Ideas for recovering material for Bessa I

[photobizzz]

Well I have a good working Voigtlander Bessa I, vulcanite is original and crappy, peeling and worn out. I have stripped it off and saved it to use as a template. I took the top plate off and stripped off the chrome with fine sandpaper, buffed it, and polished it to a sweet brass shine. Now I just need to re-cover the body. I would just buy a sheet of vulcanite from microtools but it is too thick. What I peeled off was no thicker than two sheets of paper, nothing like the 1/16 thick vulcanite you can buy in sheets.

I was thinking of trying to find an old purse or something like that with thinner material. Any ideas on what I could use? I am sure someone here has run into this issue before and I could definitely use your experience.

I plan on using gorilla snot to adhere it to the body. (yellow mechanics glue) It is like pilo-bond but works better.

I appreciate any ideas you guys or gals can provide.

 

[hanskerensky]

You could have a look at the thin materials that bookbinders use.

 

[Proteus617]

Maybe an uncut sheet from cameraleather or Aki-Ashi?

 

[photobizzz]

AkaAshi stuff is too thick, not sure about cameraleather but they take a while, especially since they are in GB. I will check into bookbinding leather. That could be what I need. Thanks

 

[photobizzz]

Here is what I came up with, let me know what you think. I saw this faux red gator day planner. Synthetic material of course. Stripped the planner down to a 18" X 12" piece of covering. Xacto knife and metal ruler and E-6000 adhesive. Also the top plate, I stripped the chrome off and polished it last night. Thank God for dremels!

 

[photobizzz]

The color is actually darker looking than this photo shows, more of a maroon color. Not so pink.

 

[bgb]

Nice indeed ... giving my Bessa 1 funny looks at the moment 🙂

Going to stick with polished brass or going for color?

 

[photobizzz]

I think I will stick with the brass. The camera had a scuff on the top plate where someone dropped it, really the only reason I took the chrome off but I like it now. Getting paint to stick and not rub off is a pain anyways.

 

[Ken Smith]

Cameraleather.com is not in GB - they are in Burlington, Vermont. They do have a nice selection of replacement skins. Personally I wouldn't use Gorilla glue unless you plan on this being permanent . Some bamboo flyrod builders use Gorilla Glue or other polyurethane adhesive because of it's shear strength combined with flexibilty. I've repair delaminations in cane flyrods w/this stuff - it's brutally strong. The bamboo will break before the glue joint gives or delaminates. You'll have a dickens of a time cleaning it off the camera if you decide on another skin.

As for your selection of camera skin. I'll be honest - it looks gaudy, ugly, and out of place. Perhaps my view is due to having both a Bessa I and a Bessa II and admire their classic conservative looks. But it's your camera and whatever floats your boat. At least you won't have to worry about someone stealing it.

 

[photobizzz]

LOL, I guess to each their own. I guess I was misled with my thought on cameraleather being in GB. DOH. Anyway, I didnt use the gorilla snot. I did however used to work as a car mechanic and am well versed in the glue. It is not that hard to get off unless it dries under extreme heat, which my camera will not ever be under (hopefully). As my prior post stated I used E-6000 glue which is working quite nicely. I did have the option of buying the same material in faux black alligator, but thought with the brass the maroon would look nice. I think there will be some who agree, and some like Ken Smith who think my choice is gaudy, ugly, and out of place.

BTW: If you happen to check out a couple of the "camera porn" threads you will see many cameras covered in alternative coverings such as faux alligator, snake skin, ect. Not so far out there, but who knows I guess I don't have much style... 🙂