Graflex.org

[dvonk]

im sure youve all seen it- the outer leather layer of my oldest graflex bellows is separating from the inner cloth layer. i was wondering if a light coating of rubber cement inbetween the layers would be able to remedy this problem. (i.e., would it be flexible enough to fold down completely, and would it hold the layers together well enough, etc.) has anyone ever had experience with using rubber cement, or should i find a better solution?

[t.r.sanford]

Several posts on bellows repair have reported good results with rubber cement.

If I were using the stuff to repair a bellows, I'd thin it out well (rubber cement thinner is naphtha, for all practical purposes) and brush a layer onto each surface to be joined, then let it set up for a minute before pressing the surfaces into contact with one another.

Rubber cement is very flexible and, if thinned, shouldn't add appreciable thickness to the pleat.

In its graphic arts applications (on paper), it tends not to form a very permanent bond; but people who have used it for bellows report no deterioration for years and years.

I've had good luck with "Pliobond," which you can get in hardware stores. It's designed for leather, rubber and other flexible materials.

[bertsaunders]

I make bellows using rubber cement like contact cement....thin layer on stiffners, thin layer on leather/bellows material, let them set until not tacky, then carefully aligning and pressing together slowly to prevent bubbles...do hoods the same way, have several that are 15/18 years old, with no problems!
For the inner liner repair...thin the rubber cement with naptha until it will come out of a seringe, and apply it from the inside, >between the lining and a stiffner<.....carefull where you poke the hole, and do not thin any more than needed!
Bert

[dvonk]

thanks for the tips guys. bertsaunders, when you said, 'let them set until not tacky,' did you mean i should let the cement dry on each side before sticking them together? (sorry about the ignorance, ive never used contact cement before)

[t.r.sanford]

Perhaps a minor point -- there are two kinds of rubber cement. The more common is referred to as "double coat," and is applied as discussed above: apply a layer to each mating surface, let it set up for a bit, then press the two surfaces together. The timing isn't critical; waiting a bit longer will not impair the adhesion.

The other kind is called "single coat," and it is more robust. Its intended use calls for applying the cement only to the piece you want to stick. You can apply it to both surfaces, of course, and you get a very strong bond if you do. If I intended to use rubber cement to repair a bellows or a focusing hood, I think I'd look for the "single coat" variety.

Having seen rubber-cemented "mechanicals" fall apart in less than a year as the cement dried out and deteriorated, I'd be hesitant to use it for permanent repairs. People have reported good, long-lasting success with it, and I can't argue with them: the fate of a layer of rubber between two porous sheets of paper is quite different from that of one between a sheet of leather and one of varnished or rubber-impregnated cloth.

Even so, I'd prefer "Pliobond" or, in less flexible applications, "Weldwood" contact cement.

[45PSS]

Weldwood Nonflamable Contact Cement or Elmer's Contact Cement product # E-753.
Both are latex/neoprene based contact cements. I apply a coat and press both pieces together while wet. Drys in 20 to 30 minutes. Excess rolls off like rubber cement. Have not needed to thin but water will work. Elmer's may be hard to find but is in 3.3oz bottles; Weldwood in quart or gallons. I've added a new lining to a 8 x10's 24 inch bellows, reattached letherette to Super Speeds and small trim pieces on other cameras with excellent results.

_________________
The best camera ever made is the one that YOU enjoy using and produces the image quality that satifies YOU.

[t.r.sanford]

"Weldwood" is good stuff. Last time I looked, you could get it in 3-oz. applicator bottles, in hardware stores (and it's listed on the Ace Hardware website). There used to be a thinner/solvent for it, too.

[dvonk]

good, i was planning on checking out ace hardware to see if they had any of the adhesives you guys were talking about... looks like they will. excellent.