black paint, please help

What is the easiest (with decent longetivity) way to re-paint black body

sections that have worn down? I have tried regular dull enamel paint but it

soon wears off. Please give a 'user friendly' answer. Thanks.

Does it actually _wear_ off, or does it flake off? If the latter, you'll need to properly prepare the surface for painting. That means: possibly sanding or careful acid etching, then priming, and finally painting.

 

However, sanding and/or etching the metal is not something I'd ever want to do to a camera. I believe that most finishes were probably powered coated or baked on, neither of which lends itself to easy DIY repair.

 

Good luck

I've never seen a well repaired paint job on a camera. I'd love to know how to do it.

Me too - in fact I was thinking of posting a similar question. One of my favourite cameras has had chipped paint for ever, and I'd like to spruce it up as part of a general light seal/lens cap/new case overhaul.

I'd talk to someone who makes jewellery or to a classic car enthusiast about it...someone with experience with enamelling. There may be some kind of touch up product that works with a lick of a brush, but I'm guessing disassembly and a process.

There are so many shades of black, matching is a nightmare. A good auto body paint shop might be able to match the color, for a pretty price.

 

Also, the paint would need to be baked on, like the original, to toughen it. Being black paint on a camera is a tough job.

 

But, black is the "economy" finish for cameras, because it is impractical, and wears and flakes off. In 1935, Leica charged extra for chrome, because it was a durable finish....

Please, please, I hope none here take this the wrong way but...... isn't a worn and chipped black paint camera a badge of honor....the sign of a "pro"? Or, at least the sign of a user who enjoys the craftsmanship of their classic cameras but does not treat them like a shelf queen? If I'm all wet with this notion I'm sure someone here will clue me in.

If it is a smooth surface, I have used auto body touch-up enamel. This works well on slight wear spots such as corners on the prism housing. For semi-rough surfaces like crinkle finish, Kodak makes #2 brushing lacquer that should do the job.

Two component acrylic car paint works well. It doesnot wear or peel off. Most car paint shops sell it at any amount. DuPont, Spies Hecker or any other brand.

 

Kerkko K.

There have been threads here which mention professionals who specialize in repainting old

Leicas and cameras specifically. I'd search around for a specialist rather than attempt to

match the black paint myself. Unless you're very proficient at it, I advise that you seek out

one who is.

If your camera is a black-painted Leica, don't repaint it. You'll ruin its original patina and

reduce its

value.

Treat the wear as part of its charm, as you would a well-loved pair of old jeans. <p>

On the other hand, repainting can be a great way of reviving or customising a worn old,

common-as-muck, chrome Leica... <p>

 

There's a good thread on the subject here <a href="http://www.rangefinderforum.com/

forums/showthread.php?t=39813&highlight=black

+paint">here</a>

There is an answer, but it may involve more work than the average home repairer is willing to do. In the former Soviet Union, there are numbers of old silver Kievs, Zorkiis, FEDs etc being converted to lovely black enamel Contaxes, Leicas, etc. I offer this only as evidence that it can be done. In some cases, it looks like they have disassembled the camera and have enameled and baked on the new surface.

Following on from JDM's post, I've often thought it would be a better use of the Russians talents and resources if they would offer a renovation service for black finish cameras, does anyone on PN have a contact their?

Maybe contact some of those who sell these things on eBay. I've had luck getting answers back from them. It couldn't hurt.

Look into home powder coating kits. It will work on metal parts only. It has a low build, stick great and are rock hard.

 

We have access to the latest and greatest automotive paints on the market and use them every day at our shop. They are all terrible for painting cameras. The 2 part paints mentioned above from Sherwin Willaims, DuPont, Speis, Diamont, etc... all have high build. Black may cover in one coat, but certain colors will not. The paint is basically too thick. It is durable, yes, but chipping is the main problem. Surfaces must be prepped correctly. All chrome stripped, paint WILL NOT stick to chrome. If the part is brought down to brass, it needs an acid etch primer for maximum adhesion, or better yet nickel plating. The best case scenario is one coat of acid etch and one coat of 2 part paint. 2 part paint "cures", it does not dry.

 

I have painted 2 cameras. A Pentax MX I did NOT strip the chrome off. I scuffed the chrome and used an automotive adhesion product called Bulldog that claims it will allow paint to stick to chrome. I used a a spray can trim paint (very little build) Nope. It chips way too easily. The second camera I painted was a Ciroflex TLR I took apart to clean the shutter. I stripped the entire camera down, wire wheeled it, acid etched it, and sprayed with Krylon enamel. I know Krylon sucks and takes WEEKS to dry, but I did it because the red covers in one coat. The result is a red camera, with too much build (even with one coat)

 

I think most black cameras these days are powder coated, but I could be wrong. Paints have changed drastically over the years with the new VOC laws, and what was available 20, or even 10 years ago are gone. I caught a thread someplace that said a good paint for repainting cameras could be found overseas (perhaps different VOC laws)

 

The most important thing to remember when painting ANYTHING is surface prep. You can have the best paint in the world, but if you do not prep the surface correctly is will chip and flake.

 

I'm still researching this myself but this is what I have learned/done so far.

 

Good luck.

http://homepage2.nifty.com/Shintaro/top1.html

There is not a "user friendly" answer to your question. Paint DOES NOT stick to raw metal. Good metal primers actually etch the metal with an acid so that paints can adhere to the surface. Metal surfaces should be COMPLETELY cleaned of oils including the ones from your hands. Not only do most paints not touch-up well, but the top-coat on the existing paint will probably resist paint you apply, and you will have to magically apply a top-coat only to the part of the paint job you touch-up. Also, just because you cover up the chipped part of a paint job does not mean it will stop chipping. Oils and dirt and moisture have already begun to find their way behind the cracked edges of the chip and more chips are just wainting to happen.

 

The real problem here is that in order to properly repaint something like this, the existing paint should all be removed so that the metal etching primer can do its job. Which leads into a second problem, which is that if your paint job is not as good as the original, then you will have a camera with paint chipping everywhere. This will also require the use of a heavy duty paint stripper, which are not only highly toxic, but may damage rubber or plastic parts on the camera, as well as the fumes might damage glued parts inside the camera. Be aware that different metal surfaces will likely require different types of primer, for example, aluminum will require a different primer than steel or chromed brass.

 

The key to even paint jobs is multiple coats of thin applications, and in the end a clear top-coat which is usually harder than the undercoat and protects the paint from wear. Automobiles have a clear top-coat over the paint which can be buffed and waxed without damaging the paint itself. My recommendation, and something Ive thought about before, is contacting a high end car painting shop and talking to them about what kinds of products they use for priming, painting and top-coating different metals. Most of these products are probably ONLY available in bulk, liquid form for use in commercial spray guns, but with the right thinner it might be possible to use them in a hobbiest's air brushing kit. In the end, this is really a job for a trained specialist, and the cost of doing it well would far outweigh the cost of buying most cameras new.

 

Also be aware that if you have a collectible camera, then any repainting will lower the collectible value of the camera.