Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2010/08/16
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]You could always go the really heavy duty way and use one of these favored products: http://www.astantislip.com/marinefolder/ast_marine/ast_nonskid.html I coated so much deck with a roller brush with this stuff back in the Navy that I can still smell it. I wish I had just a quart of that stuff. I'd coat my M8 with it and then be able to land an F-14 on it. Phil Forrest On Mon, 16 Aug 2010 16:32:20 -0700 (PDT) "W. R. Smith" <wrs111445 at yahoo.com> wrote: > You can also get 3M's "Griptac" (originally made for golf club grips) > on your camera pre-cut here: http://cameraleather.com/ > > --- On Mon, 8/16/10, Lawrence Zeitlin <lrzeitlin at gmail.com> wrote: > > From: Lawrence Zeitlin <lrzeitlin at gmail.com> > Subject: [Leica] Non-skid camera covering > To: "Leica LUG" <lug at leica-users.org> > Date: Monday, August 16, 2010, 11:11 AM > > All the discussion about the difficulty in keeping a grasp on that > expensive M8 or M9 brings to mind a post I submitted to the LUG four > years ago. I confess that I do not own either an M8 or an M9 but the > fix works perfectly on the M3 and its successors. Even if you don't > do the entire recovering job a few bits of the non-skid tape on > critical parts of the camera body should work wonders - all for only > a few pennies. > > > Larry Z > > > - - - - - > > > RECOVERING A LEICA > > > Vulcanite is Leica's cruel joke on Leicaholics. It becomes brittle > with age and flakes off at the slightest excuse. Even Leica has > abandoned Vulcanite on the new cameras, substituting a textured PVC > covering. > > > I have recovered several user LTM cameras, an M3, a Contax IIa, and an > Olympus OM1 with 3M Safety Walk Nonskid Tape and have found it to be > significantly better in appearance and handling ease than the > original aged and battered Vulcanite. The nonskid tape is a resilient > textured rubberlike material sold in hardware stores for $1.99/ft. in > a 2" width. It comes in black, grey, and white colors with an > adhesive back. The 2" width is perfect for Leica bodies. I wouldn't > recover a valuable collector quality Leica but it is just the thing > for a hard working user camera. You can also play around with > people's minds. I covered a IIIc in grey and panic fellow Leica fans > when they think I am taking a Luftwaffe model on hiking trips in the > Appalachians. > > > The process is quite simple. Remove the cracked Vulcanite from the > camera. That's the easy part. Next make a paper cutting pattern for > the nonskid material. Be very precise in marking the position and > outline of the lens mounting flange, the strap lugs, and the > baseplate lug cutout. Indicate the exact position of the two shell > mounting screws and the slow speed dial on the LTM models. The paper > pattern should wrap around the body shell and be joined just below > the center of the lens mounting flange. When you are satisfied that > the pattern is as good as you can get it, cut the nonskid material to > the same shape using a sharp Exacto knife. Since the 2" tape edges > are perfectly straight, I have found it easiest to use one side for > the upper edge of the covering, the part that fits next to the top > plate. Use a leather punch to cut precise holes for the strap > mounting lugs and the shell mounting screws. The slow speed dial is > attached to the chassis. You can press the soft material between the > slow speed dial and the top plate. > > > When the covering is cut to shape remove the backing paper and align > it to the camera. The sticky adhesive permits some movement as long > as it isn't pressed hard to the underlying surface. When you are > satisfied that the nonskid material is correctly positioned, press it > into full adhesion. The adhesive sticks pretty well immediately and > sets quite strong within 24 hours. Check to see that the baseplate > fits correctly. Slight corrections can be made with a sharp razor > blade. If you've made an unfixable error, rip it off and try again. > The stuff costs only about $2 per camera. > > > A more daring alternative approach is to remove the body extrusion > entirely. I am hesitant about suggesting this latter method because > most photographers are reluctant to take screws out of their camera. > The body extrusion comes off easily by removing the black screws on > the front of the camera and then the chromed screws on the top > flange. The extrusion then slides off. The pressure plate and its > springs will come off too. You now have a camera where the moving > parts are open to inspection and a body extrusion. Wrapping a piece > of paper around the body extrusion makes it very easy to make the > template used for cutting the covering material. It is easy to mark > the screw holes. Reassembling the camera is easy. Just slide the body > back on, remembering to refit the pressure plate and springs, and put > the screws back in the holes. > > > Try this first on your least desirable camera. It is not hard, just > takes courage. Leica cameras are robustly made and it is hard to foul > up the process. Just don't lose any of the screws. If they drop on > the floor, you will never find them again. > > > Finally, most camera repair persons never bother about replacing the > Vulcanite on that little section between the slow speed dial and the > top plate on the III series. It breaks off so easily. They just drip > a little black sealing wax, or black Crayola crayon wax, into the > spot and press it flush with the surface of the remaining Vulcanite. > I learned this trick from Sherry Krauter. > > > When you are done you will have a Leica that looks as good as new (at > least the covering) and handles a lot better. True to its name, the > nonskid material permits a firm grip on the camera and absorbs and > cushions slight impact better than the factory covering. If you hate > Vulcanite and don't want to spend $100 on a custom cover give this a > try. > > > http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/Larry+Z/Recovered+IIIc.jpg.html > > > Look at the picture big to see how nicely the tape fits. > > > Larry Z > > _______________________________________________ > Leica Users Group. > See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > Leica Users Group. > See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information