"Leathery" material on cameras peeling

trondsi

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Jun 29, 2015
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The black leathery material on my Voigtlander and Rolleiflex cameras is peeling, and it seems dry. I live in a place with very dry air so I'm guessing that's the reason. What's the recommended materials for 1. making it stick again and 2. moisturizing the materials? (I have some paste for true leather)
 

John Koehrer

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We used to use Pliobond contact cement BUT didn't use glue on two surfaces, just one.
If you use it on both surfaces it's a very permanent bond on one the leather can gently be worked loose
using alcohol as a gentle solvent.
 

moto-uno

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I've also had good luck with Home Bond White glue . Just be careful with how much you use , as the excess white glue
doesn't seem to match the covering . I weigh the joint down for an hour or so to keep it flat . Peter
 

Sirius Glass

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Rubber cement can be used to reglue pealing camera skins.
 

Dan Daniel

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Just to warn you, the old Rollei leather is a reconstituted material, leather scraps pressed together. Too much conditioner or alcohol can start to melt it out and cause the embossing to disappear or lessen.

And when it gets dried out, it can be a real problem to get it to sit back flat again.

You might think about getting new coverings if things get too difficult and too ugly.
 

jlbruyelle

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For my Mamiya C220 I (reluctantly) followed Micro-Tools' advice to use double sided adhesive tape (not the one that they sell), and I was very pleasantly surprised. It can be removed if necessary, and 2 years later it still adheres perfectly.
 
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