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 Perhaps you found it in an attic, or you've just rushed home from an auction, or a yard sale with your treasure--a vintage camera. Upon close examination, perhaps your enthusiasm changed to dismay as you noticed the scratches and scars on the outer casing, the tarnished metal parts, and the dry, brittle bellows. These are honorable scars, attesting to many years of faithful service. Don't be discouraged. A few hours of work can make an amazing difference in the appearance of your camera.
The first thing that needs attention is the leather covering of the camera. Repairing the covering first will help to keep pieces of leather from breaking off as you handle the camera. If the covering is separating from the camera body, gently lift it as far from the body as you can without breaking it, and brush or blow away any accumulation of dried glue or dirt. Then glue the covering back in place with white glue. When the leather covering is in safe condition for handling, remove all the parts that will need attention. On most cameras, the lens and shutter assembly are held in place by a retaining ring inside the bellows. Close the bellows as far as possible, and remove the retaining ring from inside the back of the camera. Then remove the lens and shutter assembly. With those cameras that have a separate lens and shutter, you can leave the lens mounted right in the camera body when you remove the shutter. On most other cameras, the lens board is attached to the bellows by several screws. Remove the lens board and slide it off the focusing track. If you remove the sliding bars that lock the front cover open, you can swing the cover out of the way and have better access to the bellows. Next, remove any metal parts from the outside of the camera. This will allow you to re-dye the camera covering without getting dye on the metal parts. You'll also be able to clean the metal parts much more easily without damaging the covering material. |
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