Shoutout to the old school repair manual for a Pentax K1000

I followed its guide to clean the mirror box with lighter fluid, a method from the 80s. The fluid ate right through a plastic gear inside, something the manual never mentioned. Anyone know a safe modern cleaner for that job?

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palmer.zara6mo ago

Oof, that "lighter fluid from the 80s" advice is a classic trap. I melted a different plastic part in an old Minolta the same way. For cleaning the mirror box now, I just use high purity isopropyl alcohol, the 99% stuff. It evaporates fast and doesn't attack most old plastics. Put a tiny bit on a q-tip and go slow.

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the_eva5mo ago

Yes! @emeryfox is right, isopropyl is the way to go. Learned that one the hard way too.

10

emeryfox6mo ago

A camera repair guide I read recently said the same thing about isopropyl alcohol. It's become the standard for cleaning old camera parts without damage. Good to see that advice getting around!

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