peeling leather from large format cameras

[manggokhs]

hello again.

I was checking the condition of my cameras, a Recomar and a Juwel 440.
Both of them turned out to have zeiss bumps under their leather.
The problem is that I can not find any seam between the leather pieces.
I am now totally clueless. Should I use a loupe for spotting the seams, and lift it up with a razor blade or what? :p

[Steven Tribe]

Not quite sure what a "Zeiss bump" is? Are these just areas that have lost adhesion to the metal frame and the leather makes circular bumps.
The leather covers are in general very fragile after 80+ years and the most common problem with the covers is abrasive marks in this leather. I doubt you will be able to release the leathers in one piece - even if can find the seam. Seams were cut diagonally to create the illusion of being from one piece of leather. Getting replacement leather is easy - but you will never be able to match the impressed pattern exactly. Cutting through the blisters with a very very sharp blade and injecting glue would seem a solution.

[Jim C.]

A "zeiss bump" is the chemical reaction of the tanning agent of the leather and the brass screw
makes a sort or waxy verdigris, and it builds up underneath the leather creating
a bump, I've seen it on my Graflexes ( graf snot ? ;) ).

[Steven Tribe]

Horrible. I would call it Zeiss Pox. If the leather is damaged, rather than just raised, I doubt my suggestion would work. But a organic solvent base glue might provide a "phase barrier" (1960's Chemistry!).

[Jim C.]

Yes, it's nasty, I don't think camera makers of yore figured that their cameras would still be in service after
decades to a century.