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Ham
Tinkerer
Username: Ham
Post Number: 13
Registered: 05-2008
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, June 30, 2008 - 03:43 am: | 
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I use Neatsfoot oil for my walking boots, does anyone have any experience of using it on bellows? Here is the Wikipedia article on it http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neatsfoot_oil |
Charlie
Tinkerer
Username: Charlie
Post Number: 167
Registered: 07-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, June 30, 2008 - 06:06 am: |
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I don't know how many camera bellows were actually made of leather. I think most of them switched to other materials eventually and I wouldn't put neatsfoot oil on any thing but leather. (Even for hiking boots I switched to Sno-Seal.) |
Dgillette4
Tinkerer
Username: Dgillette4
Post Number: 230
Registered: 04-2007
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, June 30, 2008 - 09:53 am: |
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The older bellows were leather but now they are some form of synthetic. Though you can still get new leather replacements, for a price...Don |
Glenn
Tinkerer
Username: Glenn
Post Number: 378
Registered: 07-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, June 30, 2008 - 05:53 pm: |
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There can be a real problem of oxidation with Neatsfoot oil - this will eventually cause the leather to fall apart. There are a number of products, available to the antiquarian book restorer, that do not contain Neatsfoot oil and are thus ideal for preserving old leather on photographic equipment. These products do not leave a sticky/oily residue, nor do they have the darkening effect that Neatsfoot exhibits. |
Paul_ron
Tinkerer
Username: Paul_ron
Post Number: 115
Registered: 07-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, July 01, 2008 - 02:16 pm: |
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I would imagine any oil that soaks into the leather will eventually cause it to delaminate. Besides, you don't want the bellows to get heavy n sag on ya.
All the bellows I have ever restored or own gets a nice coat of shoe polish. The wax keeps moisture at bay and looking crisp n neat. |
Thuggins
Tinkerer
Username: Thuggins
Post Number: 29
Registered: 12-2007
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, July 02, 2008 - 08:50 am: |
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I have used neatsfoot oil on all my Chrome 6 bellows and it works great. I apply it liberally with a Q-tip and allow it to soak in and repeat until the material won't take any more. It takes repeated applications over a period of weeks (or months), but leaves the material very soft and supple. Neatsfoot oil is also suitable as a very light machine oil, so if it gets on any other parts (e.g. the shutter linkage) it will not do any harm.
All other leather preparations I've used are either pastes (shoe polish) or emulsions. These must be buffed off, which is impossible with a bellows mounted on a camera. Even if the bellows is removed, the buffing can damage the material (I've had this happen on several ever-ready cases). Neatsfoot oil does not require any buffing.
As for causing the leather to fall apart, neatsfoot oil has been used for centuries to preserve leather! I've seen old leather that was so dry it would fall apart if you tried to move it Restored with neatsfoot oil it's still like new, decades later.
You should look for pure neatsfoot oil, not neatsfoot oil compound. The compound contains mineral oil. Pure oil seems to leave the leather much softer. |
Ham
Tinkerer
Username: Ham
Post Number: 14
Registered: 05-2008
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, July 02, 2008 - 04:57 pm: |
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That's an interesting range of opinion, thanks all. I think I may try it - the "going brittle" bit is only in the VERY long term, so important for historical conservation. Aside from that, I'm more interested in keeping them supple as I'm fixing the cameras up to use, so it may be worth a go. |
Paul_ron
Tinkerer
Username: Paul_ron
Post Number: 116
Registered: 07-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, July 02, 2008 - 05:31 pm: |
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But have you considered how a bellows is made? It's laminated onto a cloth backer with cardboard ribs. Soak all that in oil spells delamination. Aslo someting you haven considered, extension of a bellows makes em sag into the image circle on LF cameras, supple is not waht you want, crisp is what you check for when buying bellows.
Liquid polish doesn't need buffing and leaves a nice coat of wax on the leather to make it a bit more water resistant. Besides applying regualar polish with a skilled hand is not the same as having your shoes done in the subway... so what's up with buffing? |
Don_m
Tinkerer
Username: Don_m
Post Number: 3
Registered: 05-2008
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, July 04, 2008 - 05:24 pm: |
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IMO---neatsfoot oil is a good product for leather saddlery,riding boots ,sporting goods or camping equipment that's going to see some wet weather use,but I don't think it dries well enough to use on something you're going to fold up into a camera body and store in a case.I wouldn't go too heavy on the wax either as leather does best when it breathes.
For leather that's not going to see much of any wet weather use(ie. camera bellows)I've found Lexol to work the best. |
Jayd
Tinkerer
Username: Jayd
Post Number: 19
Registered: 06-2007
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, July 15, 2008 - 04:15 pm: |
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I recently had this discussion what is the best thing to preserve leather with a shoe and leather repairman who has been in the business for about 50 years he recomended Lexoil which does contain some form of neatsfoot oil but I don't know how much, and said never put mink oil on anything you want to keep because the aminal fat in it casuses rotting. He also said Kiwi parade shoe polish is the best polish.I have used Lexoil since then. In the past I have used select silicone spray products, I say select because many contain to harsh of solvents; a good way to test is to spray some in a styrofoam cup and let it sit at leat 1 hour if it damages the cup don't use it. |
Jayd
Tinkerer
Username: Jayd
Post Number: 20
Registered: 06-2007
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, July 15, 2008 - 06:45 pm: |
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Liquid Wrench brand is a good silicone spray; excellnt for your car doors etc, to keep from winter freezing and great to keep all rubber parts from cracking.
Jay |
