black paint S2: Rivets on the bottom/back

[splitimageview]

Thinking of painting my S2, but want to remove the bottom plate from the back in order to properly dechrome/denickel.

It's held in place by 5 rivets.

Any ideas how to do this so the original visible chrome rivets can be re-used?

 

[Larry Cloetta]

Will follow this with interest, but pretty sure it’s impossible to remove and reuse those rivets. Would enjoy being proved wrong.

 

[Highway 61]

This is "the" problem faced by people wanting to black paint an originally chrome Nikon rangefinder body (or a Nikon F body).
So far I have not heard about "the" solution even from very reputable camera-specialized black painters, but like Larry, I am eager to !

 

[splitimageview]

I suppose the chrome stripping could be very carefully done so as to only affect the bottom...

Do original S2s have chrome rivets or are they also black?

 

[Highway 61]

Black (brass, painted black) :

https://www.cameraquest.com/nrfs2bl.htm

Erik Van Straten owns an original "chrome dial" black paint S2. He can confirm this.
On some photos of the later "black dial" black paint S2 which you can find online, the rivets show as black painted brass too.

On my black 1968 Nikon F, the rivets are chrome.

 

[splitimageview]

OK, thanks. I also found this one.

Black rivets would mean the bottom could be dechromed, leaving the back attached...could be tricky.

 

[Highway 61]

Black rivets on original black paint bodies mean that the bottom plate was painted black then riveted to the back with black painted rivets not chrome plated rivets.

If you remove the leatherette, the camera back closing key and cams, the film speed reminder, you probably can dechrome the camera bottom and the rivets heads without damaging the camera back black trims if you have the camera bottom soak in the dechroming electrolytic tube only, with not much acid in it.

Dechroming must be performed carefully and finished by hand where the camera bottom edges are close to the black trims of the camera back. Tricky yet not impossible.

Masking the camera back black trims when painting the bottom will be easier. When baking the new paint in the oven, the original black trims black paint won't suffer much I guess.

 

[Erik van Straten]

The paint of the rivets of my black S2 is rubbed off. They have a brass colour now. The rivets of my black '72 F are chrome. My black Nikkormat has no rivets.


Erik.

 

[Livesteamer]

I've been a machinist for over forty years and the only ways I know of removing rivets are destructive of the original rivet. Further, these are specialty rivets that are also involved in holding the bottom locking bar. In theory, you could carefully locate and drill them loose from the inside then tapping for an internal thread and machining specialty screws for reassembly but it would be much simpler to drill them out, take careful measurements of them and fabricate new brass rivets for reassembly. Others may have better ideas. Good Luck and let us know what you come up with. Joe

 

[Livesteamer]

After thinking about this for a while, it might be helpful to you to buy a used Nikon F back cheaply and practice on it before you take on a scarce and expensive camera back. Joe

 

[splitimageview]

Thanks @Highway 61 and @Livesteamer.

I was thinking the same, that the rivets would not survive such a process. And, it likely would take more time experimenting than I want to devote to the project. 🙂

Having painted a large number of Leicas and other cameras a few years ago, I know what that process is like, so at this point I'm leaning towards removing the chrome with the bottom plate still attached.

 

[Highway 61]

I once discovered by (bad) chance, and unwillingly, while cleaning the innards of an Italian expresso coffee machine, that organic citric acid which you can buy at the pharmacy, diluted (two soup spoons of powder for one liter of water) in very hot water (close to boiling temp.) is a perfect dechroming agent.

For dechroming the Nikon S2 baseplate edges without damaging the camera back black trims, this can be tried out instead of the usual electrolytic acid baths.

 

[splitimageview]

I will try that on a test piece! Thanks.

In my experience the chrome removal was easier on Nikons that I painted, than on the Leicas. So maybe citric acid will remove it straight away.