to paint or not to paint?

S

spiderfrank

just a dreamer
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...this is the question! ;-)

What do you think? Should I repaint the black parts of my Kiev II body? They are a bit weared (of course), and I could clean them, then take my little spray gun and repaint all (flat black or gloss black?) with model enamel, but I'm concerned about the wearing of the new paint (I use the camera), so: did anybody made the same work? Any suggestions? Thank you ! (I could also decide not to touch anything)

Sorry for my bad English, I hope you can understand...

Franco
 
Your English is fine. Far better than my Italian -- I think a camera that looks worn in (not worn out) is fine. I have a black SLR that is brassed and worn and comfortable looking. You should be proud that you used your camera so long and so well. It makes you look like a photographer instead of a tourist or a collector! That's my thinking.
 
I bough it just worn, I'm at my third roll... it's older than me, so I cannot say "I bougth it new, and this is due to my use"
But yes... There is some "glory" in an old worn body ;-) I must decide if I want the glory or the beauty!
 
I know what you mean by the black parts on Kiev. There's raw metal underneath, not brass. I decided to keep my cameras "worn".

Also if you decide to paint, be careful in selecting a good paint. Model paint that is used in airbrushes isn't suitable. You need something aimed at car body touch-ups...
 
My suggestion would be, if you have to do it, do it flat black..(nero opaco). More durable to small scratches and also fingerprints.
 
spiderfrank said:
...this is the question! ;-)

What do you think? Should I repaint the black parts of my Kiev II body? They are a bit weared (of course), and I could clean them, then take my little spray gun and repaint all (flat black or gloss black?) with model enamel, but I'm concerned about the wearing of the new paint (I use the camera), so: did anybody made the same work? Any suggestions? Thank you ! (I could also decide not to touch anything)

Sorry for my bad English, I hope you can understand...

Franco
Click to expand...

Well, you are asking, in effect, two questions, whether to paint it or not and what kind of paint to use.

Whether or not to paint it:
What you have to think about is whether the camera has any collector value. If it does, then painting it will reduce its value. If it doesn't, then then whether or not you paint it is just a matter of personal taste. Kievs do not, as a general rule, have much collector value, so paint it if you want to.

What kind of paint to use:
DO NOT use model paint. Model paint (Testors, Model Master, Floquil and etcetera) will never set up hard enough to stand any wear at all. If you want to use enamel, what you want to use is automotive enamel paint. With enamels, the only exceptions to this, ever, would be for the flat black paint inside the camera, where you can use either Krylon Ultraflat Black or stove paint. Another possibility, for the exterior of a camera, would be epoxy appliance paint. There is also a two-part paint I've been hearing about, but I have never tried that and I can't tell you anything about it.

Note: automotive paint is not something you just spray on and wait for it to dry. After it dries, you will also have to bake it, to harden the paint (model paint just gets soft when you heat it). To bake it, you will need a box (cardboard will work fine, but an old metal toolbox is ideal if you want something more permanent). The box should not be too big -- about two or three cubic feet of volume. Inside the box you mount two 100-watt lightbulbs and cut a 1-inch hole in the top, to allow fumes and excess heat to escape. Once the paint dries, you put the painted camera in the box, turn on the lights, and wait at least 12 hours -- 48 would be better.
 
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SOS ZEBRA STATION ARE YOU HEARING ?

what exactly are you going to do with the KNEB logo of the Kiev II ?

Any way what I have done in my Kievs is to buy for 4 bucks a New black front plate from Alex photo goods, and then I painted the top and bottom plates only.

Glossy is beatutifull for me.

I used metal paint and a primer.

THE MOST IMPORTANT OF ALL AFTER NOT RUINING THE "KNEB" LOGO": drying should be done in a home cake oven at the lowest possible temperature, let's say no more than 40 centigrades.

But the extent of the hardening of the paint on your camera will depend upon how long you leave the metal parts inside the oven: minimun 24 hours. Optimal 48 hours. Prepare yourself for trouble with your wife.
 
Hi Ruben, if I'll decide to paint the camera, it will be only on the weared black parts of the back cover (90% is on the back), I'm not planning to paint the chromed parts, and the logo is nice, so I 'm not thinking to touch it. My breackfast oven starts from 60 degree, could it be dangerous for the leatherette * (it's still almost perfect - only three little bumps and some dirt) ?

* What is it? Real leather or synthetic material?

Ciao
Franco
ps: I'm doing a roll shooting for the 70% handheld at 1/25" or 1/10" ... I like that music... ;-)
 
What is it? Real leather or synthetic material?
Click to expand...
Probably real leather.


I disagree with all this stuff about baking. I'm not an expert at automotive paints and enamels, but the best advice I can give is follow the recommendations of the manufacturer of the paint. If it says BAKE, then bake, if it says LET DRY then just let it dry for a couple of days...
 
Spyderman said:
.....let it dry for a couple of days...
Click to expand...

..and polish. many people are just spraying.. (unless it's a matte paint wich i personally wouldn't use because it's prone to get finger-marks and turns glossy on exposed edges etc..)



m.
 
Robert, it may because we share an age of 59 and hope that our own signs of wear are appealing to others! :D Ciao!
 
Keep it beat-up and as used-looking as possible :) I have a couple old rangefinders that work fine with very sharp lenses, but they look like old beat-up tourist cameras - I call them my "ghetto cameras" -- it's what I take when I go into rough areas of the city. I figure they look a lot less interesting to would-be muggers. And if one does get grabbed, I'll just get another one on Ebay for $50! So I vote for no paint...
 
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