DIY M repaint

[JohnTF]

How?
I mean, is there a way to clean paint well, even from small details and writings?

Sure, there is the elbow grease plan, and I saw recently on PBS they were stripping small parts in a not too nasty solution of some kind in a crock pot. And yes, you want to mark this crock pot as not for use with food.

They left the hardware from a cabinet over night and it looked really clean, hinges, etc. had years of paint on them.

Probably on their website for "This Old House".

The older commercial strippers were pretty harsh. It may have been washing soda, but check the site.

I would not use anything very volatile nor flammable in a crock pot.

J

 

[johannielscom]

enamel vs laquer

enamel vs laquer

...
If this is off the shelf paint, am guessing it is some kind of oil base enamel, so air dry enamel can be removed by solvent. You can use it over lacquer, but not the other way around.
...

Why no laquer over enamel paint? Will it not stick? I am repainting a Leica M3 to black at the moment and was considering the laquer (semi-matte) to cover the enamel paint, for added durability...

 

[JohnTF]

Why no laquer over enamel paint? Will it not stick? I am repainting a Leica M3 to black at the moment and was considering the laquer (semi-matte) to cover the enamel paint, for added durability...

Generally, Lacquer solvents will lift air dry enamel. I have painted lacquer over factory car enamel a long time ago, but it had been baked on, was years old, sanded and primed. Repairs to air dried areas had to be stripped. Sticking was normally a matter of surface preparation.

Lacquer thinner will lift a lot of paints.

It would be a tough lesson to learn by experiment, but if others have more experience, I am glad to listen.

I really do not know what is being used today for paint, may be some kind of epoxy, which should be very tough.

If you are painting over factory paint, it may be cured enough to be OK, but I am not sure if Lacquer is tougher than enamel.

I am coming from experience more general than specific to cameras.

Regards, John

 

[Ron (Netherlands)]

Before and after primer...

Can you show us the finished product?

thanks

 

[sanmich]

of course....

of course....

the result looks fine to me, but the paint is already chipping a bit.
it chips straight to the metal, so my conclusion is that the problem is the adherence of the primer to the metal.

I think next time I will sand the metal before (I feared to get marks that will be visible on the final result) and maybe I'll use baking paint.

Now that I know how to do it (and that the windows are not glued) I think It will be much easier.

All in all, lots of fun...

 

[Al Kaplan]

My ex restores broken porcelain antiques and she finishes the job with automotive laquers applied with an airbrush and tiny brushes. Sometimes she coats it with clear epoxy to duplicate the glaze. At least here in the US it's getting difficult to buy the laquers and thinner thanks to Environmetal Protection Agency (EPA) regulations. Maybe we can smuggle it in through the Bahamas hidden inside of innocent looking bales of marijuanna?

A lot of industries that paint metal are going to "powder paint". The pieces are heated and then dipped in the powder, which then melts and has good adherence. It's then heated a second time which evens out the surface and supposedly "cures" the paint. If you want to play with some it's available in small jars from Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World and Jann's Netcraft in a bunch of colors but you'd have to take apart yoiur Leica to apply it.

 

[johannielscom]

preview shots!

preview shots!

Trying to post some shots here.

I'm not done yet with the camera, a score of small items will shortly arrive from Don Goldberg, M4-type frame window, black faced screws and such. Don was of great help on restoring the camera!

Proud to say I chemically de-chromed it myself, it wasn't even all that difficult to do!

This camera will be my 'MP3', an MP-lookalike derived from the M3 I bought in parts from an Italian professor.

My cameras are user grade. When in the (far!) future film seizes to exist and I have grown an old man, I will restore them back to factory condition. Until then, I burn film!

Awaiting the arrival of (mainly) matching screws, the retaining screw for the rewind knob, the M4-type frame window. Looking for a film reminder decal, any leads on the whereabouts of one, anyone?

 

[Ron (Netherlands)]

the result looks fine to me, but the paint is already chipping a bit.
it chips straight to the metal, so my conclusion is that the problem is the adherence of the primer to the metal.

I think next time I will sand the metal before (I feared to get marks that will be visible on the final result) and maybe I'll use baking paint.

Now that I know how to do it (and that the windows are not glued) I think It will be much easier.

All in all, lots of fun...

Thanks for posting the pics of the end result. At the photos the camera looks very good. Indeed I read that the paint will only adhere if one uses enamel that is baked.

 

[Ron (Netherlands)]

Trying to post some shots here.

I'm not done yet with the camera, a score of small items will shortly arrive from Don Goldberg, M4-type frame window, black faced screws and such. Don was of great help on restoring the camera!

Proud to say I chemically de-chromed it myself, it wasn't even all that difficult to do!

This camera will be my 'MP3', an MP-lookalike derived from the M3 I bought in parts from an Italian professor.

My cameras are user grade. When in the (far!) future film seizes to exist and I have grown an old man, I will restore them back to factory condition. Until then, I burn film!

Awaiting the arrival of (mainly) matching screws, the retaining screw for the rewind knob, the M4-type frame window. Looking for a film reminder decal, any leads on the whereabouts of one, anyone?

Also a very good job done here. Did you bake the enamel?
And what did you use for dechroming?

 

[gdi]

Looking for a film reminder decal, any leads on the whereabouts of one, anyone?

Ritskeller has one - http://web.mac.com/ritskellar/item/leica_m_accessories/index.html

 

[johannielscom]

Great!

Great!

Ritskeller has one - http://web.mac.com/ritskellar/item/leica_m_accessories/index.html

Have sent him a mail to close the deal, thanks for tipping me off!

 

[RichC]

the paint is already chipping a bit.

I noticed that you said "I use automotive (Motip) paints" from a can. These pre-mixed touch up sprays are very soft even when fully dry, and will scratch and chip very easily.

For durability, you'll need to use a harder, more durable paint - either an old-fashioned oil-based enamel or a modern epoxy. I'm no expert on paints for cameras (I restore motorcycles!) but I'm sure someone can suggest something harder-wearing than automotive paint in spray cans.

 

[johannielscom]

chips and such

chips and such

Hi all,

my camera is already chipping as well, specifically at the edges.

I used Revell air brush paint, these are wide spread paints in Europe, used for model building kits.

So far the paint consists of three layers: a white primer layer, and two semi-matte black layers of enamel paint. Most parts were baked in the oven for an hour at 135 degrees Celsius and were gradually cooled.
I followed steps listed in this post on RFF.

Only valid conclusion must be I did not degrease and / or sand the parts properly.

Anyone that has the perfect approach to repainting a Leica from brass up?

And: is the Revell enamel paint really the same stuff as true Leica enamel paint? Never mind colour and texture and so on, I care about the consistency of the ready paint. I own an enamel black Chinon Memotron and the paint on that is truly different from the Revell paint, once baked...

Any leads on where to find true enamel paint are greatly appreciated!

(I'll get back to the de-chroming later tonight.)

 

[gdi]

Have sent him a mail to close the deal, thanks for tipping me off!

You're welcome.

 

[johannielscom]

answers to questions

answers to questions

Also a very good job done here. Did you bake the enamel?
And what did you use for dechroming?

Hi Ron,

I put up a new thread concerning these questions in the Repair section of the forum, the link is here.

Enjoy!