Here you go...
arigram said:
Thank you all guys!
Yes, it is indeed a wonderful thing to save an old camera from the trash.
So far, the areas that need to be worked on I discovered are:
- Patch the bellows
- Paint the bellows
- Glue the leatherette
- Paint the leatherette
- Get rid of rust
- Shine the metallic parts
- Clean the outside glass
- Clear fungus
- Clean the inside glass
- Unstuck, lubricate the mechanics
Do you have tips regarding the methods, tools and liquids for them?
Well, here's my input... I'm not sure how easy it will be to get some of these items where you are, but they've worked well for me!.
Starting from the top:
Bellows patch- I use Electrician's "Liquid Tape" made by the same company that makes "Plasti-Dip" for tool handles. I've found it in both black & red. It's pretty foul-smelling, so I take the camera out on the porch to apply. I paint it on with a couple of light coats, allowing a few hours between coats to dry. It stays flexible, and if you don't close up your bellows too soon the pleats won't stick together. If you have larger-than-pinholes in your bellows, dab some in the corners on the inside. You might want to tape off any areas underneath the bellows, in case of drips.
Painting bellows- If they're black I use bootblack, I picked some up at the local shoe repair shop. Although, the last time I repaired a leaky bellows I painted the whole bellows with Liquid Tape & didn't need to re-dye them.
Glue & Dye the leatherette- I use a leather contact cement, found it at the local leather shop. They also had the dyes for the leatherette.
Rust- I usually just sand with fine-grit paper & then finish with 00 steel wool. If it's really bad there are rust removers at the paint shop.
Shine- Brasso works for most of the older camera parts. I've also used "Flitz" or "Blue Max" which is a metal polishing paste. You don't want to use a paste on any surface that has been chromed.
Clean outside & inside glass- If you mean lens elements, I'm not going to touch that with a ten-foot-pole... There are more opinions on lens cleanings than "angels who can dance on the head of a pin"! You might want to do a search for lens cleaning techniques & find the one(s) that work best for you.
Fungus- This one I will touch... Mostly because if the lens has fungus on it, it might be a goner already- why not try to save it? I've used Ed Romney's suggestion of 50/50 mixture of hydrogen peroxide & household ammonia, as well as applying facial cold cream. If there is just a bit of fungus on the outside of the lens cell, then you can use a cotton swab to apply the 50/50 mixture. If the fungus is on the inside of the lens, then you have to disassemble the lens... no fun. I apply the cold cream on the cell, after it has been removed from the lens body, and then wipe it off with a soft cloth. Then follow with the 50/50 mixture to remove an residual fungus & cold cream. Settin the cell out in the sun for an hour or two should also kill off any fungus that is in the cement between the cell layers.
Mechanics- This depends on which mechanics you're referring to... I don't have a problem opening up most of the older shutters (Alphax, Betax, Graphex, etc.) as long as I don't try removing any of the internal mechanisms (man, you should see how far those spings can fly!). I use an electronic contact cleaner to thouroughly soak the interior & remove any gunk. I then apply a couple of drops of watchmaker's oil (Ny oil) to only the points in the shutter mechanics that have a rotating post showing. You definitely don't want oil anywhere else inside. I've never used dry graphite lubricant on the shutter leaf pivot points, but others have suggested that treatment. I usually just leave them dry & haven't had a problem to date.
If you're talking about camera body mechanics, the contact cleaner works well- but make sure you don't get any on the wood or leather parts... it can discolor them and can remove any glue/finish. The other option is to spray some WD-40 lubricant into a cup & use a cotton swab to apply it to the sticky part. I usually clean up the area with alcohol after using any lubricant.
I hope this helps! Here are a couple of links to some camera repair/restoration sites that I've found:
Richard Ritter has parts...
DIY Bellows!
Lotus View Cameras supplies bellows also
Creative Dialog Photographic
David's Cameras
Kevin Bourke restored a B&J 8x10
Parts (knobs, screws, bolts, etc.):
Small Parts Inc. (oh, man, do they have cool stuff!)
McMaster-Carr
Tools:
Micro-Tools Europe
Dead Link Removed
