Don't do this at home...

I am a proud owner of a Nikon D7100. I purchased this camera used from KEH about a year ago. The camera was in almost perfect condition except that at the bottom of the grip right next to the battery door there was a little rubber flap that seemed to be loose and would rub against my pinky finger when I held the camera. One day I decided to fix that problem, so I purchased some crazy-glue and stuck the little flap to the body of the camera where it would not get in the way.

 

It wasn't until I had to recharge the battery that I noticed the battery door would not open ! Somehow the crazy-glue seeped to the battery door and nailed it shut. After careful scraping with a box cutter I was finally able to get the battery door open. Unfortunately, when I hit the battery release switch the battery would not move. The battery was stuck to the frame of the camera. Using a butter knife I carefully tried to dislodge the battery from the battery case without damaging the camera, but the battery would just not move. I kept trying for about an hour and finally decided that the camera was Toast and I would have to replace it. I even bid on another D7100 selling for about $350 on eBay.

 

Then I noticed that the little rubber flap was no longer glued to the body of the camera. I was able to insert a pair of long-nosed tweeters in there and slowly bush the battery up the chamber until I could grab hold of it and yank it out ! Finally the battery was out of the chamber. I then carefully scraped the battery to remove any glue residue and after a couple of tries the release switch was working just like new. The battery itself was badly scratched up, but the camera body was in pretty good shape. Lucky for me somebody outbid me on eBay, otherwise I would have to swallow the loss.

Edited June 5, 2020 by hjoseph7

Similar stories but not always with a happy ending.

A similar thing had happened to the 80-200mm f/2.8D i bought second-hand. The previous owner had tried to superglue the cracked M-A ring and had managed only to stick the ring fast to the barrel, making it impossible to switch to autofocus. Bought the lens cheaply and fixed it easily.

 

For grip rubbers, contact cement seems to be the adhesive of choice.

Crazy glue (superglue in the UK) is the most aggressive stuff ever. I only use it as a last resort. These rubber covers are pigs to reattach, they always seem to expand and need trimming to fit.

I use super/crazy/Loctite glue a lot at work, usually the very low viscosity stuff that runs everywhere. I'm pretty good with it, but still wouldn't go near a camera with it. Just an accident waiting to happen. Pliobond, if you can still get it, is usually a good choice.

If you want something to bind, but not run, get a good two-part epoxy. I mix it, and let it sit for a couple of minutes. Application is done with a toothpick, and sparingly. They generally have a higher viscosity.

 

I've found, over the years, that super/crazy glue isn't a permanent solution.

Nail Polish Remover will soften crazy glue. I would only use it of the part having it applied to is off the camera.

FAQ | Super Glue Corporation | Home of The Original Super Glue®

Bought (very cheaply !) Pentax 35-135 lens with damaged / loose zoom ring grip off Ebay. Gaffer tape sorted issue, and added a certain 'street cred' !