mszargar
Established
I have a Rolleiflex D, and you can guess, I am very fond of it. It is an amazing piece of equipment to have that makes great images. It has done its pilgrimage to Harry Fleenor's workshop and it works a la perfection.
Although the camera already looks great, I find that the yellowing paint in the engravings, the chipping paint here and there, and the left over glue in the corners and around the leatherette take off a lot of its shine. I have decided to make this a summer project, but I want to make sure I do it the right way.
So, here are my questions:
1) How can I remove the leftover glue from the leatherette, the chrome-coated brass surfaces, and the stainless steel surfaces without damaging them? (looks like pvc or polibond)
2) What tool can I used to clean the corners and the tiny cavities that have gathered dust and skin fat for well over five decades -- again without damaging the surfaces?
3) How can I clean the engravings in the metal before refilling them?
4) What paint should I use in order to fill the engravings? (Is modelling enamel paint good enough - like Testors paints?)
5) The black paint of the camera body is mostly intact, but it has been a bit scratched, chipped or eroded here and there over the years. What is a good, not overly shiny, and not overly matt paint to cover those? Note that the paint must adhere to exposed metal surfaces, so it shouldn't be rubbed off easily!
And by the way, the camera is not a collector's camera, but a shooter. That is why I allow myself to pimp it up a little bit.
Thanks a lot for sharing your experiences.
Mah
Although the camera already looks great, I find that the yellowing paint in the engravings, the chipping paint here and there, and the left over glue in the corners and around the leatherette take off a lot of its shine. I have decided to make this a summer project, but I want to make sure I do it the right way.
So, here are my questions:
1) How can I remove the leftover glue from the leatherette, the chrome-coated brass surfaces, and the stainless steel surfaces without damaging them? (looks like pvc or polibond)
2) What tool can I used to clean the corners and the tiny cavities that have gathered dust and skin fat for well over five decades -- again without damaging the surfaces?
3) How can I clean the engravings in the metal before refilling them?
4) What paint should I use in order to fill the engravings? (Is modelling enamel paint good enough - like Testors paints?)
5) The black paint of the camera body is mostly intact, but it has been a bit scratched, chipped or eroded here and there over the years. What is a good, not overly shiny, and not overly matt paint to cover those? Note that the paint must adhere to exposed metal surfaces, so it shouldn't be rubbed off easily!
And by the way, the camera is not a collector's camera, but a shooter. That is why I allow myself to pimp it up a little bit.
Thanks a lot for sharing your experiences.
Mah
Dan Daniel
Well-known
1- toothpicks. Wooden. Push the glue around to loosen. If not effective, start applying solvents. Alcohol- naphtha- acetone. In that order. Acetone will eat paint, dissolve leather coloring, etc. Last option, and must be applied very precisely and lightly.
2- alcohol on q-tips. Do not soak the leather with alcohol.
3- alcohol on a sonic toothbrush. Really. Also gets the crud out of the focus knob serrations.
4- hmmm... cleaning has pretty well done enough for me. Oil paint, artist oils? Paint thinner to clean overflow?
5- I use a Tamiya model paint meant for plastic. The black matches the Rollei pretty well. Try to flow it into chips, etc., not brush on. After a few days rub down with fine cotton clothe.
By the way, where is there stainless on the exterior of a Rolleiflex? I can think of only aluminum and chromed brass.
2- alcohol on q-tips. Do not soak the leather with alcohol.
3- alcohol on a sonic toothbrush. Really. Also gets the crud out of the focus knob serrations.
4- hmmm... cleaning has pretty well done enough for me. Oil paint, artist oils? Paint thinner to clean overflow?
5- I use a Tamiya model paint meant for plastic. The black matches the Rollei pretty well. Try to flow it into chips, etc., not brush on. After a few days rub down with fine cotton clothe.
By the way, where is there stainless on the exterior of a Rolleiflex? I can think of only aluminum and chromed brass.
Ronald M
Veteran
Laquor sticks Micro tools. Dig out all ALL the old paint. Rub stick over engraving, rub off excess. After 24 hours, the left over haze will wipe off. You can not get it all at one time.
David Hughes
David Hughes
Hi,
Wax crayons rubbed into the engravings have been suggested, some say by Leica repair people...
Regards, David
Wax crayons rubbed into the engravings have been suggested, some say by Leica repair people...
Regards, David
coelacanth
Ride, dive, shoot.
My M2-R had some missing engraving fills. Youxin Ye recommended fill-in paint which is basically wax crayon like David said. The one I got is called Lacquer-Stik Fill-In Paint.
I can't be happier with the result. Indistinguishable from the original part from 1969. (darker area in photos are just the wear marks the disk had to begin with)
I can't be happier with the result. Indistinguishable from the original part from 1969. (darker area in photos are just the wear marks the disk had to begin with)
Vintage35
Established
What about a large area like the red dot on the face plate of a Contax IIa? it's about 3/32 to 1/8 inch across.
B-9
Devin Bro
Easy, use a dropper, or syringe to get yourself a good drip of red. Gravity will do the rest, with a good palm slap or two.
Idk if I would use enamel, as it takes FOREVER to air dry, and even longer to fully harden. Ide be tempted to thin down a bit of acrylic craft paint instead. Why not a green dot then
David Hughes
David Hughes
HI,
That's interesting, I used crayon, pinched from the grandchildren and found it very easy to match the exact shade of off-white or faint yellow I needed.
Regards, David