Pliobond or other contact cement?

Anyone thinking of using pliobond or another contact-type cement to reattach leatherette to a Rolleiflex? I have a suggestion:

DON'T!!!!!!

Unless you are very familiar with the proper way to do strong but removable application with such cements, you will basically be sealing up a fine tool that is designed to be opened and serviced. Contact cement is designed to make a permanent joint. I know that there are ways to use Pliobond and other contact cements that lead to removable leatherette. But if you don't know how to do this, you make a gigantic mess for the next person.

Signed, 'the next person' who just spent 25 minutes trying to open one side of a 2.8D and is looking forward to the same hellacious experience on the focus knob side because someone basically contact cemented not just the leatherette but ran enough glue into joints that the whole panel was stuck so I expect the focus side to be just as bad.

(and oh yeah, thread locker on Rolleiflex screws? DON'T. Seriously, what were they thinking??)

So what do you recommend instead of Pliobond?

sorry to hear that you had a frustration.

So, putting a layer on each surface and letting it dry before assembling is a bad idea?

What is the preferred method of use?

Put a layer on the leather/leatherette, leave the camera side clean.

Are you sure it was a contact cement - could have been something stronger...

Being you use shade tree solvents for cleaning I'm sure you will source something similar to dissolve the glue. Heaven forbid you try 90% IPO or acetone based finger nail polish.

P.S.
If this Weldwood contact cement was used https://www.amazon.com/Weldwood-Con...8447882&sprefix=contact+cement,aps,252&sr=8-4 I too would be upset.
If this Weldwood contact cement was used https://www.amazon.com/25332-Weldwo...447718&sprefix=contact+cement,aps,252&sr=8-10 it should be flexible and removable.
This Pliobond cement https://www.amazon.com/VOC-Complian...id=1608447970&sprefix=pliobond,aps,414&sr=8-2 dries flexible and should be easy to remove.

I have small tubes of Cemedine Super-X sent to me from Japan. It's slow-setting and in some cases, leatherette might need to be held down with tape overnight as the adhesive cures. But it remains somewhat pliable, can be removed with naptha and has little odor.

I use thread locking compound particularly on newer Zenit cameras which seem prone to loose screws, but I use the low-strength formula which still allows for easy removal.

I use my wife's fingernail polish as a thread holder . On some lens shutter assemblies the internal screws are always one half twist from shearing . Peter

1. The prescribed method is to apply the rubber cement to the leatherette only and position it while still wet.
2. What utopia do you inhabit where leatherette can be expected to come off in one piece? I've had it come off in one piece on rare occassions, for which I always make appropriate thanks to the gods. But in most cases the covering will never come off in one piece.

thuggins said:

2. What utopia do you inhabit where leatherette can be expected to come off in one piece? I've had it come off in one piece on rare occassions, for which I always make appropriate thanks to the gods. But in most cases the covering will never come off in one piece.

Click to expand...

THIS is utopia I am inhabiting? How depressing.

I get leatherette off of Rolleis in one piece most of the time. Probably 95% I'd say. Even in this case where some form of contact cement had been used for permanent mounting (cement on both surfaces), the piece came off with just one tear. Sure, it came off by leaving the bottom layer of the leatherette itself on the camera body, but it came off. The one tear, at the narrow section where it goes around the raised metal area, went back in place fine as the two pieces mated back up closely.

I use UHU shoe&leather
It does the job and it’s easy removable.

I had a number of Yashica FX-3 cameras recovered. The material used was vinyl normally used for outdoor stairs treads. It has adhesive on the back and is textured for a good grip. My repairman told me that he liked the material but not the adhesive. He used solvent to remove the adhesive and after cleaning up the camera, attached the new material with pliobond. So far it has worked well.