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EASmithV · Joined: 06 Feb 2008 Posts: 20

I picked up an old, beat up Anniversary Graphic. Since the covering is in prety bad shape, I'm looking to do a modification like this one;

Anyone got any suggestions on how to strip it / buff it / finish it?

bruiser · Posted: Wed Dec 02, 2009 7:40 am Post subject:

Hi there,

Look under 'Reflex Help' on this Help Board and about 7 entries down there is plenty on old leather removal.

Good luck!
Bruce

pv17vv · Posted: Wed Dec 02, 2009 4:50 pm Post subject:

I love this kind of customization. What are the two buttons '2' and '3' there for ?

Les · Joined: 09 May 2001 Posts: 2682 Location: Detroit, MI

His typewriter had spares?
_________________
"In order to invent, you need a good imagination and a lot of junk" Thomas Edison

glennfromwy · Joined: 29 Nov 2001 Posts: 903 Location: S.W. Wyoming

Just lay a wet sponge on it for a few minutes. It will peel right off. Not too wet. You don't want it to float away.
_________________
Glenn

"Wyoming - Where everybody is somebody else's weirdo"

troublemaker · Joined: 24 Nov 2003 Posts: 715 Location: So Cal

I'm not a fan of stripping these old cameras if it can be avoided. But I did get hold of an old broken Crown 23 that needed to be stripped to repair the wood. while I thought this camera body an almost complete loss, and after sitting around the parts shelf for a couple years, I decided to go ahead and strip it, repair the wood case body, and then made it my designated backpacking camera. To finish the wood I used Watsco Danish wood oil and 600 wet/dry sandpaper. I hate the look of the stripped camera but it serves it's light weight purpose, and I'm still considering re-covering it with something from Camera Leather. The wood is Honduran Mahogany and will take just about any finish you want to apply. I just happen to have the Danish oil that I use on rifle stocks. I think a satin varnish or polyurethane would appear too heavy of a coating, but I do like Epiphanes Rubbed effect if you can get it on evenly. Also I opted for an oil as I take the camera into dry mountain and desert environments and thought the oil would be better for the old dry wood, and it is holding up very well.
P.S., the brass metal front standard on the camera you posted looks terrible. Don't do that to it.

Les · Joined: 09 May 2001 Posts: 2682 Location: Detroit, MI

[quote="
P.S., the brass metal front standard on the camera you posted looks terrible. Don't do that to it.[/quote]

Actually it's aluminum. I'm not sure if that makes in better or worse.

Les
_________________
"In order to invent, you need a good imagination and a lot of junk" Thomas Edison

troublemaker · Joined: 24 Nov 2003 Posts: 715 Location: So Cal

You sure Les? Some of the trim and stuff is satin finished brass, or painted like on my Black 1950's Pacemaker Speed.
I'm not into the Anny's but my Mini is sure heavy and has painted and chrome brass.
Anyway, looks like someone tried for the simulated antique look and failed...

glennfromwy · Joined: 29 Nov 2001 Posts: 903 Location: S.W. Wyoming

Oh, it's brass all right. Someone just did a really crappy job on it. When those standards a cleaned off and polished properly, they're beautiful. I have a mini Speed that came to me as a moldy stinking pile of junk. I did the mahogany and brass thing with it and it turned out very nice. Mine no longer has the focal plane shutter, though. Most of it was missing so I inlayed a piece over the holes to block it off. They can be pretty or they can look like junk. It depends on the level of skill and patience that's put into it.
_________________
Glenn

"Wyoming - Where everybody is somebody else's weirdo"