Any ideas how to remove old coat on Nikon FE?

MFstooges · Dec 18, 2011

I have a Nikon FE that is full of ugly scratches. I'm thinking of removing the chrome and repaint it with silver or black. I want to avoid using sandpaper since it is time consuming and it will be very difficult to remove the coat from narrow corners. Should I brush it with paint remover? Or brake fluid?

CGW · Dec 18, 2011

MFstooges said:
I have a Nikon FE that is full of ugly scratches. I'm thinking of removing the chrome and repaint it with silver or black. I want to avoid using sandpaper since it is time consuming and it will be very difficult to remove the coat from narrow corners. Should I brush it with paint remover? Or brake fluid?

Don't forget the matches...

Seriously, why bother? Repainting, apart from very careful touch-ups of small nicks if you must, usually results in a camera that looks worse. Flooding a camera with solvents is asking for trouble.

Is the camera working properly?

BrianShaw · Dec 18, 2011

... and besides, beat up amateur cameras look more professional. Wear those scratches like badges of honour!

Bob-D659 · Dec 18, 2011

Forget paint remover and brake fluid, to remove chrome, you need a deplating bath and equipment, and the acids involved won't leave you with a usable camera unless you remove the plated parts first.

paul ron · Dec 19, 2011

BrianShaw said:
... and besides, beat up amateur cameras look more professional. Wear those scratches like badges of honour!

+1 on that brother. Those are battle scars, heard earned badges of honor. An old camera should look old otherwise go buy a new camera.

Perhaps a better option may be to look for a nice looking junker to swap out beauty armor?

Steve Smith · Dec 19, 2011

Do you actually need to remove the chrome before painting?

Steve.

MFstooges · Dec 19, 2011

Steve Smith said:
Do you actually need to remove the chrome before painting?

Steve.

The only time I painted over chrome was on my BMX fork and it chipped easily. Not sure about satin chrome though.

CGW · Dec 19, 2011

MFstooges said:
The only time I painted over chrome was on my BMX fork and it chipped easily. Not sure about satin chrome though.

It's called chrome. They're not plated in either finish. Sand away. Don't forget some new leather. This place has you covered:

http://cameraleather.com/

Fake fur is another option.

steven_e007 · Dec 19, 2011

To remove chrome plating from brass - you first need to be sure it is chrome plating on brass - you use hydrochloric acid. This is, I believe, still known by it's old name of muriatic acid in some parts of the world.

It is really nasty stuff and obviously you'd need to completely strip the camera down and treat ONLY the chrome parts.

This is possible with simple folding cameras and cameras where you can easily remove, say, a chrome top plate. I can't see it as being feasible with a complex SLR. If you did manage to strip it down and just have the body parts by themselves - I would give them to a pro plating company and get them to strip and re-plate it for you. I've done this with motorbike bits before and it isn't so difficult to get done or so expensive - it is stripping the camera down this far (and putting back together!) that would be completely out of the question IMHO.

resummerfield · Dec 19, 2011

CGW said:
.....Seriously, why bother? Repainting, apart from very careful touch-ups of small nicks if you must, usually results in a camera that looks worse......

Leave it alone. An amateur job of painting a camera will only make it look worse, and the resale value will drop to zero. Just clean the camera, and wear those scratches as a badge of honor!

BobD · Dec 19, 2011

You know, you could just replace the top and bottom covers taken from a donor camera, preferably one that has nicer looking parts than yours but doesn't work.

But, then you'd miss out on all that sanding and hydrochloric acid fun.

CGW · Dec 19, 2011

BobD said:
You know, you could just replace the top and bottom covers taken from a donor camera, preferably one that has nicer looking parts than yours but doesn't work.

But, then you'd miss out on all that sanding and hydrochloric acid fun.

Not to mention the pride of ownership that comes from shooting a camera that looks like it was restored by a malicious ten year old. Just leave it alone or get a prettier one.

John Koehrer · Dec 20, 2011

Wander over to rff, they have a thread or two on repainting cameras including a number of links. The covers there are just as easy/hard to clean and refinish.

Everybody here today seems soooo negative. =)

BobD · Dec 21, 2011

Actually, this thread has given me an idea. Buy old, brassy black SLRs and strip off all the black paint. Then buff and polish with Brasso to gleaming perfection. It will be the next big thing in hipster camera gear.

dehk · Dec 21, 2011

I have a black one here for parts..... and silver.

E. von Hoegh · Dec 21, 2011

BobD said:
Actually, this thread has given me an idea. Buy old, brassy black SLRs and strip off all the black paint. Then buff and polish with Brasso to gleaming perfection. It will be the next big thing in hipster camera gear.

Lacquer it and you'll probably be able to sell them
There are also many very durable finishes that spray on, then are baked in your oven. All colors. The clueless hipsters will probably eat it up.

Mustafa Umut Sarac · Jan 1, 2012

If you want real fun , send it to camera repair shop and order a gold electroplating. There is a shop here , sell all Leicas with gold electroplating , ugliest things I have ever saw But if titanium or hasselblad indium coating means something.
If you have no money , leave it alone , old nikons are sexy.

Umut

F/1.4 · Jan 1, 2012

Just buy a new one off KEH

removed-user-1 · Jan 1, 2012

Mustafa Umut Sarac said:
leave it alone , old nikons are sexy.

What he said.

Any ideas how to remove old coat on Nikon FE?

removed-user-1

Privacy & Transparency

Privacy & Transparency