Foam gasket replacement

[David Grandy]

Hi, I'm using a Toyo 6X7 roll film back on my Toyo Field camera. The actual fil m holder on this back is a Singer and the reason I'm writing is the foam gasket that provides a light seal has turned to goo.

I assume that I can get some neoprene or rubber of some sort to replace the gask et and I'd like to know 1) What thickness of gasket would be approriate? 2) What product would remove the "goo" safely from the Singer film holder and the back? and 3) What kind of adhesive could I use that would be safe on the new gasket?

[Doug Paramore]

David: At the risk of seeming to hog the answer column for large format, I would like to offer a couple of suggestions: Scrape as much of the goo from the back as you can with a wood or plastic homemade scraper. Then see if mineral spirits on a rag or cotton swab won't remove the rest of the goo. Don't pour mineral spirits on the back...just use a little on the rag or swab. I think you might find the foam seal at a home center. It is used for sealing around doors and windows, etc. Most of it comes with a sticky back already applied. You just peel off the plastic backing. You should be able to trim it to width before you remove the backing. Most of it compresses easily so thickness should not be a problem if it is close to the original thickness. Hope this helps. Doug

[Tony Brent]

www.micro-tools.com has several sizes of foam material available, both sticky back and plain. It might be worth while having a look to see if they have added anything new since their last year's catalog which is where I found this info.

[Dave Anton]

David that happened to my Mamiya 6x7 as well. The foam fell apart due to excessive moisture or something. Mamiya supplied me with the replacement foam seal for $3 (If I installed it myself). I think Toyo will offer the same service. The old seal is scraped off and the excessive glue is removed using rubbing alcohol. Dave.