Looking for a beater Zorki 6 to repaint

[Justin Low]

Hi!

I plan to repaint one of my Leicas, and I'm looking for a Zorki (6, preferably) to practice on.

So it doesn't really matter if there are lots of marks on the chrome, but I'd prefer not to have severe dents and dings.

Please drop me a line if you have one that fits the bill. I'd pay for it, of course! 🙂

Thanks!

 

[santino]

exscuse my dumb qestion but why exactly a Zorki 6?

 

[TVphotog]

Check with Oleg at okvintagecamera.com or Yuri at Fedka. They would be the first place I would check. Other than them, the only other place is the big bay. Alex-photo, who is on vacation till the 22nd of August, is a great seller and may be able to help as well.

 

[Justin Low]

Thanks for tips.

Why a Z6? I've owned a Z1 and Z4 before, so I'd like to try something new.

 

[TVphotog]

The Z6 has a few advantages over the Z4. As I see it, the biggest advantage is the hinged back. Next would be the lever wind, which, when you get a good one, is much better than the Z4K. I think with the straight across top, the Z6 looks a lot sleeker and a bit more modern than the Z4/Z4K. Lastly, the rangefinder has a longer base and therefore, when calibrated properly, is more accurate than the shorter based Z4 family. Not to mention it looks really cool painted black😀

 

[ZorkiKat]

It's easier to paint a Z-6

It's easier to paint a Z-6

Repainting Zorki-6 is also easier than a Zorki-1 or Zorki-4/4K. With a Zorki-6 or Zorki-6, both top plate and bottom plate come as single pieces. To work on the top plate, only the external parts need to be removed.

On a Zorki-1 or Zorki-4, the top plate is made of two parts- the RF cover and the main top plate. To work on these parts require major disassembly. The shutter crate and rangefinder components need to be removed to take out the
top plate for refinishing.

For the same reason, FED-2 and later models are easier to paint too.

Jay

 

[TVphotog]

You should be able to. I don't own a Z5, but on all of my other Zorkis, the top plates are made out of brass. If you are going to strip it anyway, why not sand a bit of the chrome off and see what is beneath it? Most likely it will be brass.

 

[ZorkiKat]

Its chrome-nickel-brass

Its chrome-nickel-brass

Does anyone know what the plates are made out of on a Z5? I was wondering if they could be stripped with muriatic acid like a Fed 2 that I did once.

Patrick

Its brass. It was a scrapped Zorki-5 top plate which I used for trying out an experiment in chrome removal. The top layer is chrome, but there is an intermediate nickel layer.

I posted the chrome removal method here a few weeks ago. The process involves 2 steps of 'reverse electrolysis' to remove both the chrome and nickel layers. The process works fast- all the chrome and nickel are removed in less than 15 minutes. No sanding, and the hard to reach nooks are totally cleared.
No sanding means that the plate's structure is not harmed, or even thinned by abrasive methods.

Jay

 

[Justin Low]

There aren't many Zorki-6s on eBay right now, so I guess I'll post a WTB shortly. Thanks!