Who can do quality baked black paintjob on a Leica IIIC in the USA?

[tom_eitnier]

I`m wondering who can do a quality baked black paintjob on a Screw Mount Leica

here in the USA?

I want to find someone here who can do a Leitz quality baked paintjob on a

IIIC, also maybe recovering in original style vulcanite etc.

 

I`ve heard of Luton in ENGLAND, but I want to have it done by someone here in

the states, I`m sure someone does it but who?

 

Thanks

 

Tom

[paul hart]

Tom: that's CRR of Luton. I have an M4 that has been restored by them with the black enamel

finish, and they do an astonishingly good job. If you change your mind and decide to look

outside the US, I would recommend them - but they have a backlog at the moment.

[JDMvW]

There must be dozens of places in the former USSR doing black enamel (to judge from all the black "Leicas" and "Contaxes" with Luftwaffe, etc markings "found" there in recent years). I wish I knew how to get in touch with them, I have a nice Kiev that has not yet emerged from its chrysalis into its "Contax" adulthood. ;)

[ron_breeze2]

Tom, try emailing stephen gandy at cameraquest.com he has a source that is not listed here but I don't know if its US or not.

[tom_eitnier]

I would never send equipment to the FSU for repair, too much risk of being lost or stolen

 

Paul, what did the Luton job cost you? Shipping and Duty and Taxes would kill me I think, I don`t want to pay over $1,000 to get a camera done, I`ve heard and seen they do a great job, but I think the cost would be too high to do a simple IIIC - I`d consider maybe doing it with a really beat up IIIC K (but mine is really in good shape and all original never restored)

 

Thanks Ron I`ll call him and ask, I`m sure someone in the states does this?

 

Tom

[JDMvW]

I was, of course, not seriously proposing sending a real Leica to the former USSR. However, I have mostly had lost shipments from Germany, Britain, and elsewhere in the European Union, and will never, ever buy from there again without insurance. In the only case of a lost shipment from the FSU, the vendor immediately refunded my payment once it was clear it was lost, which is a heck of a lot better vendor response than I've had from sometimes surly Euros. By the way, the mail is almost always faster from the FSU than it is from the Euro Union. Germany either has the worst mail in Europe, or the slowest shippers, I'm not sure which ;) So much for privatization.

[ken_jeanette1]

How about an automotive painter that does powder coating. It leaves the onus of assembly/disassembly to you, but I imagine th product would be good.

[luis triguez]

For around 500 USD I`ll buy a nice black Leica converted to III or an original II. IMO

 

1000 is a lot on money to many pockets :-((

[stu weinstein]

I think Youxin Ye in Boston was doing them a while ago. Stu

[tom_eitnier]

Yes, I forgot to ask him last time I called Youxin, he`s doing my CLA`S so I hope he can "redo" a IIIC, I know he was doing really nice vulcanite replacements or recoverings, now with a real black paint job over brass that would be what I`m looking for, I`ll call him in the morning :)

 

Tom

[robert_jagitsch]

What did Youxin say?

[tom_eitnier]

Yep!

 

I will have it done by a colleague of his, Youxin will do a full CLA, curtain and covering replacement and the top plate and bottom plate will be sent off for de-chroming and baked black paintjob - I got a great deal for all of this and it`s going to be the perfect "user" IIIC when it`s all done

 

It BTW is a very rare and unique camera in itself, a very late Leica IIIC "Half Race" stepper rewind #3974xx (from Feb. 13th 1946 Leitz factory order) one of the last, early series bodied IIIC`s

 

When it`s done it will be identical to the factory werks cameras of the same era

 

It will become my "main" LTM user, my mint "Half Race" and Grey IIIC K will only be used on occasion after that.......

 

Tom

[james_baker6]

Please post pics when you get it back; maybe along side the K model??

[tom_eitnier]

Yes, James - I also love to shoot "camera porn"

 

I`m going to photograph the Collector grade "Half Race" chrome IIIC, my "Grey" IIIC K and the new black paint "Half Race" altogether

and then post them here and at RFF

 

I figure I`ll have it all done by late next month or early November

 

I have to "sell" one of my other cameras to make this all happen

 

I will be offering a EX++/Mint- 1955 Canon IIF2 with Rapidwinder - these are pretty RARE Canon`s only 2,625 cameras produced -

anyone interested?

[tom_eitnier]

Ohh I`m keeping the Canon IIF2 now, but I`ve got a 1956 Canon VT body for sale - really nice camera with the original everyday case $250 - I have to finance the "black" IIIC project :)

[kuzano]

Contact Jurgen Krenckel on eBay (CERTO6). He rebuilds folding camera's and adds new bellow, strips chrome and polishes brass. He may know of a US person who can do baked enamel. I'd be a little cautious about disassembling a camera and taking it to a body person or powder coater to do in black. The paint can be laid on in various thicknesses and you may not get the camera back together if the paint is laid on too thick. I used to paint cars, and coating thickness is hard to control. There isn't much tolerance on a precise camera body for squeezing the parts back together with the new paint on. I'd say it takes great talent and experience. Frankly $1000 is probably fair for that kind of care and application.