Customized cameras, anyone?

[FallisPhoto]

First custom covering job, so can't expect perfect results just yet..but I'm happy with the results.

You need to get a mat cutter. They are great for cutting straight lines with a lot of precision.

 

[Sauli Särkkä]

A mat cutter looks like one of those tools I'll use for other stuff, such as framing. Any experience with DAFA mat cutters for light work? Any good?

 

[FallisPhoto]

A mat cutter looks like one of those tools I'll use for other stuff, such as framing. Any experience with DAFA mat cutters for light work? Any good?

Well, it looks a lot like my Logan 440 http://www.dixieart.com/pb-teamsystem.jpg but made of plastic. The Logan 440 works pretty well, and it is what I use for cutting really big mats (and leather/leatherette). I'd go with Logan, if possible. Logan has standardized their systems, they are common, and pretty much every art supply store in the country carries the blades, cutters and other parts. With a Dafa, although it may cost a few bucks less (not a lot), you might have difficulty finding extra blades and such later on.

By the way, if you ever want to do something REALLY unusual: http://cgi.ebay.com/Genuine-Snakehe...ryZ83938QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
http://cgi.ebay.com/Genuine-STINGRA...ryZ83938QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
http://cgi.ebay.com/Giant-Bull-Frog...ryZ83938QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
http://cgi.ebay.com/PINK-GENUINE-NA...ryZ83938QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
http://cgi.ebay.com/Implora-Pink-RE...ryZ83938QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
http://cgi.ebay.com/pigskin-leather...ryZ83938QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
http://cgi.ebay.com/Tilapia-Nilotic...1QQcmdZViewItemQQ_trksidZp1638Q2em118Q2el1247

 

[Al Kaplan]

Somebody should make fake gold JCII stickers imprinted with the word FAILED.

 

[FallisPhoto]

Somebody should make fake gold JCII stickers imprinted with the word FAILED.

Now that actually made me laugh!😀

 

[Sauli Särkkä]

Here goes nothing: http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=280329729772

I'll probably end up getting less than what it cost me to get the pink leatherette, but oh well..one never knows.


-Sale

 

[FallisPhoto]

Here goes nothing: http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=280329729772

I'll probably end up getting less than what it cost me to get the pink leatherette, but oh well..one never knows.


-Sale

Well, it already has the first bid. Where does one get pink leatherette anyway?

 

[splitimageview]

Some of the very most durable leathers, like stingray....are very tough indeed, but are sheer hell to cut.

 

[mooge]

moi!

I modded a Hi-matic 7. replaced the auto-exposure stuff and consequently improved the shutter release...
http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=70795

cheers.

and I see you're at kyphoto's repair forum too! cool!

 

[FallisPhoto]

Oh, you can do it, but -- how did you cut it? All those little knobs are bone, so I'm guessing you went through at least 5 blades, cutting the leather for that. Did you sand it, to get the knobs to show white?

 

[Sauli Särkkä]

How was that stingray cut? Laser? Rough cut and sanding?

Well, it already has the first bid. Where does one get pink leatherette anyway?

I got the leatherette from a dealer on eBay. If anyone needs any, there's quite a lot of it left, since cameras only need a tiny bit to cover them completely.

I now have four Olympus 35 RCs and one already had the leatherette peeling off, so..off it came. I'm looking for a suitable replacement to make this one a bit different. I'll probably end up keeping one customized and another one in essentially perfect original condition and sell off two others once I get done servicing them. Not a lot to do anymore, I'm afraid. Just getting one spares camera to get a new optics assembly to replace one that has a dent on the filter ring and a scratched front element. Might as well replace the whole assy, since it should be the easiest way to handle it.


-Sale

 

[Sauli Särkkä]

I just couldn't help myself.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=280333186926

,,and, a fifth 35 RC is on the way here. Let's see where this takes me.. 😉


-Sale

 

[Sauli Särkkä]

Here's a quick snap of the camera:




-Sale

 

[Sauli Särkkä]

..and the story continues with a family portrait 🙂

http://www.saulisarkka.com/gallery/Cameras/slides/DSC_8907b-1.html
Left to right: snake skin, regular, dark green. I still want to test tan/orange, as well as cobalt blue on something.


-Sale

 

[FallisPhoto]

I just couldn't help myself.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=280333186926

,,and, a fifth 35 RC is on the way here. Let's see where this takes me.. 😉


-Sale

Well, you probably made a profit on the last one (unless you paid way too much for it). You have 7 bids on this one too, I see.

I dare you: http://www.toadfactory.com/Frog_Skin_Leather_Amphibian_Leather.htm

 

[Sauli Särkkä]

Yup, had a few extra pounds coming in on the last one, that'll allow me to perhaps get more tools and purchase another camera or two for more mods.. 🙂

That toad skin looks like another covering I might wanna try out at some point.. 😉

This thing has gotten out of hand. I repaired a Konica Auto S2's aperture and re-covered that in the same pink skin that I had on the Petri 7S and popped that back on eBay as well to see how that goes. I also have plans for a tan/orange Petri 7S, as well as a Petri 7S II in some other color.


-Sale

 

[urban_alchemist]

Here's a quick snap of the camera:




-Sale

That's awesome! What about a stingray RC? Or something really bright - like a mint green or Hermes Orange?

 

[Sauli Särkkä]

The 'ray skin sounds so difficult to work with, I'll stick with these easier materials for now 😉

(..but then again, later on, who knows?)

I wonder how well the stingray skin would handle laser cutting..

I have one unit that might just end up tan/orange, like a Petri 7S that I'll test the material on.


-Sale

 

[Sauli Särkkä]

The tan material arrived today, fairly soon after my previous post. Good thing I had the day off today, so things could happen..and an immaculate condition Petri 7S caught the flame 😉

My two-year-old daughter asked about the lens cap, why it was the wrong color (black), when the rest of the camera had already been finished...so tan goes the weasel..err lens cap. Only had to cut one part three times for the camera and twice for the lens cap cover. What a nice way to spend five and a half hours.

I don't know about you all, but I'm really liking this color against the chrome..and so many more to test. I should have a new shade of red on the table in a while as well as white for the heck of it.


-Sale

 

[FallisPhoto]

I wonder how well the stingray skin would handle laser cutting..

I'm not sure. All those bumps on a stingray skin are bone. You're sure not going to cut it with scissors. A laser might darken the edges a bit. I'd expect some kind of very sharp blades would be your best bet. You'd probably go through several though.

Edit: That Petri looks nice in that color, but you'd probably better do that piece on the latch cover again. On the screen, it looks just a mite too short. Does the selenium cell in the Petri still work?