|
|
Post by Rachel on Oct 15, 2012 2:43:53 GMT -5
Can somebody remind me what is the best adhesive for refixing camera leathers. It needs to be something I can get in the UK. Thanks.
|
|
mickeyobe
Lifetime Member
Resident President
Posts: 7,280
|
Post by mickeyobe on Oct 15, 2012 5:21:10 GMT -5
Can somebody remind me what is the best adhesive for refixing camera leathers. It needs to be something I can get in the UK. Thanks. MARMITE. |
|
|
|
Post by Peltigera on Oct 15, 2012 5:32:11 GMT -5
I use rubber adhesive as used for mending punctures on bicycle tyres. Not sure it the best, mind, but it is the best I have tried so far.
|
|
Stephen
Lifetime Member
Still collecting.......
Posts: 2,718
|
Post by Stephen on Oct 15, 2012 5:48:57 GMT -5
Personally Dunlop Thixofix, which is a rubber contact adhesive like Evo Stik, but you can reposition for a while, as it does not grab in one go. It is like a gel, and does not string, and can be smoothed out easily on the surfaces. It comes in tins and is a bit expensive, but works well for this purpose as that's what it does best.
Put a thin coat on the camera body, and a coat on the leather, and place a sheet of non stick cooking parchment over the work, and work from one end, withdrawing the paper as you go. This assumes a good trial dry fit, with a trimmed sheet to size.
If complex fit, you can fit over size and trim with scalpels, the Dunlop will grip for several hours after appearing to be dry. Warm the lot to finish, and run a smooth lolly stick end over the edges to bond them.
Evo stik works in the same way, but is instant grab.
Both products can be thinned with Evo Stik thinners, but the Dunlop then loses some of it's ability to re-position. Most DIY shops have the Dunlop adhesive.
MMMM,mm... Marmite, on toast, but on Leather?? mind you, Vegemite might work, it's old nickname was road tar in Australia....
Stephen.
|
|
Stephen
Lifetime Member
Still collecting.......
Posts: 2,718
|
Post by Stephen on Oct 15, 2012 5:54:41 GMT -5
Re-reading the post, if it is spot re-fixing, then use a superglue, with the fine nozzle to aim it under the leather where it is bad, any excess can be remove with dab of acetone or super glue remover and then boot polish will restore the finish. Edges can be treated with black wax crayon rubbed in, as can nicks etc.
Stephen.
|
|
lloydy
Lifetime Member
Posts: 506
|
Post by lloydy on Oct 15, 2012 16:15:09 GMT -5
When I reglue leatherette back onto a camera I generally try to remove the piece entirely, then I remove the original adhesive backing from the leatherette. Sometimes this needs careful scraping with a craft knofe. The reason I do this is that I have never found any new adhesive that will stick to the old stuff with any degree of success, the new adhesive might stick to the camera, but not to the old adhesive which is usually some kind of double sided sticky paper / light cloth that's stickier on the leatherette side for easier manufacturing.
Once it's cleaned off I re glue with EVO-STICK 'Serious Glue' which comes in small tubes, stays pliable long enough to position the leatherette, and sticks wonderfully. It's also easy to clean any excess away.
I used to use Copydex, which is OK, but this stuff is better.
Once in position I then get some small bits of foam which I position on the leatherette and hold it all place with many elastic bands, this keeps the pressure on the glued surface. On the film door I use thinner foam and stationary clips.
I did a very scruffy looking Chinon and a pair of Pentax's using this method about 18 months and they now look as good as new, and there has been no lifting of the leatherette at all.
The 'Serious Glue' is a fairly new product I think, or a remarketing of an old one, and I get it from Tesco's.
|
|
lloydy
Lifetime Member
Posts: 506
|
Post by lloydy on Oct 15, 2012 16:57:24 GMT -5
|
|
|
|
Post by Randy on Oct 15, 2012 21:51:55 GMT -5
Rachel, don't they sell GORILLA GLUE in the UK? They have a UK website. uk.gorillaglue.com/I used it to re-glue the sole on Freda's tennis shoe 4 years ago, and it's still on, she uses them to mow the grass and weed. |
|
mickeyobe
Lifetime Member
Resident President
Posts: 7,280
|
Post by mickeyobe on Oct 15, 2012 23:47:23 GMT -5
Rachel, don't they sell GORILLA GLUE in the UK? They have a UK website. uk.gorillaglue.com/I used it to re-glue the sole on Freda's tennis shoe 4 years ago, and it's still on, she uses them to mow the grass and weed. Freda must be a better tennis player than you. You fix her shoes and then give her so much work she can't get to the courts. Sly. |
|
|
|
Post by Rachel on Oct 16, 2012 3:33:59 GMT -5
Thanks for all the suggestions. Plenty to think about there.
I have a Mamiya DSX 1000 which I picked up in a junk bin at a camera fair many years ago. It is in excellent condition but the covering was lifting on all the panels. The coverings peeled off OK but the original glue is just a sticky gunk now on the back of the leatherette. The body surface is perfectly clean. The coverings are in in good condition although the back panel is very slightly short.
