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disemjg · Joined: 10 Jan 2002 Posts: 474 Location: Washington, DC

One of my Graphics has a slight musty odor about it; no visible mildew but just a faint trace of that smell. Is there a safe way to get rid of this? I have tried letting it air out for several days and it does not seem to make a difference. I know that leaving it in direct sunlight will help, but I do not like the idea of leaving a camera in direct sunlight for any length of time.

Henry · Posted: Sat Apr 24, 2004 11:28 pm Post subject:

Hey, now you have a ready explanation when somebody says "Your pictures stink."

(8=))

t.r.sanford · Posted: Sat Apr 24, 2004 11:45 pm Post subject:

Have you tried cleaning the leather thoroughly with saddle soap?

glennfromwy · Joined: 29 Nov 2001 Posts: 903 Location: S.W. Wyoming

This is a problem that can be time consuming and difficult to remedy.
First, clean all sufaces with Formula 409 and a soft cloth. Then, give the whole camera a thorough wipe down with Lemon Pledge. It will also help to put a car air freshener inside and leave it closed up for a few days. I hate the smell of those things but it's better than mildew.

_________________
Glenn

"Wyoming - Where everybody is somebody else's weirdo"

troublemaker · Joined: 24 Nov 2003 Posts: 715 Location: So Cal

Light duty cleaning and pledge helped my Crown quite a bit, but one of the 2x3's I just enjoy the vintage basement aroma.
I sloshed a couple of my Graphics pretty good with the pledge and it sure doesn't hurt 'em. I dust everything out with a brush clean the metal surfaces with a small stiff bristle art brush soaked in WD-40 for the rails and then wipe and apply liberal dose of pledge, wipe and let sit for a day or two, dust and done. I would never leave a camera in the sun either. just cleaning and using a lot helped more than wherever my cameras came form, they have all shown up in bad shape but for one, and it smelled the worst.
stephen

45PSS · Posted: Sun Apr 25, 2004 5:14 am Post subject:

Remove the lens/board and focus panel, extend bellows to maximun, saturate inside of bellows with Lysol spray disinfectant, close up camera and let set a day or so, treat with Lemon Pledge as described in previous post.

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The best camera ever made is the one that YOU enjoy using and produces the image quality that satifies YOU.

troublemaker · Joined: 24 Nov 2003 Posts: 715 Location: So Cal

original,potpouri, or country fresh scent?
i am wondering now if this might work on my old VW bus???

Henry · Posted: Sun Apr 25, 2004 3:40 pm Post subject:

Depends on what you smoked in it.

glennfromwy · Joined: 29 Nov 2001 Posts: 903 Location: S.W. Wyoming

Sorry, nothing can de-stink those.

_________________
Glenn

"Wyoming - Where everybody is somebody else's weirdo"

troublemaker · Joined: 24 Nov 2003 Posts: 715 Location: So Cal

Hey now, this bus aint yer every day Joebob beater bus, this here's a real nice machine. Trouble is it suffered some severe smoke damage from a fire in the garage next door last year, and that stinks from the smell all the way down to the poor handling by the insurance company jerkin me around when the thing was appraised by thier own people at over 6,000. Tried to buy me off for 700. It makes an awsome roadside photo vehicle as well as trailhead stop and flop, not to mention cruising over 70 no problem, gets kinda scary though over 90, but built for it no problem. 1914cc with dual 40's, counter ballanced crank, dual oil cooling and filters, and so on.
been all over, hudreds of Utah backcounry dirt road miles, Pacific NW, up and down Calif don;t know how many times. Freezing, flaming hot, whatever, but I swear, if anyone ever smioked in it, they never ever inhaled. ALthough it did have a deadhead sticker on it when I got it???
Regardless, the stereotype is an obvious reason to behave...

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Anyone can buy tools...

Rangemaster · Posted: Tue Apr 27, 2004 1:01 pm Post subject:

Well up her yonder in MT we can get a product called skunk-be-gone that does wonders on just about anything your trying to change the smell characteristics of...usually found at the local ranch supply stores and it does a great job of getting rid of the musty smell in cameras, I make a little bag out of my wife's nylons and fill with this, put in the bellows and close the camera up for a day or so and it renders odorless, have used it on several different cameras with success.

Dave

glennfromwy · Joined: 29 Nov 2001 Posts: 903 Location: S.W. Wyoming

If you can't find "Skunk-be-Gone (I love that one), here is some poweful stuff that I have used on occasion - "One Drop All Purpose Household Deodorizer". Made by Willert Products of St. Louis, MO 63110. I found it in the grocery store. I have used this to de-stink the worst smelling Mini-Speed in existense.
I just put a few drops on a cotton ball and closed it up and left it. For about a month, in this case. I also used it on an extremely nice, but stinky Kodak Master View. The old photographer I got it from had been a heavy smoker. I had to use two cotton balls for this large outfit in it's case. It totally worked. This stuff may even work on VWs.

_________________
Glenn

"Wyoming - Where everybody is somebody else's weirdo"

disemjg · Joined: 10 Jan 2002 Posts: 474 Location: Washington, DC

OK, here is the after-action report on the stinky speed. I took the camera and gave it a liberal Lysol dose. Then I put it in a tight plastic bag, and tied it shut to sit in the fumes for a few days. After this it seemed to smell WORSE (go figure). Couldn't have that, so about then I remembered some stuff I have that is kin to the "Skunk b Gone" mentioned earlier. This stuff is called Super CD and is intended for the same pole cat menace and other maloderiferous situations. I soaked a paper towel with the CD and placed it in the bellows, and closed the camera. Then I put it in a bucket and put a couple of CD soaked paper towel stripe in the bucket with it. Then I covered the bucket tightly and left it that way for a couple of days. It just came out and it (surprise) smells just like Super CD. We will see how it smells in another month or so.