Chrome peeling and flaking

[Spider67]

Hi I just got a Leica III that I am already loving....but the chrome on the backside is in bubbles and flaking away. I don't mind the measly look (just get's more personality perhaps "Measles" will be it's nick from now on).
What can/should I do to stop that process? Is ther any kind of lacquer I can put on it after the chrtome peeld away from the affected area?

 

[dougdarter]

If the chrome is peeling away, it could be for two reasons. The first is poor quality plating - this happens a lot with cameras produced
just after the war (for obvious reasons), or two, corrosion under the chrome plating. In either case, there is really very little you can do.

It's a fairly simple (and cheap) job to replace the top plate. You would lose the original serial number though.

 

[jolefler]

A badge of honor, the duelling scars of it's life. It'll prolly still outlast ya'!

 

[LeicaTom]

Spider,

With a Leica III that`s just age, it was possibly stored where weather anc climate had something to do with the corrosion - normally Leica III`s are more prone to wear and tear and brightmarks on the surfaces then corrosion, but anything can happen to a Leica and it has!

The Leica IIIC runs after 410000+ have been nortorious for chrome peel, seems that Leitz had some bad batches of chrome plating salution (contaminated) going on once or twice in the late 40`s and late "flattop" IIIC`s and early IIIF`s suffer from this alot, nothing I know you can do for it, cept do what Mick Jagger said.......paint it black!

Tom

 

[Spider67]

Thanks folks,
As said I don't mind the look. So neither painting nor changing the topplate is an option. Just wanted to know if it's Ok if I peel away the bubbles and put some lacqer over it or if I should even sand over lightly the red measles to stop the rust. As i clearly don't want to watch the top plate getting holes.
PS: it has a 49XXXXXX serial number does that meke it an early Leica IIIF? Is there a site where I can get info when it was made?

 

[payasam]

As Tom said, bad chrome was a problem with Leicas made shortly after WW2.

[edit] According to one source, 49XXXX would be a IIIc from 1949 or 1950.

 

[Spider67]

Thanks payasam.....The more often I read your nick the mor oftem I am tried to order it on of these days...as I am a forty year old kid with a beard.

 

[Daryl J.]

My 49xxxx IIIc with a self timer has heavily blistered chrome. But it matches the patinal of the rest of the camera which was once owned by a professional photographer and was his work camera.

 

[peterm1]

As another post says this was not uncommon with camera equipment made during and just after the war. German cameras suffer it and it is something often seen on some Japanese ones too - Canon rangefinders come to mind.

 

[Ronald M]

Early post war plating issue due to shortage of materials.