Repairing a Minolta Autocord case

[GRHazelton]

I have a Minolta Autocord TLR in lovely condition, but its ever ready case is somewhat shabby. Some of the stitching is missing, not a good thing. So far my local shoe repair shops won't work on it perhaps since the stitching holds two pieces of leather at right angles. Does anyone have suggestions for the proper gauge or whatever thread for sewing heavy leather or luggage? The Tandy Leather website doesn't give much information useful to me. Many thanks!

 

[Trask]

I have a WORD document that lays out how to repair a camera case -- I found it several years ago somewhere on the web. Bear in mind that despite my own best intentions, I've never actually put this guidance into practice! It looks like I cannot attach a WORD file to this post, so if you can provide me with an email address by Starting a Conversation with me, I can send it along.

 

[GRHazelton]

I have a WORD document that lays out how to repair a camera case -- I found it several years ago somewhere on the web. Bear in mind that despite my own best intentions, I've never actually put this guidance into practice! It looks like I cannot attach a WORD file to this post, so if you can provide me with an email address by Starting a Conversation with me, I can send it along.

Many thanks! email is grhazelton2@hotmail.com

 

[Kino]

Here's an informative video where a Japanese gentleman restitches a Leica case and gives tips in both Japanese and English. Very informative.


I then invested $10 in a leather repair kit from China on Fleabay: https://www.ebay.com/itm/13-Leather...919705?hash=item4d98ac70d9:g:Ri4AAOSwTC1dNeLh

The thread is worth the purchase price alone and the tools are fair, but not built for professional daily use.

It took a bit of effort, but I was able to restitch an Ansco folder case myself in a few hours.

 

[Trask]

Many thanks! email is grhazelton2@hotmail.com

Document sent. Good luck!

 

[BAC1967]

I’ve repaired a few cases. Below is a Bolex movie camera case for a B8 or C8 camera. The first step was to remove the old thread, this is the hardest part because the rotted thread falls apart when you try to pull it through the holes. The next step was to sew it one direction using the old holes. As you can see in the second photo every other stitch is missing. This is because a machine uses two threads, you can do this by hand but it's much easier to just work with one thread. Originally this was done with a machine but it takes an expensive specialized machine to sew heavy material on a corner like this. After making one pass I made a second pass going back in the other direction sewing every loop that was skipped on the first pass.

Both sides of this case needed to be repaired. There is an inner part of this case that the camera mounts to but that thread still seems to be in good condition so I didn't do anything with it. You can see that there is a nail directly in the path of the stitches, there is an identical one on the other side as well. The nail supports a wood brace inside the case. I had to pull the nail out a little to sew past it. The leather on this case was still in pretty good condition so it worked out great.

There are a few sites that I looked at to learn how to do this and what needle and thread to use, probably the same as what Trask has.

 

[BAC1967]

This is the first case I repaired, it’s not my best work but it’s useable.

 

[thuggins]

In my experience, when the stitching has gone the leather is in pretty bad shape. I have though of getting thin strips of leather to serve as reinforcement and gluing it all together, but have never trying it. So many old cases, so little time...

 

[guangong]

Nope! Shoemakers don’t like to work on camera cases because repair means time consumer hand labor. I bought leather working tools from a leather shop in NYC decades ago and have repaired my Rollei TLR case, Contax, Super Ikonta and Leica ever ready cases as well as camera gear cases. YouTube or internet should have instructions on what kind of stitching should be used. As I noted in another thread, I am a great believer in cases.

 

[jim10219]

I've always used upholstery thread and needles. Sometimes you need an awl too, especially if you're making something instead of repairing it. Sometimes I'll wax it with carnuba wax to keep it from binding. If it's really thick, like a handle for a press camera that I'm making from multiple layers, I'll drill out the holes first. You're not supposed to, because it won't grip the thread well, but sometimes it's your best option. If you use a bit smaller than your thread's diameter, it'll still grip. I'll use contact cement to hold things in place before punching the holes and sewing. The type of stitching used is determined by the type of connection you're making. Look up shoe repair and saddle repair videos for more info on how to do proper leather stitches. They're different than traditional fabric stitches. Also, if the leather is stiff, apply some conditioner to it and let that absorb into the fabric. It'll make sewing easier, and will leases the likelihood of ripping the leather. If the leather is dry enough, it might take a few applications. If it's too far gone, you might be best off replacing it. Leather can only be brought back so far. At some point, it's not worth working on, as you'll spend hours repairing something that will just fall apart again.

I'm not claiming I do it correctly, but I've been repairing or making about one or two leather items a year ever since I was a kid in Boy Scouts, and never run into issues with my techniques.

In my experience, when the stitching has gone the leather is in pretty bad shape. I have though of getting thin strips of leather to serve as reinforcement and gluing it all together, but have never trying it. So many old cases, so little time...

I've done this too. It works. Use contact cement to hold them. However, it's a bit of a pain and doesn't work well if you have to repair large areas. Thin leather doesn't provide much support and thick leather gets in the way, as usually these cases don't have much room. It's good for a small spot, but if you have to do an entire seam, I think you're better off just replacing the entire piece of leather. Use the old one for a pattern and then dye the whole piece darker to match.