Restoring old cameras?

[eriksen]

Are there any ways to replace the worn black paint on old cameras? Can it be done with thick ink or something else, and would it be advisable to polish it with wax on both the plastic and metal parts in order to refresh the finish?

 

[dxqcanada2]

Yes, but done with a not so simple process.
Black paint is not just simply applied to the metal surface ... otherwise it would just get worn off fast.

 

[Derrel]

Simply repainting cameras has been discussed quite a bit on the rangefinder forum and at Stephen Gandy's camera quest.com. No I do not think ink would work.

The decision to repaint the camera should not be taken lightly in the case of a collectible, but for a common or working grade camera I do not think there's any problem. There are some really good camera painting companies in Japan, and they have many different beautiful finishes available besides black. One of my favorites is the gray Hammertone finish.

 

[ac12]

Thick ink is still ink, and it is water soluble.
You need paint.
The problem with ALL paint touch-up, is #1 matching the paint color (not all black is the same color/shade), and then blending it to match the existing paint. That is the same problem the body shop has when painting after car body repairs.
I think the paint at the factory is baked on. That would not be possible on an assembled camera.

 

[eriksen]

OK!
So I understand the replacing of the paint will be very difficult, but can I refresh the finish by polishing it with car polish or some other wax? And can I use that on all parts on the camera?

 

[ac12]

Polish has an abrasive, which is how it removes small scratches and makes a smooth shiny surface.
If you have something with applied printing, polish can cut or remove that printing. In that case I would go with a wax and live with the minor scratches.

CAUTION. You have to READ the container very carefully.
Some waxes are really polish, as they have abrasives in them.

I would not use wax on brushed chrome (or any textured surface). The wax will go into the textured surface, and you won't be able to wipe it off. So you will have dried wax in the brushed chrome.

I would also NOT use anything containing silicon. That stuff is notorious for being difficult to remove, if you ever have to.

And use as LITTLE as possible. You are not waxing a car hood. The camera is tiny in comparison, and will need VERY LITTLE wax. And you don't want the excess wax going into places where you don't want it going.

 

[petrochemist117 142]

Thick ink is still ink, and it is water soluble.

Not all inks are water soluble, quite a few generally the 'permanent' ones are not.
But even these wouldn't be much good for camera bodies. Ink is not designed to be used on metal.

 

[ac12]

Thick ink is still ink, and it is water soluble.

Not all inks are water soluble, quite a few generally the 'permanent' ones are not.
But even these wouldn't be much good for camera bodies. Ink is not designed to be used on metal.

Agree.
Some of the "permanent" inks are designed to be permanent because of how the ink bonds/reacts to paper. Put it on metal or plastic, and it will wash/wipe off.
Some inks reacts with the cellulose in the paper to bond to it. No cellulose = not permanent.
Ball point pen ink is a paste that goes into the paper fibers. On metal, it would probably wipe off.
Inks like India ink have lacquer in them, which bonds the carbon particles to the paper. It could bond to metal, but was not designed to. And it was not designed to stand up to wear.

 

[cgw117 142]

Not sure if you're doing this for resale cameras or personal gear but amateur repaints are obvious and an ill-advised way to spruce things up. Do it for yourself but it's instantly evident to buyers who know what's up. Who can't spot amateur body work on a car? I'd start by simply cleaning up the exterior with window cleaner, small brushes and soft cloths. I rarely see used cameras that aren't dirty--bordering on filthy--with years of crud caked on and stuck around dials and corners. Doing that alone takes years off most cameras.