New Member with a Resto Project

[dmk955]

Hello to all! I'm a new member, and I've been collecting cameras off and on for about 40 years. As my profile indicates, I'm a bit more interested in the low end "popular" cameras than those of higher quality (though I do treasure my better stuff when it comes to practical photography).

My current project may seem a bit trivial, but it presents me with a chance to get my feet wet in camera restoration. The attached photo shows two UniveX Zeniths, c. 1939, one in very nice condition, the other deplorable. I'm not too concerned about cleaning the metal parts, as they are really in pretty good shape under the layer of accumulated grunge, but the "leatherette", which is really just heavy embossed paper, is mostly missing. There is a screw missing from the front faceplate also. Here are my questions:
1) Does anyone have a suggestion for sourcing the very small, fine threaded, dome-headed, slotted screws that were used in these cameras? Seems like every camera of this era (Argus A's, etc.) made use of them.
2) How about a source of this cheap leatherette? Right now, I'm thinking about those report covers you get at the office supply stores (assuming I can get a reasonably close match to the grain. Note that I don't want to dress this camera up with a much better covering than it originally had, just to try and duplicate what was there.
3) What are the pros and cons of using Pliobond to apply the covering? Is there a better product?
4) I'm also trying to formulate a way to duplicate the Zenith trademark logo onto the covering. At the moment, it seems like a stencil and an airbrush might be the best choice, but the lettering is really fine. Any suggestions?

Thanks in advance for reading all of this. If you're interested in the cameras I collect, please see my blog at oldcameras.wordpress.com . I'm looking forward to contributing to this forum.

[mickeyobe]

Dana,

Welcome.

I am happy to see, at last, someone whose collecting aspirations are similar to my own.

I have about 250 cameras including 12 Univex cameras. I have over 60 Kodak folders, 40 box cameras of various makes and 30+ Argus cameras. My cameras range in size from 8mm to 8"x10" .

I do not go into their histories in great depth as I can almost always find most of what I want to know in the various catalogues and on the internet.

I do have a reasonable collection of Canon 35's if Canon can be considered "High End".

I specialize in nothing but whatever takes my fancy and I can afford. Consequently I have a small collection of what I consider weird or unusual cameras including, of course, my namesake, the Mickey Mouse camera.

I also have some darkroom equipment, some 8mm movie equipment and Polaroid and some Graflex and other makes press cameras.

I am very impressed by your blog.

Mickey

[dmk955]

Mickey,
Thanks for the kind words. Our interests must be pretty similar - one of my favorites is my "Roy Rogers and Trigger" camera by the Herbert George Company, who also made the Donald Duck Camera!

Cheers!

[John Parry]

Nice Blog Dana

Sally's too - although there is some heresy on there as well:

"So just how many photos of the beach and fall leaves can a person take?"

Liked her alternatives though - sign her up!

Regards - John

[dmk955]

Thanks - I'm working my way through the UniveX's at the moment, then I'll be unpacking the Kodaks, miscellaneous folders, bakelite stuff, etc. Should take a while to cover the whole collection, but when I'm finished, I'll at least have pictures of the stuff - I've never had room to display even half of the collection at one time.

Regarding Sally's blog: she respects my love of film cameras, but she's a digital dame at heart!

Best wishes,
Dana

[PeterW]

Hi Dana, and a belated welcome.

Just finished reading through your blog, and also Sally's blog.

I had no idea the history of Univex was so fascinating.

I enjoyed reading Sally's blog, too. She takes some good pictures.

PeterW

[Deleted]

Welcome, Dana:
Sorry I can't help on the leatherette replacement. I've founds some thin scrap leather at Tandy leather shops that I've used for replacing the Vulcanite on Soviet cameras, but it still is a lot thicker than the leatherette you are talking about.

Wayne

[dmk955]

Yeah, Wayne, actually it's kind of an exaggeration even to call it leatherette, it's more like pressed black paper, and it's about as thick as a Duo-Tang Folder, if you know what that is - it's a three-hole report cover. Anyhow, the material may be the least of my worries, as I'm still trying to figure out how to put the Zenith logo on the covering.

Dana

[mickeyobe]

Dana,

Back to Univex CC's.

I have one but it differs from the one in your blog.

Yours has a continuation of the "Depth of Focus" scale on the back of the hump.
Mine has black leatherette. On peeling it back I observed that there are no holes for either rivets or screws so it seems there never was a Depth of Focus scale attached.

Your comments would be appreciated.

Now I must find one for my collection with the scale on the back.

By the way It should be called the Depth of Field not Depth of Focus. Kodak made the same error on some of its cameras.

Mickey

[dmk955]

Mickey,

Early Mercury Model CC's, made before the availability of the f/2.7 and f/2.0 lenses had only one depth of field chart, and it was mounted on the front of the hump, like yours. All models after 1939 had a chart on both sides of the hump. Also, the earliest models had no film movement indicator. This is what looks like a screwhead on the bottom of the camera, near the back release button. It is driven by a brass gear on the take-up spool, and it rotates to show that the film is actually moving when it is wound. If your camera has the leatherette on the back instead of the chart, it's definitely pre-1939. If it has no film movement indicator, it's one of the oldest. Does you Mercury have a serial number? I'm interested in collecting them so I can correlate variations with serial numbers.

Dana

[mickeyobe]

Dana,

Thank you for that information.

My camera does have that rotating screw near the back release button. It is attached to a gear inside the compartment that holds the film feed cartridge. It rotates freely and would probably be turned by the spool if I had the proper cartridge.
The lens is an uncoated Tricor 35mm f3.5 Anastigmat.

The serial number is 013421.

I also have a Mercury II if you want any information about it.

Mickey