Mirror Bumper Foam Prematurely Aging?

[Helios 1984]

This evening, I was working on my Contaflex IV and decided to make a new mirror bumper, while some of the cogs were in the ultra-sonic cleaner. I picked a leftover piece of foam from a previous project, and it started to disintegrate between my fingers. Then I checked the mirror bumpers of my Spotmatics. The same thing happened. The material can't be older than 4-5 years?

 

[Anon Ymous]

Yes, but how long did it stay on the retailer's shelves?

 

[Helios 1984]

Yes, but how long did it stay on the retailer's shelves?

That’s what I thought, too. I’ll have to re-do several of my cameras :-/ Thank the tinkering lord, I have only used this material for a few mirror bumpers and 1 or 2 door seals, everything else is either felt, yarn or crafting foam. I would not have been happy having to re-do all the doors interstices.

 

[logan2z]

A non camera-related anecdote:

I came across an old pair of Apple earbuds over the weekend while I was looking for something else, along with the foam earpads to go with them. Both were sealed in the package. I opened the package of earpads this morning and tried to remove one and it turned to dust in my hand Must be made of the same crappy foam used for mirror bumpers.

 

[Helios 1984]

A non camera-related anecdote:

I came across an old pair of Apple earbuds over the weekend while I was looking for something else, along with the foam earpads to go with them. Both were sealed in the package. I opened the package of earpads this morning and tried to remove one and it turned to dust in my hand Must be made of the same crappy foam used for mirror bumpers.

I just came back from Micheal's, got myself a big sheet of crafting foam for 1.50 bucks. It's stiffer than your usual cushy camera foam but it won't break down.

 

[BobD]

This evening, I was working on my Contaflex IV and decided to make a new mirror bumper, while some of the cogs were in the ultra-sonic cleaner. I picked a leftover piece of foam from a previous project, and it started to disintegrate between my fingers. Then I checked the mirror bumpers of my Spotmatics. The same thing happened. The material can't be older than 4-5 years?

Where did you buy it?

 

[jaeae]

I just came back from Micheal's, got myself a big sheet of crafting foam for 1.50 bucks. It's stiffer than your usual cushy camera foam but it won't break down.

That EVA foam sheet, something like 1 or 2 mm thick? I've also used it as light seal for some Olympus OM bodies. Cut thin bars out of it and tucked them into the groove. Stays put without glue. Great stuff