Bear tooth glue ?

Changed the light seals on the Mamiya RB67. The rotating back to body seal has never been changed before. Did Mamiya use glue made from bears teeth on those seals ? REALLY REALLY HARD TO SHIFT.. I know it is the original glue as I came across the very same stuff on C3 seals. This was on a camera that had not been used since 1970 seals had turned to powder. Glue hard as flint.

I did the foam seals on all my old Mami 645s and the glue wasn't so bad. IIRC I used cotton-buds (Q-tips) dipped in white spirit to dissolve it. I got through quite a few cotton-buds and had sticky fingers, but the glue softened quite quickly to a 'snotty' consistency. Some stubborn bits needed to be dug out with wooden cocktail sticks.

 

Not wanting to repeat the experience in a hurry, I used double-sided adhesive tape to hold the new foam strips in place.

 

Not wanting to repeat the experience in a hurry, I used double-sided adhesive tape to hold the new foam strips in place.

Done that before when using felt for the seals. I didnt have any problem like that. For light seals I have a roll of 10mm self adheasive foam sealing tape I just cut it into thinner strips. Apart from the cutting accurately which takes paitence its easy. Only did the RB coz they needed doing not because of light leaks It was not yet a problem.

Given their location, I've always wondered if they used some sort of fish-based glue. I do hifi repairs and the Japanese equipment often used a somewhat corrosive glue to hold down capacitors and such that's unlike anything found here. Nasty stuff.

At some point(s) in their history, Soviet camera makers used what are clearly animal glues. They have a very biological cachet. Sometimes with a hint of woodbrier.

When combined with makhorka tobacco smells from the ambient environment, opening a package with one of these cameras from the old Union can be a little trip to the old Ukraine.

 

I have never encountered the glue problems phenomena in Mamiya cameras however, tho' my experience there is limited to their 35mms.

Edited September 24, 2021 by JDMvW

I have never encountered the glue problems phenomena in Mamiya cameras however, tho' my experience there is limited to their 35mms.

You do not come across bear tooth glue often as most Mamiyas have had seals changed before. The other side of the rotating mount (film back side) had different glue as seal had been changed previous. That cleaned up A LOT easier.