Removing Camera Skins

[Proteus617]

I have a '48 Argus C3 I'm about to crack open. I understand that I should lightly wet the leatherette with a solvent to dissolve the adhesive. I have plenty of solvents, including a few that would dissolve the adhesive, the leatherette, and some of the skin off of my hand. Any recommendations as to materials and process?

thanks in advance...

 

[sevo]

Either alcohol (for shellac) or white spirit (for rubber glue) will soften the original glues used on old camera bodies. YMMV if the leatherette has been repaired in the more recent past - both workshops and households have access to less reversible glues nowadays...

 

[nksyoon]

My camera technician recommends using a hairdryer to heat the covering before removing it. He only uses solvent on any glue that's left. This is what he did with my Leica M3.

 

[ethics_gradient]

Related question: the leathette/rubber on my Bessa R3a is expanding and starting to come off (already had the back pad come off). How can I shrink it back to its normal size so I can re-glue it?

 

[FallisPhoto]

I have a '48 Argus C3 I'm about to crack open. I understand that I should lightly wet the leatherette with a solvent to dissolve the adhesive. I have plenty of solvents, including a few that would dissolve the adhesive, the leatherette, and some of the skin off of my hand. Any recommendations as to materials and process?

thanks in advance...

If the original covering has not been messed with, it will be secured with shellac. Alcohol would be the prefferred solvent for shellac. You'll also need a thin bladed scraper to loosen stubborn spots. Something like a scraping blade in an X-acto knife. That said, these are not valuable collector items and it is probably going to be a lot less trouble to just rip the covering off, scrape the metal clean and replace the leatherette. It will probably look better too.

 

[FallisPhoto]

Related question: the leathette/rubber on my Bessa R3a is expanding and starting to come off (already had the back pad come off). How can I shrink it back to its normal size so I can re-glue it?

Just go to Cameraleather.com and order a replacement kit. Obviously, your original leatherette installation isn't holding up. His is better.