Kodak 2D 5x7 Restoration Project

[ted_stoddard]

I just started restoring a Kodak 2D 5x7 camera, I have tried Brasso to remove

oxidation and build up from the brass... It works but i found out that Bar

Keepers Friend works much better and is much faster... I do have a few

questions... where do i get new bellows made for it and how do i and what do i

use to polish the brass after i have cleaned them off the old dirt, off of the

brass pieces...I want to make the brass look shinier and beautiful again... I

also need advice on how to restore the wood to its original luster... I do not

know if i am going to sell it after i am done or keep it as a show piece... i

already have a camera capable of taking 5x7 so i dont really need to use it...

I even thought about just displaying it in my house... If i do sell it how

much is it worth to a buyer or a collector? the wood needs to be cleaned but

maybe not completely resurfaced... Any help would be greatly appreciated...

[User_503771]

Those are a lot of questions to answer in one short spot like this one.

 

You can contact me off list if you wish, as I've done a number of these projects.

[gary_meader]

Don't know what shape your wood is in, but there's an article in the archives by Kevin

Bourque about refinishing a Burke and James 8X10. I followed his hints and my B&J, which

had about 3 coats of Air Force gray paint on it, came out very nicely. It'as got beautiful wood

on it, as I'm sure yours does. Give it a look and good luck. And brasso should do a good job

on the brass parts, unless it's pitted. Then, I don't know. A key is to take more time than

you think you have. You'll be glad you did it right.

[frank r]

Try camerabellows.com for the bellows.

 

A buffing wheel and the appropriate compound for the brass parts. Figuring out how to hold the parts to the wheel will be the minor challenge. But the work goes quickly and is very satisfying as you see the parts start to gleam.

 

After the wood is clean and dry, a couple of coats of varnish will make it look all shiny and nice. Brass parts can be coated with a can of spray lacquer to retard tarnish formation.

 

If bare wood is expsosed by a nick or chip, fill it in with a felt marker that is close to the finish color. Do this before applying the varnish.

[jeff bishop]

For the greatest value as an antique, it would be worth more in original shape, with the patina on the wood and lens. Restored or refinished items never bring as much money as originals.

 

I'm sure you know this, but thought I'd toss it in for consideration in case you hadn't.

[tito sobrinho]

Years ago, I bought the 5x7 Kodak Eastman View Camera No 1 (2D).I acquired it just because of the 2 lenses which came with it...convertible Protar Series VIIa (180, 285,and 350), and the 120/2.7 Tessar...all for a song.

 

It came also with its extension rail which extends the bellows to 23'

 

A friend photographer got enchanted with my camera and also bought one.

 

Frank, he used the Dremel buffing wheel on his camera to polish the brass, which became marred with "grooves"...awful.

 

Ted, I would suggest that you live it alone or send it to Patrick Alt for a full restoration.

[thirteenthumbs]

Mothers' Mag & Aluminum Polish.<br>http://www.mothers.com/<br>

http://www.historiccamera.com/<br>

[brian_ellis16]

With respect to worth, the 2Ds aren't collectors' items, they're mostly bought by people who want to use them. I followed the 2D 8x10s on ebay for a long time before finding the one I bought and they generally sell in the $200 - $400 range depending on condition and what accessories (sliding tripod block and extension rail) are included. I wouldn't expect a 5x7 to sell for more. So unless you're really in love with this camera having it restored by a professional restorer is probably out of the question from a pure value standpoint.

 

If he's done several restoration projects Michael Hendrickson certainly knows much more than I do but FWIW I did some minor restoration work on the 8x10 2D that I bought. I removed all the brass from the camera except the focusing rails and thoroughly cleaned it with a brass cleaner (not a polisher, just a cleaner) the name of which escapes me. I then applied Brasso as sparingly as possible to places where the cleaning alone didn't bring the brass totally back. Then I applied a coat of a preservative (that's probably not the right word, I mean a coating that maintianed the shine) so that I wouldn't have to repeat the whole process all over again six months later. The "preservative" came in an aerosol can and was pretty vile stuff so I did that in my garage with all the doors and windows open and a fan blowing. With the brass off the camera I applied a couple coats of a paste wax recommended by a furniture restorer and then put the brass back on.

 

Brasso and the spray preservative are probably not the ideal way to do this, Michael or someone else who really knows what they're doing probably could make better suggestions for materials but they seemed to work fine and left me with a beautiful camera. I'd estimate that I spent about 12 hours total on the "project," not counting drying time for the preservative.

 

There are several bellows makers around. Western Bellows is (or was)one, there's another one in England. If you Google for "camera bellows makers" or something like that you should be able to find several.