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The first step is to remove the bottom cover and the rear
film door. (The camera used here for illustration has more extensive
disassembly in preparation for a complete overhaul of the shutter
and range finder but that is not required for replacement of
the skin.) You may choose to remove the self timer and view finder
select lever but you should only attempt this if you have a high
quality pin wrench such as those available from Fargo (about
$40). WARNING!: The screw holding the self timer lever has
a "left handed" thread and must be removed in a clockwise
direction or the shaft can be easily broken. In this example
we will leave them in place which is by far the easiest method. |
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Door hinge release pin |
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There are basically two ways to remove the old Vulcanite covering;
heat and brute force. Heating the camera to about 200 degrees
F. with a heat gun or a baking chamber will soften the material
and make it very pliable but can do irreperable damage to the
shutter lubricants and de-cement or even fracture the range finder
optics. For this reason I rely on the more tedious brute force
method. This is done by chipping away at it with a blade. Occasionally
it will come away in large chunks but more commonly it will flake
off in little (1/8") pieces. Plan on spending up to an hour
on this step. Be careful to keep track of all the pieces. If
one falls through the lens opening and gets wrapped up in a shutter
curtain you may be in for an expensive repair! If you are nervous
about this you can cover the lens opening and the rear shutter
with masking tape. The underlying adhesive was originally quite
flexible but after 50 years of drying you will probably find
it as hard as a rock. |
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The old adhesive must be removed as thoroughly as possible
to assure a clean finish for the new skin to adhere. If it is
not completely solidified you may soften it with Methyl Ethyl
Ketone applied with a cotton swab (don't forget Murphy's First
Law of Capillary Action: "any spilled fluid will flow right
to the the one spot where it can cause the greatest harm")
and then wipe away the softened residue. If it is rock hard you
should follow the application of the solvent with scraping using
a knife blade or razor blade then repeat the process until most
of it is gone. This camera fell into the latter group and only
very aggressive scraping sufficed. |
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If you ordered your covers cut with a 13 mm self timer hole
you must devote a great deal of attention to cleaning very carefully
under the lip of the bell washer. If you ordered the 14 mm hole
you can be far more cavalier with this step. |
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The camera is finally ready! I would normally place the self
timer in the "half cocked" position rather than the
full cocked one seen here. |
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You can see that removal of the front controls
makes placement and alignment of the leather a far simpler task.
If you have good tools it is worth the extra effort. If you do
this, here is a suggestion: Fully cock the self timer before
removing it. Be very careful not to fire it. This makes reinstallation
and alignment very simple while it can otherwise be a daunting
task. |
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Carefully peel off the main skin from the backing paper and
lay it out with the adhesive side up. Using a cotton swab or
paint brush, apply a liberal sheet of alcohol to the adhesive.
WARNING!:
do not attempt to use a cotton ball, tissue paper, or cloth for
this step as they will leave fibers behind in the adhesive!
The alcohol delays the adhesion and allows you time to position
and adjust the skin. |
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Start positioning the cover by sliding the self timer hole
under the self timer lever then do the same for the view finder
select lever. At this stage the skin can be stretched a little
and moved easily if you used sufficient alcohol. Using finger
pressure, stretch and position the front portions until they
are aligned with the range finder cover, lens release button,
and lens mount. If you are using the 13 mm self timer hole you
will need to get the leather under the lip of the bell washer.
This is done by stretching and pressing down with a knife blade
or fingernail until it is all in place. Be careful not to scar
or mark the leather during this step. Once you are fairly satisfied
with the position you can wrap the leather around the strap ears
and the back. Again, stretching and sliding it into alignment.
You will find the there will be some recoil effect and you must
continue this process of manipulation for up to one half hour
until the alcohol has evaporated and the adhesive becomes permanent. |
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When these steps are complete use a high quality screwdriver,
locate the four black screws on the front of the body and, one
by one, unscrew each one then replace it. This will trap the
leather under the screw heads. |
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On this camera the film door was a disaster! If you have this
problem now is the time to fix it. |
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Before starting to work, apply masking tape to protect the
pressure plate and film reminder dial. |
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Using a 600 grit carborundum paper carefully and thoroughly
sand the painted portions of the door until all irregularities
are gone and the gloss finish is completely removed. Wrap the
two chrome hinge pins with masking tape to protect them from
paint |
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Spray the door with a semi-gloss enamel and let it dry on
a dust free area. I use #1974 semi-gloss black from the "Painter's
Touch" line by Rust-Oleum. The finish gloss is not a perfect
match for the original but is as close as I have yet found. Allow
the paint to harden for 24 hours then apply the leather. |
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Finally, reinstall the door and bottom cover and
get out there and make pictures! As for me... I am off to the
shop to finish the shutter overhaul. |