Source For Vulcanite

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chuckroast

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Is anyone aware of a source for vulcanite to do repairs on an M body? I realize the product is no longer made, but I have two very small patches to make on otherwise good bodies. I'd really like to avoid replacing everything with plastic or leather.
 
there really isn't such a product, it's all or nothing. there are some DIY repair methods however, to keep a small area from becoming a big area, using black epoxy, modeling putty, or similar.
 
splitimageview said:
there really isn't such a product, it's all or nothing. there are some DIY repair methods however, to keep a small area from becoming a big area, using black epoxy, modeling putty, or similar.
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I know that DAG routinely patches camera bodies with vulcanite pieces he has laying around from years of doing repair work. My problems are small enough that I don't want to have to send it to him for this. I was just wondering if anyone has a supply of the material, NOS or used anywhere.
 
Once vulcanite crumbles it doesn’t take long til it’s dust, so I never saved any bits. Still need some material to hold the bits in place. Good luck!
 
I have some crumbling vulcanite on an 90mm elmarit. My plan is to try to stick the crumbling bits back with black silicone. My hope is that as it is more easily reversible than something like epoxy, and that the flexible nature will prevent it crumbling further. I have not tried it yet though.
 
Particular said:
I have some crumbling vulcanite on an 90mm elmarit. My plan is to try to stick the crumbling bits back with black silicone. My hope is that as it is more easily reversible than something like epoxy, and that the flexible nature will prevent it crumbling further. I have not tried it yet though.
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Where I've had a chip come out, I've used Pliobond to reattach - a thin layer on the body, and another on the back of the chip. Wait until dry and tack together. Once the Plibond is cured, you can remove any squeeze out with a pair of tweezers pretty easily.
 
chuckroast said:
Is anyone aware of a source for vulcanite to do repairs on an M body? I realize the product is no longer made, but I have two very small patches to make on otherwise good bodies. I'd really like to avoid replacing everything with plastic or leather.
Click to expand...
Hello,

My repair method is as follows:

1. Use epoxy putty.
2. Make a small mold of a Vulcanite area on the Leica M covering. Be sure to use a lubricant on the putty surface before molding.
3. Let mold harden.
4. With lubricant on the surface of the molded piece made, apply putty again to make an exact copy of the Vulcanite mold. Sand the resulting Vulcanite mold copy to match the thickness of the intact adjacent Leica Vulcanite covering. Ensure that the surface of the repair is at the exact same level. Paint the epoxy repair area with flat black acrylic paint.
5. The repaired area will be almost identical to the rest of the Vulcanite covering in thickness, pebbled texture, and durability.

John Ling
 
In the past when I have had to fix a very small piece that is missing I have used a thick black bituminous mastic bought from a hardware store (it's used to seal joints in roof gutters etc). I fabricated tiny implements from chopsticks or skewers and used these to press the compound into the area where the vulcanite is missing. But you do need good eyes, steady hands and a bit of an artistic approach to get it looking right. mine was pretty well unnoticeable unless you knew it was there and looked for it. It does take some days to dry and harden. When dry and hard its color and sheen is something of the sort that vulcanite looks like.

Alternatively I recently bought a sheet of P.U. faux leather to replace the missing leather on the focusing ring of an old Zeiss lens. I had to hunt about a bit to find one that looked like the original leather (the one linked below does not particularly look right but it gives you the idea. It may be possible to cut a small patch from something like this. Though if I had to do more than a tiny patch I would look into a complete ready made replacement of the sort that various sellers provide.

PU Leather Fabric Faux Vinyl Material Sofa Car Interior Shoes Bag Craft Sewing | eBay
 
When buying from Aki Asahi years ago he told me (also he wrote on his blog, in Japanese) that the synthetic leatherettes were going out as production ceased. #4034, the one that resembled Vulcanite most closely, went out long ago while #4008, the do-it-all one, lasted a few years more out of his cache. Today he sells only embossed cowhide leather.

He did snatch some of the moldings during the supplier's closing auction although hope to resume production is slim.
 
I've had good luck sticking bits and pieces together with liquid electrical tape.

Liquid Electrical Tape

Starbrite quality care products since 1973 for: Automotive, Marine, Aviation, Motorcycle, Powersports, Outdoor Power Equipment, ATV, Snowmobile, Home Care, Outdoor Furniture, Farm Implement.
www.starbrite.com www.starbrite.com
It's flexible and easy to work with.
Joe
 
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