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Ospreywife
Tinkerer
Username: Ospreywife
Post Number: 1
Registered: 06-2010
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, June 20, 2010 - 01:57 pm: | 
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I love to collect old cameras and I recently got a few that needs some small TLC. They are all Kodak Brownies but different models, Target six-16, #2 F (red), 2A model C, and a 2C model A. Each needs different things done to do to make it look better so I am hoping y'all can help me! 
Target - silver metal needs some shine, has some rust but that is hopeless right?
#2 F - Leather needs cleaning badly as well as lenses
2A - Leather needs cleaning as well, leather strap needs help, and the metal black frame around the front needs paint
2C - needs the most help! Leather needs cleaning really bad, lenses are horribly dirty, metal needs shine, again rust??, also if you know whee I can get a handle that would be awesome! The inside needs help also, cleaning/rust...whats cool though is it still had film in it!
So any tips/advice to help my cameras would be awesome!! Thank you in advance!! |
Chiccolini
Tinkerer
Username: Chiccolini
Post Number: 101
Registered: 06-2009
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, June 20, 2010 - 03:28 pm: |
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Most dirt can be cleaned off with a bit of soapy water, a rag and a few Q-Tips.
For metal rust I use metal polish. If it is minor surface rust I sandpaper it off with #600 sandpaper but that would leave some scratching or matting on the surface and the surface on the Target is, on some, painted with clear shellac. Don't use polish on shutter faces.
Leather cleans with those creamy white leather cleaning lotions found at shoe care shops (got mine at Walmart). If the leather is too bad off, like coming apart, this won't work. Afterwards, you could improve the color, if it needs it, with shoe dye like Fiebings (they have a website) then you might want to use clear shoe polish. If the leather is clean/shiny enough after cleaning then don't bother with all the extra stuff.
Lenses clean with regular water, lens cleaner or spit.
The #2A you remove the lens/shutter (ring holds it on. Open back and spin off the ring.) and, if possible to do without damage, detach the bellows then you can pull off the metal (front standard) thingy and strip/repaint it.
If you like glitz, remove the front lens (they unscrew off) and polish off the coloring to reveal beatiful shiny brass. Looks great. |
Ospreywife
Tinkerer
Username: Ospreywife
Post Number: 2
Registered: 06-2010
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, June 20, 2010 - 09:32 pm: |
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Thank you so much!!! |
Adrian
Tinkerer
Username: Adrian
Post Number: 304
Registered: 08-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, June 21, 2010 - 06:29 am: |
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There's a Flickr group called Box Camera Revolution, and there are some links in their discussion to sites with manuals on for taking various box cameras apart (I posted some, but foolishly didn't keep the links). They will help with things like cleaning the viewfinder mirrors.
Good luck - sounds like a nice collection! |
Ospreywife
Tinkerer
Username: Ospreywife
Post Number: 3
Registered: 06-2010
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, June 21, 2010 - 09:47 pm: |
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Oh great thank you!!!
I'm obsessed with Kodak Brownie cameras |
Foto_gaga
Tinkerer
Username: Foto_gaga
Post Number: 18
Registered: 02-2010
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, June 23, 2010 - 11:53 am: |
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All of these are box cameras? Some sound like folding cameras. |
Puderse
Tinkerer
Username: Puderse
Post Number: 54
Registered: 09-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, June 23, 2010 - 11:57 am: |
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Took a few days off recently just to putter around my workbench. Rehabilitated a very old "Lawyers Bookcase" for cameras and put some of my box brownies, especially those that take 120, back into service. Very serviceable viewfinder mirrors can be make by cutting up front surface mirrors from 50 cent polaroid cameras. Shutter re-hab a piece of cake. Shoe dye and Kiwi good for leather and fake leather coverings. |
Ospreywife
Tinkerer
Username: Ospreywife
Post Number: 4
Registered: 06-2010
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, June 23, 2010 - 10:29 pm: |
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Yes all are box
Thanks for the tips on mirrors! |
Chiccolini
Tinkerer
Username: Chiccolini
Post Number: 102
Registered: 06-2009
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, June 25, 2010 - 06:06 pm: |
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Ok, I thought some of these were folding cameras so ignore the last two bits of advice I gave as they don't apply to box cameras. |
