Ein Stück ausgebrochenes Vulkanit einer Leica mit Fimo ersetzen

Nur allzugut kennen Leica Fotografen und Sammler die beschädigten Stellen im Vulkanitbezug. Es wird auch Belederung genannt.
Vulkanit ist ein sehr eigenes Material welches in hartem Zustand gerne bricht. Es gibt die Möglichkeit die komplette Belederung zu erneuern.
Es ist Geschmackssache ob man es erneuert, sich eine andere Farbe oder Muster aussucht. Ich bin für möglichst originale Erhaltung.
Wenn sich noch dazu Möglichkeiten ergeben es nahezu unbemerkbar zu restaurieren...wieso nicht. Ich hab den Versuch gewagt, es mit Fimo probiert und freue mich nun über ein gelungenes Ergebniss.


Legend in english:


Leica photographers and collectors are all too familiar with the damaged areas in the volcanic coating. It is also called leathering.
Vulcanite is a very unique material which tends to break in a hard state. There is the possibility to renew the complete leather covering.
It is a matter of taste whether you renew it, choose a different color or pattern. I am for the most original possible preservation.
If there are also possibilities to restore it almost unnoticed ... why not. I dared to try it with polymer clay and am now happy about a successful result.

Image 1
I recently got a very nice Leica M3 from 1955.
It seems as good to very little unused. Unfortunately, a piece of vulcanite broke out under the lens mount.

It was my aim to replace this piece as well as possible.
You could use another piece Vulcanite of another camera and patch it in.
I had another idea ...

Image 2
First you have to remove the old glue residue. Before that, the lower edge was masked off with painter's tape, if I slip off, don't scratch the paint.

image 3
The glue residue is now cleanly removed

image 4
The two ends at the break point were loose, I had to fix with glue.
The only correct way to get under the volcanic rock is to bend it up beforehand.
Under no circumstances should it be moved when it is cold.
So: bring your hair dryer, warm up a bit and carefully bend open with a scalpel and toothpick.
The opening for the lens was also masked off beforehand so that no stucco and unnecessary heat hit the shutter curtains.

image 5
Glue underneath (I always use a thin layer of contact glue).
After applying the adhesive, quickly warm up again and carefully press down.

image 6
The ends are fixed.

image 7
Now to my idea: FIMO! Fimo can be kneaded well, modeled very finely and worked well when it is hard. But it is also very suitable for making impressions. But it's also sticky!
So that it doesn't just stick to the body, but rather to the board, I smeared contact glue on it and rolled it a little flat.
Then 3 different impressions were made at a large area on the camera body. This flat chunk of Fimo was then placed in the oven at 110 degrees for half an hour to harden.

image 8
Then a second piece of polymer clay was rolled flat and a positive impression was made of the first piece, which should have the structure of the vulcanite as much as possible.

image 9
After the positive impression had been baked for half an hour, an approximate piece of the most beautiful part was cut out with the scalpel.

image 10
Since the shape is difficult to measure, I cut a template and stuck it on the reverse with painter's tape, mirror-inverted. So I have the right shape

image 11
Form on painter's tape

image 12
The small part was sanded with the mini tool / circular sanding belt.
So that nothing of the structure is damaged, I only held it with my fingers.

image 13
Again and again very carefully removed 1 / 10mm and tried. Interestingly, the polymer clay hardly deforms or melts like plastic would. Great stuff!
When I was satisfied, it was glued in with contact glue. The escape to the lower edge is controlled with a small aluminum strip and checked with the mounted cover. Fits.

image 14
Now the inevitable gaps had to be filled with hard wax. A soldering iron would be too crude for this fine work. What is the offer? A pin in the cork. Heat up and smear the hard wax in.
There is actually nothing more to say about the last picture.
As a finish, the new pieces, which had become a bit matt after being attacked, were polished to a shine with shoe paste (shoe color) from the tube.

Thanks for the attention! And good luck if you want to replace erupted volcanic rock in this way.

P.s .: I forgot to mention that this piece had to be ground from about 1.2mm to 0.8mm thick. The original vulcanite is about 0.8mm thick.