What do you prefer to use to get old adhesive off?

PhotoTexan · Mar 24, 2023

I have an AE-1 and a Lubitel that I need to replace the light seals. Many videos have suggested using rubbing alcohol or goo gone to get the old adhesive off.

Are these safe to use on these cameras?

What have you had the most success with getting the old adhesive off with?

Bill Burk · Mar 24, 2023

Bamboo skewers shaved to a flat chisel point, alcohol, paper towels and time.

The secret to remember though is to use hand sanitizer to “moisten” the new strip before placing them so they don’t twist and stick to the sides of the light trap when you put them in.

Steven Lee · Mar 24, 2023

CRC QD Electronics Cleaner. IIRC $10 on Amazon. It is a better solvent than rubbing alcohol and it's safe for camera plastics.

Kino · Mar 24, 2023

+1 what Bill says.

It is a messy job, but the alcohol does a fine job of cleaning with a bit of scraping and lots of paper towels. No real need for goo gone, as it has petroleum distillates that can linger and contaminate the film chamber.

If you get oil on film, it will not develop properly and it has a tendency to migrate all over the place.

MattKing · Mar 24, 2023

My favorite camera technician quotes me two rates for replacing light seals.
One rate to to the entire job, and another, much lower rate if I clean the old seals first

albada · Mar 25, 2023

Naphtha is good for removing old seals and adhesive goo.

After cleaning the bulk of the gunk with a bamboo chisel, I'll often use acetone for the final clean-up: I'll fold a paper towel a couple of times, resulting in a sharp edge. Then I soak that edge in acetone, and rub it along the seal channels to clean them. But be careful to keep acetone away from the rest of the camera.

Mark

Buzz-01 · Mar 25, 2023

Alcohol and q-tips, and some of those wooden toothpicks.
And like Bill says, moisten the sticky side of the new seals with alcohol or hand sanitizer just before placement so you can nice them around a little while putting them in place.

250swb · Apr 3, 2023

I've never understood the popularity of alcohol for glue removal given many contact adhesives and other glues that stick disparate materials together are petroleum based. So use naphtha, white spirit, even petrol. Many people say cleaning with alcohol is hard work, but that's because it is a bad cleaner for camera type glues even though it may eventually work. Alcohol is however good for the light cleaning of petroleum based grease or residue.

John Koehrer · Apr 4, 2023

^^^^^^^^^what he says.

Pieter12 · Apr 4, 2023

Never used it on a camera, but rubber-cement thinner (Bestine) does wonders.

beemermark · Apr 4, 2023

Lighter Fluid

KerrKid · Apr 4, 2023

I use max strength Purell. Naphtha, too, but the Purell does a good job. The Purell gel doesn’t run like plain alcohol. I put it in a needle bottle I got from Hobby Lobby so I can apply it with precision.

I modified a popsickle stick to a chisel point with my x-acto knife so it fits snugly in the channels. I also use dental picks and good tweezers to get stuff out. Plus I use tons of q-tips and bits of paper towel. I am meticulous about prep.

I use Hobby Lobby foam sheets for my seals and cut them to fit with a ruler and an x-acto knife on a cutting mat. I don’t use adhesive for the channel seals. I just cut the correct width and then push the strips into place with my popsickle stick tool. They stay put and are super easy to remove if needed. The rest of the seals I glue into place with carefully-applied E6000.

What do you prefer to use to get old adhesive off?

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