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Mndean
Tinkerer
Username: Mndean
Post Number: 16
Registered: 08-2007
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, September 02, 2007 - 02:19 am: | 
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I just picked up a Minolta XE-7 for cheap, working well and in really nice shape, but it has minor brassing in the front corners of the top plate. I have read about different ways of covering this up, including touch-up paint, brass black, etc. Could anyone here with experience in this tell me what's the best way? |
Glenn
Tinkerer
Username: Glenn
Post Number: 170
Registered: 07-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, September 02, 2007 - 06:05 pm: |
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Your best bet is to leave well alone, just use the camera. Black camera finishes are very difficult to match up, do a bad job and the repainted areas will be more noticeable than the small amount of brassing you were originally trying to hide. If you just want a quick fix, try a black maker pen. Otherwise you will have to source a black paint that has the correct 'gloss' and shade and then carefully touch in the brassed areas. I personally use a small airbrush for small areas, but many people use a small camel hair brush.
I am sorry that I cannot help with a suitable paint for your Minolta, never repainted any cameras from this manufacturer. |
Rj_
Tinkerer
Username: Rj_
Post Number: 12
Registered: 08-2007
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, September 06, 2007 - 11:14 am: |
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I'd agree with Glenn on this one even if the Minolta X series does not hold the vintage charm of brassed cameras very well, any alternative cosmetic approach other than a complete disassembly and electroplating the top plate again would leave less desirable results than being left alone.
If you still feel determined to try a restoration, Humbrol stock enamel paints which give a similar finish:
http://www.udisco.com/hobbies/inv/HUMBRO.HTM
Although the enamel finish will show up in comparison to the original specification unless the complete top plate is resprayed. Perhaps this is why, on the balance of input and energy, leaving it alone, no matter how mundane a thought, holds more appeal. |
Paul_ron
Tinkerer
Username: Paul_ron
Post Number: 65
Registered: 07-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, September 09, 2007 - 12:23 pm: |
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Eleiminating brassing is a crime. It takes the wisdom of the camera away, it's experiances, what it has seen in it's 45 years of service. I should look that good after so many years of heavy usage. It also shows the underlying quality of the camera, it's brass instead of cheap aluminum.
Wear it with pride and show off that beauty. |
Leo6645
Tinkerer
Username: Leo6645
Post Number: 9
Registered: 08-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, May 05, 2009 - 10:58 pm: |
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Guess it is like one is going bold with age, some women say Sean Connery is iressistible, any touppe will seem ridiculous on him... but many people like to restore their cameras the best they can for display. Any approach seems to be wise - all depends on the purpose. |
Gez
Tinkerer
Username: Gez
Post Number: 81
Registered: 09-2007
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, May 06, 2009 - 12:13 pm: |
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Humbrol black gloss is generally a very good match most 70's vintage cameras. As long as the brassing is limited to the corners and edges I have found the best way to apply the paint is by using the tip of a cocktail stick. Apply a relatively thick coat that is higher than the edge of the paint loss area. I know this goes against received wisdom but providing the paint doesn't run it will dry almost to the level of the original paint surface. Just leave covered and undisturbed for 3 days. This technique works best for areas of brassing not more than about 2mm wide. |
Glenn
Tinkerer
Username: Glenn
Post Number: 574
Registered: 07-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, May 06, 2009 - 05:18 pm: |
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The problem with the Humbrol or any similar paint 'touch up', is that the finish is not that durable. It's OK for the showcase but will soon wear off on a well used camera; however, as has already been stated many people like to display 'unmarked' cameras - it's a personal choice after all. |
Johnp
Tinkerer
Username: Johnp
Post Number: 1
Registered: 11-2008
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, May 07, 2009 - 03:46 pm: |
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Opinions of whether or not to touch up aside, I have experimented with touch up techniques for grins,generally with enamels of various types on my Canon F-1 and Nikon F2 and have been disappointed that the brassing comes back in fairly short order. I have not tried lacquer which may be more durable. For now, I am just letting it go and handling the cameras more carefully to minimize further brassing.
As for application techniques, I apply several thin coats with the help of magnifying glasses, let dry for a couple days. Then I use extremely fine automotive sandpaper - a minimum 1500 grit, using a tiny folded corner to take down the touch up to smooth and to feather with the surrounding paint as much as possible without touching the original finish. Then I use a fine abrasive, like Silvo, to polish it out with my fingertips. It looks like new, at least for a little while. |
Mndean
Tinkerer
Username: Mndean
Post Number: 145
Registered: 08-2007
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, May 07, 2009 - 10:59 pm: |
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Hey, I started this thread! I left the brassing alone, BTW. To get anything like a realistic finish (that still wouldn't stand up to close inspection) was too much work. The camera works too nicely to worry about trivialities. |
Paul_ron
Tinkerer
Username: Paul_ron
Post Number: 149
Registered: 07-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, May 11, 2009 - 08:27 am: |
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I agree, brassing is the wisdom of the camera. It shows it's experiance and has a certain demand for respect. "If a tree can talk," imagine what it would say? |
Glenn
Tinkerer
Username: Glenn
Post Number: 575
Registered: 07-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, May 11, 2009 - 02:23 pm: |
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As I am sure you know, trees do 'talk' in the scientific sense - Dendrochronology allows accurate knowledge of past climate trends, this is especially interesting when some of the worlds oldest trees are examined. |
Brianshaw
Tinkerer
Username: Brianshaw
Post Number: 52
Registered: 07-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, May 16, 2009 - 11:15 am: |
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Oy veh... talking trees and nonverbal wisdom of cameras. What are you guys smoking? 
Re: brassing... touching up never works as good as intended, so it is best to learn to live with the "damage". I've disquised minor brassing (and I really mean MINOR amounts of brassing) by dabbing the spot with a black Sharpie marker (permanent ink felt-tipped marker) for a temporary cosmetic solution. |
Paul_ron
Tinkerer
Username: Paul_ron
Post Number: 153
Registered: 07-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, May 17, 2009 - 09:38 am: |
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Cameras certainly do talk, take a look at the pictures it captured? |
Jayd
Tinkerer
Username: Jayd
Post Number: 39
Registered: 06-2007
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, May 17, 2009 - 01:42 pm: |
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I use the black "magic marker" ocasionally as a quick tempoary fix. On some vintage cameras with larger surfaces I have had good results using rustoleum semi gloss spray paint but this only works when you can re spray and entire part not just a small area of a part. another thing if it bothers you or to prevent brassing is to cover the area with electrical tape.
Jay |
David_ritchie
Tinkerer
Username: David_ritchie
Post Number: 42
Registered: 07-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, May 18, 2009 - 01:02 pm: |
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Do not use a magic marker! I once ruined a nice shirt when a camera that I just bought rubbed off the magic marker on this shirt while the camera was hanging around my neck. |
Tom_cheshire
Tinkerer
Username: Tom_cheshire
Post Number: 15
Registered: 04-2009
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, May 19, 2009 - 11:37 am: |
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Has anyone else noticed, on black Nikons like the F2, that there are a few coats of yellow lead primer undercoat under the final black paint? |
