Touching Up a Repainted Camera

There are numerous past threads on repainting a Leica or a Canon camera. The price range is largefor such a job.

 

I would like to know what a practical solution is for covering up loss of black paint on a repainted camera. One option

is not do anything about it, and this is clear to me.

 

I have a Canon P that has some loss of the black paint at some parts of the camera. Is there an easy method for

home done recovering of small spots?

Here are a few photos of the camera in question.<div></div>

And this photo too.<div></div>

Why not try some black acrylic nail polish, delicately applied to problem areas?

Micro-Tools has touch - up paint just like you would on a car, but with a roller. Might not work on a larger area, but I've used it on small chips with good results. As I remember if comes in flat and gloss. Might try touch up for cars as well. It ain't never going to be perfect. me thinks. so give it a try

Erik: Would the nailpolish be waterproof/sweatproof?

 

Randy: How can I find Micro-Tools?

Unless you can get the same paint, sand down the edges of the chipped area to feather them, and then apply in thin coats with an airbrush, it's going to look awful. Like lipstick on a pig. There are so many shades of black, and so many possible levels of sheen, that you just can't match it.

 

If they had stripped the chrome, it would wear off instead of chip off. Paint doesn't stick to chrome worth a darn, which is why it is coming off in chips. This black paint job isn't use-proof, and never will be.

 

It still makes a great user camera! I'd suggest removing the wind lever and dunking it in paint stripper, a "panda" approach would probably look better than the major chipping there.

John: You are right about paint on chrome. The better paint jobs first remove the chrome. I will wait to decide what to do.

Raid,

http://www.micro-tools.com/

I suppose it depends how much effort you are willing to put into it. To do it right, you would have to go the full mile as John indicates. One (almost secret) ingredient used in the factory like painting process of metal parts is a pre application of a resin catalyst. Secondly, no kind of paint, short of epoxy, at your local hardware store is capable of giving you the desired durability because none of them have the necessary hardening agents added. Any consumer grade spray paint would simply wear off quite easily in a relatively short ammount of time. Shelf paints do not contain hardening agents because once a hardening agent is added to the paint, it must be applied quickly before it cures. You would have to buy the paint and hardening agent seperately and mix them together just prior when you were ready to paint. The air brush suggestion by John would be the right approach. You can buy the hardening agents at your local paint store or auto body paint supplier. Unfortunately, you will not be able to buy them in small quantities for such a small job. I would second the idea of stripping the lever and just leaving it chromed. It would still look quite nice I think. If it is going to be a user camera, try not to fret about the looks. I find it easier to use marred cameras where I don't worry so much about banging them up and think more about taking pictures.

Here are a couple of factory grade catalyst primers which would help bind paint to chrome.

 

XL Aerospace Resin / Catalyst

Verbindung Wipe-On Primer

 

Dupont also makes a wonderful and durable powder paint, but I don't know enough about them to rant.

A permanent ink marker will do a fair camouflage cover, while you decide to strip and refinish.

I am not a handy person, I think, but I will the suggested methods some thoughts.

Maybe one of the pro-painters who do black paint camera jobs might be willing to accept a patch up job needed here.

 

By the way, have you noticed the letters TE engraved on the accessoty shoe? It may be a clue for a specific model of the P. Does anyone here have a clue?

Perhaps an easier (non professional) quick fix way to do this without being too complicated (in my opinion) would be to use some Sheaffer's India Ink (at art supplies stores) and some rub on (satin finish) polyurathane. Polished brass is often coated with polyuerethane to keep it from tarnishing and it will not flake off metal easily. Try to remove the remaining black paint from the lever (or featheredge with fine sand paper) and clean it with alcohol and lighter fluid. Then apply a thin layer of rub-on-polyurathane using your fingers or fine cloth. Once it completely dries, (about an hour later) apply a thin layer of the black india ink using a fine hair watercolor brush. Once the first layer dries, then apply a second layer. The ink will dry so thin, you will notice no brush marks or uneven areas. Once dried (rougly 30 minuites later) very lightly apply...without too much rubbing, a very thin layer of the rub-on-polyurathane. This will act as a sealer for the india ink and help prevent it from rubbing off. Let it dry for 24 hours. You should rub on at least another 5-10 thin coats of the rub-on-polyurethane and let it dry for at least 24 hours between each coat. You don't have to rub as lightly as the previous coat, as it was only to help seal the india ink in place, but continue to keep the layers thin. Let it completely dry before touching it, as sometimes it might seem dry to the touch, yet you get a fingerprint impression from the polyurethane still being soft. It will harden once completely dried. If you build up enough layers of polyuerethane, I suspect it will last quite a while. If you find the satin finish too shiny, you can dull it with a light rub of acetone.

Charles,

 

Thank you very much for the step by step instructions.

I may take this route.

It looks basic enough for me to handle.

Personally I would probably just leave it as is and use it but as most of the chips are on the winder why not strip the remaining paint off that section back to chrome and then leave it as a "Panda". I think that would look better than messing about with it.

 

Gadge

Just noticed John and Charles's earlier suggestions in the thread for same thing. Apologies for repeat!

Raid, I don't know these cameras but it doesn't look to me like the body was ever chrome - just the leavers.

Adrian,

 

Why do think that this camera was not chrome?

The strap lugs are chrome, and this is one of the indicators of a camera being painted as some people have mentioned online

Gadge,

 

The bottom of the camera and the film advance lever show the worst paint loss on the camera.

Raid,

 

Leave the camera as is with its "beauty marks"!

 

Cheers!

 

Keith

Hi Keith,

Once I get the camera in my hands, I will "know".

Have you thought of an auto body shop?

The painting of the lettering is much too good. What makes you think it has been repainted ?

I'd say leave it as is. It is neither rare or of high value. Even if it were, I'd still leave it alone.