13 Dec 01, Peifer, William <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
>
> Mark Roberts wrote:
>> [Answers to Levil's cleaning questions, snipped....]
>
> Hi Mark & LeviL,
>
(Snip)...
> I've had great luck getting all sorts of schmutz off of all sorts of
> surfaces using various brands of waterless hand soap
(Snip)...
> Another thing I've used to remove adhesives and resins from
> glass is WD-40. Ever given this a shot? Of course, you'd
> want to take the dirty part out of the camera for this kind of a
> cleaning, and you'd still need to wash the part afterwards with
> soap and water, and/or Windex. Seems like either of these
> might be good for cleaning off rotting foam or adhesive...
(Snip)...
Bill,
Waterless hand cleaners (Goop, Go-jo, Fast Orange, Citrus Orange, etc...)
are very good at removing grease and goop. However, they are "very messy"
in their own way. Because of their messy nature, they would seem rather
inappropriate for use inside a camera (ie, Subject: Re: Cleanin
non-removable screens). If you do use a waterless cleaner on a screen
outside the camera, be certain the cleaner does not contain pumice. Those
cleaners are commonly available with and without pumice.
WD-40 works well for cleaning off adhesive residue. However, it does
require more rubbing than most true solvents and therefore may not be best
for cleaning delicate parts like focusing screens (just guessing, I haven't
tried it). WD-40 also leaves an oily residue that must be cleaned off, so
it's not a one-step cleaner. I would think it would require 3-steps: 1)
clean with WD-40, 2) clean with naphtha, 3) clean with Lens Cleaner
(first choice... Windex/ Sparkle as second choice). Is Sparkle still
around? I always found that Sparkle gave better streak-free results than
Windex.
Magic GooGone (grocery, drug and hardware stores in the USA) is made for
removing adhesive residue (stickers, labels, tape, gum, tar, crayon, etc)
and does a great job with little rubbing while leaving minimal residue. It
works well for cleaning the sticky mess left by deteriorating light seals.
It doesn't hurt painted surfaces. It does have a light oily feel when
poured on your finger ("contains petroleum distillates..."), but seems to
leave a squeeky clean surface when it's dried. A follow-up cleaning with
Naphtha will remove any lingering trace. Goo Gone does leave a citrus (?)
smell.
Naphtha is a good, general purpose, no residue solvent for use inside camera
equipment. It's sold commercially as lighter fluid (the old liquid-fueled
lighters like Zippo... not butane lighters), and handwarmer fuel. Common
trade names around here are Ronco or Zippo lighter fluid and Jon-e (like
Johnnie) handwarmer fuel. Lighter fluid can be purchased where tobacco
products are sold. Handwarmer fuel can be purchased in hardware and
sporting goods/ hunting supply stores. Naphtha is also the solvent used to
dry-clean clothing.
Naphtha is the only solvent I use inside a camera body, since it evaporates
quickly and leaves no residue of it's own. Just be careful that you don't
wash whatever goop you were trying to remove into other areas of the camera.
Regardless of what liquid you use, always apply it to a cloth or cotton
swap first, then transfer it to the part to be cleaned. Avoid pouring a
liquid directly on any surface inside a camera.
Regards,
Tim Engel
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