Replacing Camera Leather and Gluing Leatherette onto a Camera, also Works for Rubber Grips

[@ZommBleed]

Thumbs up for being on the right side of the tracks.

[@DavidHancock]

Thumb's up when I need to get home at night after the bar, too.

[@adamruzzamenti3762]

Thank you for this and perfect timing

[@DavidHancock]

Thank you!

[@greggschwabauer6241]

I’d strongly recommend applying the adhesive to the covering only rather than to the camera body. It’s much easier to remove the excess before putting thing’s together and having to clean goop off of the body itself.

[@DavidHancock]

That's a good point. I have had some struggle with that working as well, but if the cleaning job is good enough it should hold a-okay.

[@KayWizz]

Thanks, this helped me fix my camera!

[@DavidHancock]

Thank you!

[@MP40meatballTR]

There’s so much mojo in that patina!

[@DavidHancock]

It has so much character. :D

[@GoetheNorris]

Super informative and well-presented. Concise video. Thank you very much for your tip. Where would one find pliobond and what are some good alternatives to use? Nowadays eBay is not very giving...

[@DavidHancock]

Thank you! I would check your local hardware store for Pliobond, Home Depot, or Amazon.

[@patrook7673]

Thank you for this info! Do you think would Elmer's rubber cement would work?

[@DavidHancock]

Thank you! Good question and it might but I never tried it.

[@sandywilburn3341]

Hi David thank you for your tutorials; they have been incredibly helpful. Do you know where to buy 4x5 Graflex press camera leatherette? Also, do you have a video of a CLA on a TLR? I have a Yashica 124 G. Thank you greatly, Sandy

[@DavidHancock]

Thank you, Sandy! For the 4X5 leather, I'd check with CameraLeather.com. I've ordered leather from them before and been happy. For the CLA, I might ask Vermont Camera Works. I don't do enough serious repairs to make videos about them.

[@sandywilburn3341]

@@DavidHancock Thank you for the great resources.

[@Karennmercado]

Thank you very much, I almost hit it with a gorilla, how long should I let it dry?

[@DavidHancock]

That's great news! Overnight is definitely long enough.

[@shaocaholica]

What are your thoughts on 3M 467MP double sided tape for rubber parts? Some rubber parts just mate to a flat surface or almost flat so I feel like tape might be a better choice for that?

[@DavidHancock]

Not having used it, I can't say with certainty. If it is thin and can be removed if needed for future repairs, then it should be an okay option.

[@dorfschmidt4833]

Is not good at all for cameras or lenses. Try 3M 9448HKB.

[@andrewelliott4436]

Being a little clumsy myself - I would cover the camera throat before beginning to do this.

[@DavidHancock]

That's a very good idea and I should have, too.

[@jadeedwards9732]

That camera has some character. What model is that? Did the lettering on the left wear off?

[@DavidHancock]

Pentax SV or SL, I forget which. The model is only engraved on the top.

[@jamesal6138]

@@DavidHancock it's an SV

[@Threetails]

What strength alcohol do you recommend? I've got a wild hair to customize one of my K1000s.

[@DavidHancock]

I use 91%.

[@olafwDE]

Very helpful in several ways: 1) How to fix my 60ies' Ercona leatherette, but also 2) Why to think twice about "mint" conditions which are offered quite often on shopping platforms ;-D Joking aside, there are a bunch of camera leatherettes that will reveal some metal plates (brass, in most cases) when peeled off, most likely on folding cameras of the 30ies to 60ies era. These plates should get re-assembled meticulously while glueing the leatherette back onto the camera body, because missing out on that might result in light leaks. David, would it be appropriate to place the link to your profile(s) on your preferred shopping platform(s) in the description? I would definitely add you to my favorite sellers list (trust > extra cost for customs charges).

[@DavidHancock]

Thank you, Olaf. I have thought about that. I think the KZbin rules are a bit precarious on that front. With the Kickstarter last year for my 5119 Cameras pinholes, that was my way of sharing my Etsy and Amazon shop names indirectly. That said, this is my last year selling on Amazon (Etsy I'll keep using) and right now my Amazon shop has been on vacation since October. While Amazon is great for seller in terms of volume and having the lowest fees (Etsy's are almost the highest), the demands on my time over the last six years weren't sustainable. So I'm going to keep selling my camera straps, some pinhole cameras, and some downloadable photo aids on Etsy but completely stop selling cameras on Amazon after this fall's back to school. The free time that not selling on Amazon since October has given me has let me make more than 200 KZbin videos so far since January AND write a second novel. It's a HUGE pay cut, but it's what I want to do and I enjoy it more than selling.

