RE: [Leica] VULCANITE MAINTENANCE

[Jem Kime <jem.kime@cwcom.net>]

Like you,
I tried covering another camera previously, in my case it was a Zorki 4 in 
1977!
I fitted red leather to it and painted the rest of it with gold paint in 
homage to the Luxus! I even Letraset-ed the words Leica M6 to it before the 
camera existed for real!
Ah! Student days...
Jem

- -----Original Message-----
From:	Dan Post [SMTP:dpost@triad.rr.com]
Sent:	07 May 2000 18:00
To:	leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us
Subject:	Re: [Leica] VULCANITE MAINTENANCE

Glue? Well there are several thoughts about that!
Personally, I have used 'contact cement', sparingly- though is some oozes
from under the cover, the remover will take it off.
The only caveat is that  you put it on, it is on- no way to reposition it,
so applying it is rather critical.
I put a moroccan leather cover on a Petri as practice, and found that the
tip I read- using rubber cement in the middle, and using only the contact
cement around the adges allowed some margin for error, and let me position
it better before rolling down the edges, but I think that a little care
would go a long way.
Good Luck! Let us know how it goes!
Dan

- ----- Original Message -----
From: "Jem Kime" <jem.kime@cwcom.net>
To: <leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us>
Sent: Sunday, May 07, 2000 12:06 AM
Subject: RE: [Leica] VULCANITE MAINTENANCE


