Re: Vulcanite: [Leica]

["Dan Post" <dpost@triad.rr.com>]

The material that Fargo sells- their Fargo 4040 looks amazingly like the
older Leica vulcanite- I had my 135 Elmar body recovered and I can't tell
the difference!
If you are really careful, I would imagine that you could cut and apply your
own for a fraction of Leica's $175  or so!
Dan
- ----- Original Message -----
From: "Dante A Stella" <dante@umich.edu>
To: <leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us>
Sent: Friday, November 24, 2000 12:57 PM
Subject: Re: Vulcanite: [Leica] Friday FS: Nickel + Dime


>
> My apprehension about Vulcanite would not exactly be allayed by switching
for
> another with it intact, since mine was intact when I got it.  The basic
problem
> is that any rubber compound will dry out in 41 years, and thermal stress
only
> exacerbates the problem.  I will give it one more whirl with a patch (it
is a
> small chip but disconcerting, since I'm sure more will come).  I think
> ultimately, forking over a hundred bucks to Leica's Canada repair facility
will
> be cheaper than therapy.
>
> It was a poor choice of material - but Leitz was not alone.  Konica made
their
> Model I with Vulcanite and it is a chronic problem on that camera, too.
>
> Has anyone used a vinyl-patching compound (with the color matching, heat
cure and
> texturization)?  I saw that today - the biggest challenge is getting the
right
> texture but it looks like the right idea.
>
>
>
> john wrote:
>
> > Dante A Stella wrote:
> > >
> > > Well, I think we're on the way to funding a recovering for my M3,
whose
> > > Vulkanite is not reacting well to the cold and dry weather.
> > >
> > My local repairman tells me the cheapest and easiest way to recover you
m3 is
> > to find another m3 basket case but with good vulconite and swap body
shells.
> > No messy removal and no problem with cracking the valconite fitting it
to the
> > camera. It is also the right vintage.  My repairman and I suspect other
repair
> > persons have many boby shells from non repairable cameras. YOu might
want to
> > check it out
> >
> > John Shick
>
>