Keith
The best camera is one that still works!
Just checked in on this thread to find some Yorkshireman is stirring the pot again! LOL
Olive oil has magical qualities and should never be under estimated!
Keith
The best camera is one that still works!
Actually tea tree oil is fantastic stuff if you can get it. It removes most types of gunk, smells fantastic and rejuvinates Leica vulcanite like nothing else!
It's the oil from the melaleuca tree! http://www.teatreeoiluses.com/
It's the oil from the melaleuca tree! http://www.teatreeoiluses.com/
Sparrow
Veteran
... the baby oil and extras will be next, just mark my words ...
_mark__
Well-known
I had seriously bad times with new Leica paint and isopropanol alcohol on an M7!
ruffian_on_the_stair
Newbie
Thanks everyone. In the end I went with what I had about the house so I got the bulk off with vegetable oil (was curious to see how it would work and it was very good) and tackled the few very stubborn marks with acetone (carefully!). Now it looks and feels so fantastic, an entirely different machine to the taped up thing I got down from the loft. I suppose my Dad was just very paranoid about badly scratching the thing having spent a lot of money on it, and I guess with Leica's being valuable things you want to be able to get a good price for them if you re-sell. Funnily now it's clean I feel exactly the same but have found a good soft case to protect it when not in use; I have the original ever-ready case but I don't think I'd feel very safe keeping it in there! Thanks again.
kshapero
South Florida Man
How about nail polish remover with Acetone as its main ingredient for getting the glue of a Nikon F?
anu L ogy
Well-known
mayonnaise will remove anything sticky.
Archiver
Veteran
Great find, and I'm glad you got the gunk off your cameras.
I have my Dad's Pentax and Minolta SLR's. I sometimes wish he'd bought Leicas instead!
I have my Dad's Pentax and Minolta SLR's. I sometimes wish he'd bought Leicas instead!
El Jonbre Grande
Established
I second tea tree oil or here in AU we have goop remover based on orange oil.
Richard G
Veteran
We have Eucalyptus oil handy in the kitchen cupboard for the residue of price labels etc. That would work.
Nomad Z
Well-known
Speaking of orange zest and orange oil goop removers, in my oil painting days, I used a product called Zest-It as a substitute for turpentine...
http://www.zest-it.com/zest-it.htm
Far more benign than inhaling the fumes from turps, and actually quite a pleasant smell. I haven't tried it for cleaning adhesive, but might be worth a go, given that it's quite refined. Quite possibly available from an art supplies shop near you. Next time I have adhesive residue to remove, I'll give it a try.
On cleaning vulcanite with lighter fluid, I would be very careful. I tried this on my Zorki 4, and found that the cleaning cloth acquired a big black stain, and the vulcanite/leatherette went from shiny to matt. Got the same thing with IPA. (Maybe that's a job for Zest-It.)
http://www.zest-it.com/zest-it.htm
Far more benign than inhaling the fumes from turps, and actually quite a pleasant smell. I haven't tried it for cleaning adhesive, but might be worth a go, given that it's quite refined. Quite possibly available from an art supplies shop near you. Next time I have adhesive residue to remove, I'll give it a try.
On cleaning vulcanite with lighter fluid, I would be very careful. I tried this on my Zorki 4, and found that the cleaning cloth acquired a big black stain, and the vulcanite/leatherette went from shiny to matt. Got the same thing with IPA. (Maybe that's a job for Zest-It.)