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Marty
Tinkerer
Username: Marty

Post Number: 4
Registered: 11-2008

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Posted on Tuesday, November 11, 2008 - 04:48 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only)

I have an old Brownie stereo camera that's in great shape aside from one thing that's nagged at me for years... sometime back in it's working life, someone "fixed" the red bellows with black paint. They did a neat enough job, but enough red shows around the edges to show what they SHOULD look like. I've tried a number of mild solvents to remove the paint, and may try a few more, but one has to be careful with such things. If all else fails, I'm considering "repainting" the bellows red with an appropriate shade of acrylic paint. Since I display the camera open, any stickiness should have years to clear up.
My question: Would this be blasphemy or worse?
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Glenn
Tinkerer
Username: Glenn

Post Number: 447
Registered: 07-2006

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Posted on Tuesday, November 11, 2008 - 05:17 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only)

Assuming the camera left the factory with red bellows, I would be tempted to re-colour the bellows if it were mine. I do like my display cameras to look original, my working cameras are just that - perfect mechanicals and well worn cosmetics.

A word of warning however, lacquer finished/coloured leather is not a new invention of the shoe or upholstery business.I have some examples of pre 1910 items manufactured with lacquer finished leather, so be sure that the 'painted' finish is not original.

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