 am: |
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More good advice, thanks. The mirror foam is highly degraded, and will all have to come off. I'm sure there's a chap who posts here occasionally who also provides highly regarded seal replacement kits. I must search the archives. |
Jani Heikkinen
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, October 20, 2004 - 09:49 pm: |
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Collodion is also excllent in cleaning mirrors.
Put it on the mirror and let the fluid dry and then peel the collodion away and all the dirt has attached to the collodion. |
