Faux leather regluing?

[Markster]

Say you have some of that faux leather covering some of your camera, and it's peeling up. I guess the years, the humidity, perhaps the cold (I take my camera on skiing/snowshoing trips) have got to it and the glue is breaking down. Some parts are curling up.

What is the best way of gluing this back down? First thing that comes to mind is rubber cement, but then I think "naaah.. surely that's not right!"

Also how damaging is it to remove perfectly good faux leather? I have a power winder that won't open because the leather is in good condition. I peeled up a corner then realized I didn't know 1) how to glue it back on, 2) whether like a sticker I would ruin/warp/distort the shape in the process of peeling it off, and 3) if I could live without it assuming I couldn't get it back on in good order.

 

[bsdunek]

My favorite is automotive gasket cement. Traditionally, shellac was used to secure covering. The nice thing is, it will dissolve in alcohol when you want to remove it or do clean up. I find Permatex 20539 Indian Head Gasket Shellac works well.

Some use Pliobond, but I find that difficult to control and nearly impossible to remove. On the other hand, it you do a good job, your covering will never come loose.

 

[Dan Daniel]

If the back is relatively smooth and the surface it is going on to is pretty clean, I've had good look with transfer tape. This is made by 3m and available in most art stores. It is basically a thin layer of rubber cement-type adhesive in tape form. It is expensive, and it has its own difficulties in working with it. I used it in my job for years so I am comfortable working with it.

You can buy wide rolls of it, for maybe $100 for a 6 inch wide roll. Or I get a 1 inch roll and lay it out edge to edge. The best way to work with it is to lay the tape out on a sheet with the adhesive facing up- use masking tape at the ends to hold it in place. Then put the leatherette on the adhesive and press it down hard. Now, and this is the tricky part, take a sharp X-acto knife blade and trace along the edge. You want to score the adhesive; don't try going through the backing paper. Then lift the material up. Any little dots of tape along the edge of the material will roll away easily after application.

Licking the tape surface before putting the panel into place will make the adhesive less aggressive during positioning.

Well, I've worked with this tape for 25 years so I am very comfortable with it. And for re-applying coverings, it is excellent. Super thin, super tacky. It gets stronger as time goes on, and can be easily removed by rubbing or using another tape to lift it off. No solvents or other chemicals. You'll probably have it stick to everything at first if you haven't used it before.

 

[Q.G.]

I use rubber cement.
It sticks pretty well. Is easily removed. And hasn't eaten into any of the leatherette pieces, nor the metal those are stuck to, i used it on yet.

 

[Hops]

I use contact cement. Works perfectly and seems to be the correct application for this kind of glue.

It's best to get the old cement off. I've found that naptha works great for this, followed by alcohol to remove any petroleum residue. If you have a delicate piece of leatherette to work with, and are afraid of tearing it while you rub the old cement off, (like the piece surrounding the eyepiece on a Nikon F2) you can stick the leatherette to a piece of duct tape. Then you can apply as much elbow grease as necessary without breaking it.

 

[Whiteymorange]

Pliobond

 

[thisismyname09]

I've found that regular old super glue works nicely for reattaching leatherette.

 

[Q.G.]

I think it's about time to differentiate between leatherette that may stay on forever, and such that might need to come off because it covers screws that need to be accessed when the camera is serviced.
Super glue and the like will not work for the latter. Things like rubber cement will work for both.