Dust and Mold on Leather Case

[newfilm]

My recent purchase land me with a old leather camera bag that is very dusty and possibly fungus/mold on it, the camera itself looks fine, and the leather on the camera is also fine.

I wonder should I toss the old leather bag (its a 60-70s looking brown bag), to discourage future contamination with my other stuff?

Also, the camera itself is fine, i do notice some slightly curl edge of the black leather, I'm thinking of stealing some of my wife's "Woly Leather Cream" that she uses on her leather purse, would that work for the camera leather as well? I don't think it would corrode the camera right?

Also what do you guys use to stick the leather back to the camera if it falling off? Some site seems to suggest shellac paint, if that a correct choice? Again shellac should not corrode the metal under the leather and removable later with some alcohol should I need to remove the leather without damaging it for repair job again yes?

 

[kuuan]

Also what do you guys use to stick the leather back to the camera if it falling off?..

double stick duct tape works great!

 

[View Range]

This is what my experience has been. If the leather has fungus, throw it away immediately; the spores will get everywhere. (If glass has fungus, it can be cleaned.) If the leather has mold, try every cleaning method you can find, including borax. Try leaving it out in the hot sun for days. Try leaving it in low humidity. Then when you get frustrated by the continuing smell, throw it away. I've found it nearly impossible to effectively clean extreme mold from wood, cardboard and paper. Plastics seem to eventually come good, but takes a long time. Metals and glass respond better to cleaning.

A leather treatment with lanolin is surely safe on any surface.

I use rubber cement to re-attach leather to metal.

 

[newfilm]

I'll guess I'll get rid of the bag instead of risking it contaminate my other stuff then.

Hm... isn't rubber cement kind of acidic? Wont that starts to corrode the body over time? I tried to search to "archival" quality glue, but they seems to be made largely for paper not leather on metal.

 

[View Range]

http://elmers.com/product/detail/E425 This rubber cement is acid free.

Rubber cement has been used for decades to re-attach leather. I've never heard of it causing body corrosion. But I've never removed what I have glued to find out either.