[@olafwDE]

@@DavidHancock Exactly, the "Four Thousand Weeks" we hopefully have (nice book btw, worth reading) are supposed to be spent wisely. Found it! Now I need to figure out how to disable automated translation in the Etsy app ;-D Hmm, amongst the channels I have subscribed to there are numerous creators who take several minutes to introduce themselves, including details about their shops, sponsors etc., and they provide links both in the video and the description.

[@DavidHancock]

I'll look into it again. Thank you! :D I also added the book to my next Amazon checkout. I think that will be a good read.

[@olafwDE]

@@DavidHancock I hope you'll enjoy it.

[@MKBPresents]

I have a Konica TC and a Minolta XG-M with leather that has shrunk but still adhering. Is there a way to un shrink it and reapply or is replacement leather the only way?

[@DavidHancock]

That will need replacement.

[@shaocaholica]

Hey I’ve got some stubborn rubber grip panels that won’t adhere to pliobond 25 very well. The pliobond adheres to the camera very well just not the original rubber I’m trying to re-stick. I’ve cleaned the rubber adhesion surface throughly with alcohol and there’s no residue on it. I’ve also applied pliobond to the rubber and camera and waited it for it to be tacky as instructed by the manufacturer. Is there another chemical I could treat the rubber with to make it bond better?

[@DavidHancock]

Hmm. I might try acetone but it can dissolve some materials so if you have a small corner of the rubber to test it on, that's a good idea before using it on all of it. When I've had that issue in the past I've also used many rubber bands and cotton swabs to hold the leather down for a weekend to make sure that the glue fully cures and that's usually done the trick.

[@121dogcrazy]

Thanks for the video! It seems like Pliobond is only available in the US, is there any other adhesive you would suggest for Europe (or what to look for when trying to find a dupe for it?)

[@DavidHancock]

Yeah, we can still get toxic chemicals over here. U-S-A! U-S-A! Anyway, any low- or no-VoC contact cement should be fine. The issues are that you want it to be removable for future repairs and adhesives that off-gas like super glues or Gorilla glue can fog your optical components and leave unsightly white residue (plus render the camera unfixable in the future.) Another option would be some double-sided cellophane tape. It's not idea but it could work.

[@121dogcrazy]

@@DavidHancock Thanks so much for the help, I'll have a look around and see what i can find! :D

[@JohnnymaCZEk]

@@DavidHancock A long time ago, the guy who repairs Flexaret camera for me recommended Herkules glue for do this job. I don't know exactly what kind of glue it is (somewhere it says PVA, but I don't think so). In any case, it contains rosin, which probably helps to create a strong, but at the same time easily separable joint.

[@bigtog8188]

The Pliobond instructions say to coat both surfaces and wait to completely dry and then add another coat of Pliobond before assemblying. In your experience, is it necessary to wait for the surfaces to dry or could I just coat and stick?

[@DavidHancock]

I don't and have never had any issues with it peeling up.

[@unpairedelectron2886]

The method shown in this video is incorrect. Contact adhesive should always be applied to both surfaces and allowed to dry until all the solvent is gone, then the two pieces brought into contact. The neoprene rubber that is left behind welds instantly to itself, hence the term "contact" cement. If you apply it like normal school glue, you will just end up with a subpar bond that is not better than if you used white glue.

[@bigtog8188]

@@unpairedelectron2886 ok. That's what I thought. I did the coat and stick method as I only had less than a cm² of surface that needed adhesive. So far so good. At least it will give me an area that I can easily peel off if I need to pull the entire leatherette off.

[@justnoted2995]

If you have to position the leatherette, you can apply Pliobond only to the leatherette surface, let it dry (or use a blow dryer), then position it onto the cleaned camera surface, and hold it down tightly for 10-15 minutes; let it cure for another 2 hours

[@daiellyapparecida4976]

Obrigada! Não achei nenhum vídeo brasileiro sobre esse assunto.

[@DavidHancock]

Obrigado! Se eu pudesse ter feito isso em português, eu teria feito.

[@DixonLu]

Cringed a little with that open mirror box.😬(When removing leather, debris can fly everywhere. )

[@DavidHancock]

Good point, and thank you, David. In hindsight, a body cap would have been a good idea.

[@ZommBleed]

He's a professional. Don't try this at home.

[@PsychoXXI]

You should have tried using thin double-sided tape.

[@DavidHancock]

Good idea and I've thought of that. My gut, I could be wrong on this, tells me I'd have to cover the whole surface (which is feasible) to prevent it from feeling loose. My real concern is how well double-sided cellophane tape will hold.

[@PsychoXXI]

@@DavidHancock The tape holds up very well.

[@medifreeman2998]

Is this glue like pattex glue?

[@DavidHancock]

I'm not sure because I've never used Pattex.