Paint stick for Camera & Lens scales

[EuGene Smith]

I had a couple of "paint sticks" (similar to crayons - one white and one black) that were used to fill in the worn out/missing paint in the scales on cameras and lenses, but unfortunately lost them when a tornado blew away my camera repair tool box.

They were great for filling in engraved markings like shutter speed, f stops, etc. and I bought them in a camera store in Virginia several years ago.

So, what's my problem? Well, I don't remember what they are called so I don't know what to ask for. I have tried tracking those things down by using words such as paint stick, enamel stick, paint crayon, lacquer stick, etc. ad nausem, all to no avail.

Does anyone know what they are called & how I can find some of those things? :confused:

[wfwhitaker]

You might try white lacquer stick available from Antique Electronic Supply (http://www.tubesandmore.com/) and possibly other sources. Haven't tried it myself yet, so I can't confirm if it'll work for lenses. But it's worth a try.

[DanJones]

EuGene
I have bought them from Micro Tools, he calls them "Paintsticks"
Here's the url
http://www.micro-tools.com/store/SearchByCategory.aspx?CategoryCode=PAI

Dan

[EuGene Smith]

Will & Dan - thanks guys! I will follow those leads. Some of my LF lenses & shutters don't have much or any paint in the markings, and with my declining eyesight, I can't see them very well.

Also, I had the local jeweler engrave my name on my eyeglasses, just back from the hinge on the temple pieces, and want to fill them in so the name can be seen (I tend to leave my glasses lying around every place I go)

EuGene

[domenico Foschi]

Eugene, I hope that's the only thing the tornado blew away.

[EuGene Smith]

Well, actually the tornado blew away the whole building leaving nothing there but about two-thirds of the foundation in place to give an outline of where the building used to be. The building was our community band building and we had instruments, music stands, music, etc scattered for several miles.

I had a Pelican case containing 3 Minolta SRT series bodies, lenses (including 50 & 100 mm macro lenses), etc and a copy stand . . . I had taken them to the band building 2 days prior to the tornado in preparation to photograph all the instruments, and their serial numbers, for insurance purposes (they were not yet insured). The camera case and cameras were never found to my knowledge. Fortunately SRT's are dirt cheap, but unfortunately, Pelican cases ain't.

As for the camera tools, I had that tool box at the band building because I was using the small tools in it to work on some of the instruments. In fact there was a piccolo that I had just repadded lying on the desk near the toolbox . . . we never found the toolbox, but found the piccolo, undamaged, in the grass about 200 yards from the building site.

You ought to see what 5 big copper timpanis (at about $3,000 average each) look like when they have tumbled and rolled for about 1/4 mile . . . .oh, well, 'nuff said!

Eu