Lost a full day's work on a Nikon F3 because I skipped the mirror foam check

I had a clean F3 come in last week for a shutter service, and I jumped right into the main mechanism without looking at the old foam around the mirror box. The foam had turned to sticky goo and got all over the mirror and shutter blades during my work, adding about 8 hours of cleaning I hadn't planned for. Has anyone found a good solvent for that specific old Nikon foam gunk that won't harm the shutter curtain?

2 comments

2 Comments

zara_patel5711h ago

Skipping the mirror foam check is just asking for trouble. That sticky mess is the first thing I look for on any old camera. The extra cleaning time is a direct result of not doing the basic prep work. I use a simple mix of isopropyl alcohol and a lot of patience for the shutter blades. It's slow, but safer than hunting for a stronger solvent after the fact. Starting with the main mechanism before checking the foam is putting the cart before the horse.

the_drew2h ago

Totally agree, foam first saves so much time later.