| Author |
Message |
    
John
Tinkerer
Username: Johnlees45
Post Number: 4
Registered: 07-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, August 12, 2006 - 02:09 pm: | 
|
The black "plasticky" effect has come off my camera case (Canon AV-1) leaving bare colourless leather showing through in extensive areas. Is there an answer to this? Black shoe polish on a sample area restored the blackness but it does not leave a glossy effect like the original "plastic" coating. All help gratefully received. |
Jan Dvorak
Tinkerer
Username: Jan
Post Number: 12
Registered: 07-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, August 12, 2006 - 03:50 pm: |
|
John,
What you have is called 'a peeling leatherette syndrome'. Very common to old Canon cases and there is not much you can do about it. You say that you have "bare colourless leather showing" - I can assure you that there is not a square millimeter of leather on your case. What you see is just a fabric material, which was coated with vinyl - this is what peeled off.
I have once peeled all the leatherette off and 'dyed' the exposed material black. A very time consuming and messy process, I would not do it again.
All the best,
Jan |
Glenn Middleton
Tinkerer
Username: Glenn
Post Number: 19
Registered: 07-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, August 12, 2006 - 08:24 pm: |
|
All the many A Series cases that I have come across have been made from reconstituted leather. The black finish is basically a heavily modified spray applied 'paint'. The fact that this finish is readily soluble in cellulose thinners or acetone would indicate that it is not a true vinyl layer.
Problem is two fold; the chemical added to give flexability degrades with age or poor storage, as the base material expands and contracts you get the crazy paving type cracks in the surface finish. Another problem seems to be due to the bonding agent in the reconstituted leather ageing and causing the adhesion of the coating to fail.
Reconstituted leathers are the staple material of the modern shoe industry. Fine particles of leather are coated with adhesive and then passed through heated rollers, before having a sprayed surface finish applied.
The reason for reconstituted leathers is all to do with uniformity, both in finish and thickness. Unfortunately; as in the early foams used by Canon, poor chemistry means the finish has a finite life.
Glossy fabric paint will enable a passable repair of small areas. Only problems are in colour matching and finding a small spray gun with a suitable nozzle. Brush application does not give the best finish. |
John
Tinkerer
Username: Johnlees45
Post Number: 5
Registered: 07-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, August 13, 2006 - 03:20 pm: |
|
Thank you, Jan and Glenn. That's fascinating information. Of course, looking at it again it's not real leather! It is some kind of coated fabric. I'm not too concerned about it being perfect again and I must admit that black boot polish at least disguises the worst of the blemishes - at a distance! The trouble is that you feel such an "oldie" with an ancient camera which is tatty, but why buy a new one when it works perfectly well even if it's thirty years old? I shall stick with it until film is no longer available. Then and only then I might go digital !! |
Henry Taber
Moderator
Username: Henry
Post Number: 16
Registered: 07-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, August 13, 2006 - 05:11 pm: |
|
John, you might want to think twice about using a deteriorating case. If it is crumbling as I have seen many Canon cases crumble...small, nearly sandlike particles. These particles can find their way into your camera.
Henry |
Glenn Middleton
Tinkerer
Username: Glenn
Post Number: 20
Registered: 07-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, August 13, 2006 - 08:55 pm: |
|
There is another instance where I have come across damage caused by the 'decay' of Canon's reconstituted leather. The case for the 500mm f8 Reflex Lens has a proper leather exterior which wears well. However on the felt lined interior there is a band of black reconstituted leather that covers the hinge rivets and the catch retainer.
The band degrades, but not in the usual way. It seems that in the confines of the case, the adhesive used to stick the band on causes it to 'gas off'. Not only does the band become very sticky to the touch, but a 'bloom' appears on the outer surface of the len barrel. I have cleaned two lenses recently, where the caps were lost and the actual optics were covered in the 'bloom'.
Most probably storage conditions/temperature play their part in the degradation. Whilst I do not store lenses in cases, I have replaced the band with a piece of properly tanned leather in my lens case. |
John
Tinkerer
Username: Johnlees45
Post Number: 6
Registered: 07-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, August 14, 2006 - 02:45 pm: |
|
Thank you Henry and Glenn. I shall immediately try to find an alternative method of holding the camera. This present case was a replacement for my original which was not similarly damaged but the camera kept falling out because of those two little straps on the front being broken. I've still got it somewhere but can't just put my hand on it.
A bit off-topic, but is this a UK site or an American site or a sort of international site? |
Henry Taber
Moderator
Username: Henry
Post Number: 17
Registered: 07-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, August 14, 2006 - 04:26 pm: |
|
"East is East, And West is West. And never the twain shall meet..."
Except here! Although the site was originated by two Americans (who ONLY live 1500 miles apart) we are international here!
Henry |
Matthew Currie
Tinkerer
Username: M_currie
Post Number: 3
Registered: 07-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, August 14, 2006 - 06:03 pm: |
|
I have had similar problems with some cases, notably a Yashica camera case and an old Nikon lens case, on both of which the black coating started chunking off, leaving soft grey suede beneath. The Yashica died before the case, solving its problem. For the Nikon, I scraped all the old finish off, and used Kiwi shoe polish on the remaining leather. It is not very tough, and it looks horribly mottled, but it has kept it from flaking, and stayed serviceable.
I have seen other deteriorated leather cases, such as those on musical instruments, varnished. That won't work if the case is soft, but it can if it is hard. |
John
Tinkerer
Username: Johnlees45
Post Number: 7
Registered: 07-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, August 15, 2006 - 01:58 pm: |
|
Thanks Henry and Matthew. I have now used black boot dubbin on it and it now has a reasonably acceptable appearance to the undiscerning and should not attract too many jeers from the youth of today. Thanks to all, John. |
Thuggins
Tinkerer
Username: Thuggins
Post Number: 5
Registered: 12-2007
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, January 02, 2008 - 08:34 am: |
|
I recently got an Oly 35-RC with the original case. This was dried out and cracked as described above. Liberal, repeated application of Neatsfoot Oil combined with buffing and blotting up the excess oil worked wonders. This was followed up with some black shoe polish (paste type), and the case is ready for the next thirty years |