I had a quick look in a hardware store last week but they mostly seemed to sell super glues. The craft section in a local department store was selling Copydex but I wasn't sure how that would stick with on metal. I'll try and take a look in local DIY stores. I don't want to buy a large tube or container of the stuff as I don't expect that I'll need to do this too often although I've looked with envy at some of those marvellous coverings that other members have put on their cameras.
|
|
lloydy
Lifetime Member
Posts: 506
|
Post by lloydy on Oct 16, 2012 5:48:05 GMT -5
They do sell Gorilla Glue in the UK, and like Randy I swear by it for shoes, I saved a favorite pair of deck shoes many years ago with it.
But I personally wouldn't try it on the camera as Gorilla Glue expands when it cures, I've used it in situations where it has oozed out of the edge of whatever I'm gluing and made a very hard to remove mess.
It does however grip like a gorilla !
You say that you've got the panel off, I would certainly scrape the gunk off before re-gluing. Heat from a hair dryer or, as I do, run it under the hot tap, will make gunk removal a lot easier.
|
|
mickeyobe
Lifetime Member
Resident President
Posts: 7,280
|
Post by mickeyobe on Oct 16, 2012 9:02:57 GMT -5
Yet another issue with camera covers.
Often the leather has shrunk.
Has anyone a suggestion for getting it back to its original size?
|
|
Stephen
Lifetime Member
Still collecting.......
Posts: 2,718
|
Post by Stephen on Oct 16, 2012 9:24:32 GMT -5
Yet another issue with camera covers. Often the leather has shrunk. Has anyone a suggestion for getting it back to its original size? Leather soap, a Leather Goods or Saddler's Shop should have the stuff, it is rubbed in whilst the leather is warm, and slightly damp. Water alone with expand the leather, but as it dries it shrinks back, so the leather soap, (which contains lanolin), stops the moisture loss. Pure lanolin can also be used, do not trust spray on treatments they are meant for shoes, which already have a wax surface. It comes in bars, (a harder grade), or tins (softer). Wipe over the leather with a damp cloth, or leave it between damp tea towels etc., overnight to moisten and stretch. If old and waxy it may need a clean with thinners and then a proper warm water soak to expand. It may take a couple of sessions to stretch it. After the lanolin or soap it will contract, but not as much as before. The process can be repeated. None of this really works for leatherette, (cloth plus surface), which if it shrinks will not expand much, but try the same treatments, but expect possible failure due to the surface breaking up as a crumble in the very worst cases. Stephen. |
|
Stephen
Lifetime Member
Still collecting.......
Posts: 2,718
|
Post by Stephen on Oct 16, 2012 9:39:19 GMT -5
Then overall,.... for a small quantity Evostik in a tube would be best.
Gorilla Glue is excellent stuff, but it is very expensive in the UK, and has a quite limited shelf life after opening, it uses moisture to set off the curing process. It is difficult to clean the excess away after it has set, and it expands a lot during the cure time. Use the minimum you can, and clean up as you go, and it needs latex gloves, some people are allergic to urea polyurethane. There is one downside, you will not get the leather off again, if it needs it for service or access, then it is a serious problem!
Copydex is a latex based adhesive, suits cloth to cloth, and leather to cloth, but not really to metal or paint, although it sometimes works well on matt paint.
The same advice applies to PVA glues, generally they are too weak to hold leather on metal, although they are marketed in a contact adhesive version, a water based alternative to Evostik, which is solvent based. These PVA contact type will hold, but not quite as well as the traditional solvent glue types.
The other UK bases tube contact is Bostik, but it is renown for being a bit messy and stringy in use, it is a clear/white colour an will clean with solvents.
Another brand is UHU glue, which is used as a contact or a cement glue, but does not spread as well as Evostik, or Dunlop Thixofix, and can be difficult to spread thinly.
I happen to be used to all these glues and many others having built models professionally for many years, doing bookbinding, and restoration of cameras. Everybody has favourite glues, but the ones mentioned will work with both leather and leatherette materials on metal to my certain knowledge.
If it is leatherette,(cloth backed artificial leather)), they were originally put on with sheets of adhesive tissue, with heat that melted the glue and bonded it. That is the mess you have to remove from the cloth backing before glueing back.
Most Genuine leather was glued with a rubber adhesive, Durobond or Evostik, Bostik etc. often sprayed or rollered on to get it even.
With a set of exact fitting leather it is also possible to use 5 minute Epoxy glue, it spreads well, but is potentially messy, and is very permanent!!!
|
|
Stephen
Lifetime Member
Still collecting.......
Posts: 2,718
|
Post by Stephen on Oct 16, 2012 11:08:36 GMT -5
For the Dunlop Glue, the name of the producers is now Alpha Glues, but Dunlop's name is on some products in shops as well, so Alpha Thixofix....
Stephen.
|
|
) which balls the residue up so it can be picked off, I wipe it lightly with a bit of alcohol to finish.
