Re: [Leica] How to treat and protect old M3 vulcanite?

[Dan Cardish <dcardish@microtec.net>]

How about using some kind of hand lotion, such as Vaseline Intensive Care
or equivalent?

Dan C.

At 08:02 AM 29-09-00 -0600, John Collier wrote:
>>From the archives:
>
>----------
>From: "Doug Richardson" <doug@meditor.demon.co.uk>
>
>Subject: [Leica] Re: Vulcanite maintenance
>
>Bill Satterfield <cwsat@cyberhighway.net> wrote:
>
>>I just purchased a M5 and the covering looks almost new. I just want
>to
>keep it that way. Looks like lemon oil will leave an oily surface-
>something I do not want.
>
>I apply the stuff, leave it on overnight, then wipe the vulcanite dry
>using soft kitchen tissue. The vulcanite rapidly returns to its normal
>appearance, and the camera does not feel oily. Vulcanite is a very
>hard and brittle plastic-type material, so I'd imagine it absorbs only
>the tiniest amount of the lemon oil.
>
>Whether applying lemon oil actually achieves anything is hard to say
>until a few more decades have gone by, but Leica UK once told me that
>cameras which are used are less prone to "vulcanite disease" than
>those which are not. If they're right, it's possible that the
>vulcanite on cameras which are regularly used is absorbing moisture or
>natural oils from the user's fingers. So the lemon oil may have a
>similar effect.
>
>
>----------------------
>
>
>> From: Grégoire Vandenschrick <vandenschrick@geog.ucl.ac.be>
>> 
>> I and my wife were wondering how we could treat and protect the
Vulcanite of
>> the M3 I offered her in order to stop it crackling
>>
>
>
>