Re: Wood camera restoration
Don't knock yourself out trying to match colors. Early camera makers made no effort to coordinate wood colors or grain. Wood was, to them, just ordinary materials to put together any way they could. Finally, mahogany is ill-defined. There are so many varieties.
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Re: Wood camera restoration
Find a good woodworking shop in your area or a custom woodworker and you can probably find out what the finish is and get a close match, if not an exact one.
Generally a lacquer or a varnish is used on the old cameras. One way to assure your refinish job matches is to re-do the whole camera.
Re: Wood camera restoration
Look up French polishing, or find someone who does it (for the outer finish)... For the stuff stuck on, start with chipping it with a fingernail, plastic scraper, and there's a cabinet scraper on the other end of the spectrum... The color underneath might still be good, when you try to re-apply the finish...
Find a local woodworker to help if you are not sure... Someone who does music instrument restoration is a good place to ask...
Steve K
Re: Wood camera restoration
Test the old finish with some alcohol. If it dissolves, its shellac and very easy to refinish. If it doesn't dissolve the finish, it's most likely varnish, a light sanding with fine paper and steel wool then a coat of fresh varnish. You can also try wiping down with some VM&P naptha to strip, then refinish.
Re: Wood camera restoration
Thank you everyone. I'll try testing it if it's shellac, that is a very good idea. I believe it is Cuban mahogany, and there is detailed work on the corners and the base of the camera using different shades of wood. The dovetails for example are a darker shade than the body. Fortunately these areas are in good shape.
I spent time today chipping away at the "rubber" around the plastic tube on the shutter. Turns out it isn't rubber. It's cardboard or tape, glued together with hide glue and painted black. I know it's hide glue because using warm water on it turned it to goo. So the tube is out, and the shutter is ready for refinishing.
There's a place not far from me that makes custom guitars. I think they may be able to help.
Re: Wood camera restoration
I have had some correspondence with the OP and we have found a very good example of the camera - the Swift "Challenge".
Here is a link to this smaller 1/4 plate version. Quite a well finished camera model and definitely worth restoring!
https://www.the-saleroom.com/en-us/a...1-a7f900f728f5
It looks like a varnish finish to me.
Perhaps some detailed photos of details?
Re: Wood camera restoration
Quote:
Originally Posted by
altb44
Thank you everyone. I'll try testing it if it's shellac, that is a very good idea. I believe it is Cuban mahogany, and there is detailed work on the corners and the base of the camera using different shades of wood. The dovetails for example are a darker shade than the body. Fortunately these areas are in good shape.
I spent time today chipping away at the "rubber" around the plastic tube on the shutter. Turns out it isn't rubber. It's cardboard or tape, glued together with hide glue and painted black. I know it's hide glue because using warm water on it turned it to goo. So the tube is out, and the shutter is ready for refinishing.
There's a place not far from me that makes custom guitars. I think they may be able to help.
The "darker color at the dovetails" is just where the end grain of the wood piece is visible, which absorbs stain and finish differently than side and face grain.
Re: Wood camera restoration
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Rick A
The "darker color at the dovetails" is just where the end grain of the wood piece is visible, which absorbs stain and finish differently than side and face grain.
Interesting. I didn't know that
4 Attachment(s)
Re: Wood camera restoration
Here you go Steven, some pictures of the details. I'm relieved that taking the finish off, if I need to, wont' wreck these details. If they are because of the way they are positioned it shouldn't be a problem. The one of the bottom isn't clear but it's a lighter layer above a darker layer with these tan keys(?)
I've included other pics of the camera for reference. The joints I have to re glue are on the sides of the back part. It looks like they are mortise and tenon though I'm not an expert so I might be wrong. On one side the mortises are worn and broken. I read that I should cut off the old ones and glue new wood cut to shape from a comparable wood. I have a mahogany book plate holder from around the same era with a long crack along one side, so I thought I could use wood from that, but I'm not sure if that is necessary. Can I just glue it as is?Attachment 170327Attachment 170328Attachment 170329Attachment 170330
advice is welcome!