Restoring old rubberized bellows

[Ole]

...
I tried searching the internet.

I typed in 'black rubber' and 'latex' into google.

:o :o :o :o :o

I am now a different person to what I was before.
...

If you had typed "liquid latex" instead, you might actually have found a usable product! Well - you might not initially think so from the label, but the stuff is really exellent for repairing leaking bellows.
And if you should spill some on yourself, it's perfectly safe...

[glbeas]

I believe you can get stuff from a dive shop for repairing wetsuits that is supposed to work well on bellows. Anybody remember what it's called?

[big_ben_blue]

If you had typed "liquid latex" instead, you might actually have found a usable product!

I just did, and even found a canadian supplier, yeah. Still had to wade through some barely legal imagery to get there (I NEVER would have imagined what this stuff could all be used for - ignorance is sometimes a good thing for the little pure mind :o ).

Chris

[Freneticist]

A wonderful beast! Does it take good photographs?
Solid walnut?
Steve

Well, "good" is subjective. It does about as well as I do. Pinhole photos being "good" is purely accidental anyway. Ten minute to four hour shots are fun. And people look at you like you are nuts when you ask them not to stand on front of your camera very long because you are taking a picture.
And as for the walnut. Surprised the hell outa me too. With the size of the pieces, I was expecting oak, at best. When I stripped all the old gunk off, I considered ripping it all down for use in some of my other oldies. But, it is kinda unique, and like I stated earlier, my grand-daughter lives with me, and as I was working on it, she at first thought it was another riding toy. Then when I convinced her that she could no longer sit on it, she now uses it to hide toys inside of. Good thing she is only 2 and a half, and a grand-daughter. Only she can get away with things like that. All she gotta do is grin at grand-dad.

[Charles Webb]

I am simply dumfounded that you people are so hard headed and haved to reinvent the wheel to do the easiest tasks in photography. Why go looking for a source for wet suit patching when you can use the readily available liquid acrylic paint to do museum quality invisable repairs form Walmart?
Remember, it is water based and if it is spilled as Ole sugests, you wipe it up with tap water and paper towels. Little children use this same stuff, so it is fairly safe to handle.


No, on second thought don't answer my question, I don't really care to waste any more of my time on this thread. Have fun, I am done!


Charlie.......................................

[Cliff]

Hello,
To repair light leaks I use a product by Rustoleum called "Grip & Guard". It is a rubberized spray used for spraying handles of garden tools. You should be able to find it at any hardware store. It worked very well on my Deardorf camera. Use in a well-ventilated area - strong fumes !
Cliff

[Jim Jones]

Like Charlie I use artist's acrylic black paint. Scrubbing it in well with an old toothbrush plugs pinholes and reduces any thickness build-up. It might not stick to the original rubber as well as some of the other recommended materials.

[steven_e007]

No, on second thought don't answer my question, I don't really care to waste any more of my time on this thread. Have fun, I am done!
Charlie.......................................

It wasn't wasted time, Charlie, if it was good advice.

I brose a lot more threads than I contribute too and pick up a lot of tips.

Actually, I already have used water based acrylic paint as you have described on the inside of the bellows. It has done a really good job. Whatever the original blacking was had all but disintegrated and disappeared leaving a buff colourer calico behind. Some matt black acrylic made an excellent job of this. So far so good. My problem is the outside of the bellows, which have very noticable chunks of rubber material missing from around the folds. I think the suggestions of plasti-dip may well do the trick here. And now I know at least one similar camera is made of walnut I will scrutinise the material my camera is made of very carefully when I scrape it and re-finish it!

So all in all I am very happy I started this thread, I'm enthused to get restoring andf I hope it is useful to anyone else with a rubberised fabric hulk of a beast to renovate.

Any more hints, tips and suggestions are very welcome!

Steve