> Dan,
> thanks again. I can now understand why the last Leica 1 I bought had had
> the rattlesnake skin applied (well I think it was lizard actually...) 
it's
> obviously easier to come by than Vulcanite. I suppose imports from Vulcan
> only come once in a blue (Vulcan) moon!
> I'll give it a whirl, there's little left to lose if things go pear
shaped.
> Any suggestions for glue? Perhaps a UHU leather type ?
>
> regards,
> Jem
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Dan Post [SMTP:dpost@triad.rr.com]
> Sent: 06 May 2000 23:26
> To: leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us
> Subject: Re: [Leica] VULCANITE MAINTENANCE
>
> No- the heat- actually very warm- never too hot to hold- merely made the
> material flexible. Sort of like heating treacle- to the point it bends
> without breaking, but not to where it 'melts'.
> If the chuck missing is fairly substantial, and you are wanting to make
the
> camera usable, and decent looking- the a new cover might be the way to 
go.
> Personally- If the cover on the IIIa gets damaged or breaks again I will
no
> doubt find one of those die-cut covers, and totally replace the 
vulcanite.
> I
> might even cover it with rattlesnake skin, and get the Japanese guy to
> paint
> it dark maroon!
> Dan ( Wild Child) Post
> -----------------------------------------------------
> Click here for Free Video!!
> http://www.gohip.com/free_video/
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Jem Kime" <jem.kime@cwcom.net>
> To: <leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us>
> Sent: Saturday, May 06, 2000 12:21 AM
> Subject: RE: [Leica] VULCANITE MAINTENANCE
>
>
> > Dan,
> > Thanks for a comprehensive post, most of which I knew but there were a
> few
> > ideas there. Sadly there's a fair chunk of vulcanite missing but I 
might
> > try some repair work just in case that can be utislised with some other
> > vulcanite form elsewhere. Did you notice if the heat application
smoothed
> > the tectured surface of the material or not?
> >
> > Jem
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Dan Post [SMTP:dpost@triad.rr.com]
> > Sent: 06 May 2000 00:30
> > To: leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us
> > Subject: Re: [Leica] VULCANITE MAINTENANCE
> >
> > Vulcanite is pretty brittle to begin with. I still have several smoking
> > pipes with the Vulcanite stems, and they do oxidise after a while.
> > The material is pretty much an early form of plastic that is formed 
with
> a
> > rubber like gutta percha, and sulfer which is heated and molded, much 
as
> a
> > tyre is molded. I have, where the cover of my IIIa split due to being
> > shipped in the dead of Winter, and where it cracked from the cold,
> repaired
> > fairly well the seam. I found that the Vulcanite, while somewhat like a
> > thermoset plastic, does soften with heat and become more flexible. In 
my
> > case, where is split under the VF, and came loose, I heated it gently
> with
> > a
> > hair dryer, and carefully swung the vulcanite out of the way, clean the
> > metal surface of loose material, and used contact cement on a Q-tip
> cotton
> > sqab to apply a thin layer of cement on both the body, and the
Vulcanite.
> > I then warmed the Vulcanite again, until it became flexible, and
> re-applied
> > the vulcanite back to the camera, and pushed the edges together. I got
it
> > almost perfectly together, and when I had it all done- I wrapped 
several
> > wide ruber bands around the body to apply pressure, and let it set
> > overnight.
> > I later filled in the crack with some of the black stick paint that
Fargo
> > sells, rubbed it in well, and let it dry. The result is a nearly
> invisible
> > mend, cheaper than recovering, and after a couple of years- still 
sounds
> > and
> > tight. I carry this as my 'Tote Camera' so it gets its share of use,
with
> > no
> > problems!
> > Now- I am not so much a purist- the 'sharkskin' of the IIIc feels 
pretty
> > much the same as the regular covering, and I really don't notice that
the
> > M6
> > is all that different from the other Leicas I have or had- I suppose if
> it
> > is so bad, that the 'collectible' value is ruined, but if you want it
for
> a
> > display piece or user, I can see no reason not to recover. Good Luck!
> > I have seen some die-cut Leica body covers advertised on eBay- but have
> not
> > yet bid onone. They seem an ideal solution for someone wanting a nice
> > looking cover, easy to apply, and one that will probably last another
> 50-60
> > years!
> > Dan ( NASDAQ?, What NASDAQ? We don' need no steenking NASDAQ!) Post
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "Steve LeHuray" <icommag@toad.net>
> > To: <leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us>
> > Sent: Friday, May 05, 2000 8:37 AM
> > Subject: Re: [Leica] VULCANITE MAINTENANCE
> >
> >
> > > I am not sure about this but I would think that there is nothing that
> can
> > be
> > > done to maintain older vulacanite considering that it is now 35+ 
years
> > old
> > > and probably dried out and brittle. Even knowing that on my two M2's
> > (both
> > > with chipped vulacanite) I took a cleanser and applied it to an old
> coton
> > > T-shirt and gave the vulacanite a thorough cleaning, the t-shirt came
> > away
> > > very black. Then once a week i applied leather/vinyl preservative
> > (available
> > > at any grocery store or auto parts store many different brands and
they
> > are
> > > all the same thing).I did this for a couple of months but then one 
day
> > the
> > > whole corner of one of the M2's fell off in my hand. Which leads me 
to
> > think
> > > that once vulanite dries out nothing is going to bring it back. About
> > three
> > > weeks ago I bought a M3 that was recovered with the M6 leatherette 
and
> I
> > can
> > > easily live with that, it looks pretty good, and I will eventually
have
> > my
> > > M2's recovered with the M6 cover.
> > > Steve
> > > Annapolis
> > >
> > >
> > > ----------
> > > >From: Bill Satterfield <cwsat@cyberhighway.net>
> > > >To: leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us
> > > >Subject: Re: [Leica] VULCANITE MAINTENANCE
> > > >Date: Fri, May 5, 2000, 9:48 AM
> > > >
> > >
> > > > What should I do to maintain the vulcanite on my M5 and  M3?
> > > >
> > > > Jem Kime wrote:
> > > >
> > > >> John,
> > > >> thanks for this info. I'm expecting an ex-Leitz mechanic to apply
it
> > so
> > I
> > > >> won't have to worry about that myself. I'm aware of the 
leatherette
> > > >> available from Fargo, etc. My mechanic only recently sold on his
> last
> > sheet
> > > >> to someone else. I'm hoping someone on the LUG might have 
something
> to
> > help
> > > >> out!
> > > >> cheers,
> > > >> Jem
> > > >>
> > > >> -----Original Message-----
> > > >> From:   John Collier [SMTP:jbcollier@home.com]
> > > >> Sent:   05 May 2000 14:04
> > > >> To:     leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us
> > > >> Subject:        Re: [Leica] WTB: Vulcanite skin for early Leica
> > > >>
> > > >> Vulcanite is applied through a special process with "gumite"(?) 
and
> > heat
> > > >> which is only really possible at the manufacturing stage. A Leica
> > repair
> > > >> facility may have access to a NOS shell, expect to pay major $$$$.
> > Small
> > > >> spot repairs are usually done with vinyl repair materials, black
> > silicone
> > > >> or
> > > >> other such stuff. Leatherette replacements and leatherette 
material
> to
> > make
> > > >> your own replacements are available. Again try your local Leica
> repair
> > > >> person for parts or:
> > > >>
> > > >> http://www.micro-tools.com/
> > > >>
> > > >> Kindermann Canada does screw-mount repairs and also carries parts:
> > > >>
> > > >> kindrman@istar.ca or info@kindermann.com
> > > >>
> > > >> Leica USA has a parts email:
> > > >>
> > > >> leicaparts@juno.com
> > > >>
> > > >> Cheers
> > > >>
> > > >> John Collier
> > > >>
> > > >> > From: Jem Kime <jem.kime@cwcom.net>
> > > >> >
> > > >> > Having bought a beat up Leica 1, I now need to locate a 
vulcanite
> > 'skin'
> > > >> to
> > > >> > replace the crazy paving that's on it at the moment.
> > > >> > Can anyone offer any assistance?
> > > >> >
> > > >