thetooth
Well-known
i just finished replacing my camera leather with black seal grain course . it looks pretty close to my m6 ttl in color and sheen the grain is slightly different .
pretty happy with the results and a quick and easy process . i used the wet method of application .
the hardest part is choosing the covering !!!
pretty happy with the results and a quick and easy process . i used the wet method of application .
the hardest part is choosing the covering !!!
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crawdiddy
qu'est-ce que c'est?
How difficult was it to remove the old vulcanite and adhesive from the M3?
Looks very nice, btw. Sort of hard to tell in the photos, because the new surface appears to be flat rather than shiny.
Looks very nice, btw. Sort of hard to tell in the photos, because the new surface appears to be flat rather than shiny.
35mmdelux
Veni, vidi, vici
I would like to rejacket my MP with Italian leather.
thetooth
Well-known
that was the longest part of the process . i used a small lock blade pen knife . some parts came off in chunks others did not i think it took about a hour to remove the covering and then another 15 minutes with GOO GONE to remove the adhesive . the directions are the website are spot on .
i enclosed another photo i did not realize the other ones were so small .
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payasam
a.k.a. Mukul Dube
A prettified M2.
Ron (Netherlands)
Well-known
also from the pictures on their website, I get the impression that their skins not quite make up in thickness compared to the original vulcanite (if you look carefully at the 'borders' you may spot that it doesn't match 100%). The skins from Aki Asahi appear to be more close, but I have no real proof or experience.
thetooth
Well-known
actually i just email morgan about that . the self timer side came up a touch short . i am sure he will have a remedy . the preview lever side came out perfect .
Frank Petronio
Well-known
I've had really great luck with several cameraleather.com skins, they stuck well even though I haven't been anal about getting all the glue and junk off the body and they fit amazingly well. I just stick it on dry and use a dull knife to press it into the corners. So far I have only used the cheap coverings but they've been forgiving.
Hat's off to Morgan! Recovering my Technika raised its resale value 2x ;-)
Hat's off to Morgan! Recovering my Technika raised its resale value 2x ;-)
sepiareverb
genius and moron
I don't have any before, but this is the after. Black Paradise Snakeskin on my M5. Love it.
Morgan had some of this on hand, worth asking him what other pieces he has lying around, stuff that there isn't enough of for a sample on the site. I'll add that he was fantastic to deal with.
Morgan had some of this on hand, worth asking him what other pieces he has lying around, stuff that there isn't enough of for a sample on the site. I'll add that he was fantastic to deal with.
thetooth
Well-known
looks good . now i am itching to to the m6 . nice way to personalize the camera without breaking the bank .
cwatgo1970
Member
To achieve a true factory grade bond you would have to somehow vacuum out the air from the glued layer. I'm not sure what exact adhesives (likely contact glue) Leitz used to apply the vulcanite, but it was run through a vacuum chamber afterwards to draw out most of the air between the adhered layers to create the near perfect bond. The only way perhaps a "do it yourselfer" might achieve similar results is with a vacuum bag system. Where an object is placed inside a strong platic bag, vacuumed of it's air until the platic shrinks around the object for a determined period of time. I imagine Leitz applied the vulcanite skin to the empty outer body shell prior to full assembly of the cameras internal portions. I myself, would rather keep it simple and just use the (pressure sensitive) adhesives.
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Bill58
Native Texan
Would you call that an "Aggie Vacuum Chamber"? Sorry TX only joke for another Texan.
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cwatgo1970
Member
*Huge Smile* Actually Bill, I think an "Aggie's" version of this would be to "push" out the air by placing the camera into an empty insecticide sprayer and pumping it untill it explodes. 
*Slaps Self* What am I saying?.... My Dad is an Aggie (C.O. 69) for crying out loud! Oh well, no one loves an Aggie joke more than an Aggie himself....right.
If you dig humor in "Aggie" ways, you would love how EAST TEXANS churn up ways to do things.
Best- Charles
*Slaps Self* What am I saying?.... My Dad is an Aggie (C.O. 69) for crying out loud! Oh well, no one loves an Aggie joke more than an Aggie himself....right.
If you dig humor in "Aggie" ways, you would love how EAST TEXANS churn up ways to do things.
Best- Charles
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Bill58
Native Texan
*Huge Smile* Actually Bill, I think an "Aggie's" version of this would be to "push" the air out by placing the camera into an empty insecticide sprayer and pumping it untill it explodes.
*Slaps Self* What am I saying?.... My Dad is an Aggie (C.O. 69) for crying out loud! Oh well, no one loves an Aggie joke more than an Aggie himself....right.
If you dig humor in "Aggie" ways, you would love how EAST TEXANS churn up ways to do things.
Best- Charles
......Explodes and kills the Aggie and everybody else nearby. Thanks for an even better example of "Aggie Engineering" Yeah--East TX engineering is probably more like "Hillbilly Engineering" I expect.
Bill
UT '68
Al Kaplan
Veteran
I reskinned one of my M2 bodies with a Camerleather skin a couple of years ago. It's held up well and the fit was perfect, but it is a tiny bit thinner than the original vulcanite. I used the one that's supposed to look like vulcanite and it's a pretty close match
FallisPhoto
Veteran
How is that holding up for you? I did a C-3 in red paradise snake (not from Cameraleather) a while back for a customer and it was worn out in a couple of years. If you have to go with exotic reptile leather, I think the lizard stuff holds up much better.
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Frankie
Speaking Frankly
From long experience and others', I learned the following:
- Minute air pockets trapped under the skin will eventually escape on their own. Leather is not air tight, not even gold foil vinyl lettering suck on glass [advice from a commercial sign installer].
- I did my ZM in lizard skin from cameraleather recently and fondle the camera regularly for a week just to be sure. Grained leather helps to hide air bubbles I cannot readily see.
- When laying down the leather, use an "unrolling" action, as if your are wet mounting wall paper.
- If you must, borrow a vacuum food sealer device you wife might already have. The camera body is not larger than a good steak.
FallisPhoto
Veteran
Doesn't that depend on the material? Some are thicker than others.
thetooth
Well-known
that's true . i am happy with the thickness end . it's tough to pick just one would like to try them all
helen.HH
To Light & Love ...
Heres a shot / M2 with Natural Lizard Skin
It took me all of 5 minutes to apply Skin -Dry Method Easy
However
it took me about 20 minutes to get off the original vulcanite
there were 3 difficult spots
but well worth the Effort
Morgan / www.Camerleather.com is Quite Fab to Deal with
She's a Beauty....
All the Best-H
It took me all of 5 minutes to apply Skin -Dry Method Easy
However
it took me about 20 minutes to get off the original vulcanite
there were 3 difficult spots
but well worth the Effort
Morgan / www.Camerleather.com is Quite Fab to Deal with
She's a Beauty....
All the Best-H
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