pico Posted April 9, 2011 Share #1 Posted April 9, 2011 Advertisement (gone after registration) Please see this typical damage from the Leica light meter. Do you think these scratches can be removed? (I have too much time on my hands at the moment.) Best, Pico Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted April 9, 2011 Posted April 9, 2011 Hi pico, Take a look here Restoring scratched chrome. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
Michael Geschlecht Posted April 10, 2011 Share #2 Posted April 10, 2011 Hello pico, Polishing solid surfaces to match is relatively easy because you simply find a finer abrasive than the one used to create the original surface & polish the damaged surface until you replicate the original parameters as closely as possible. Definitionally when you are done part of the original surface will be gone. Then finish that recreated as closely as possible surface w/ the abrasive which is the nearest match to the original. The abrasive matching the original texture is not used to repair the damage. Do not try to use the matching abrasive until the finer abrasive has completely re-formed the surface as closely to the original as possible. Only use the matching abrasive to create texture. It is not used to reconfigure the damaged surface. Please keep in mind: Abrasives are like photographic filters: They only take away. Plated surfaces often have a very thin layer of material to work w/ & as such it is often difficult to match the original surface properly. The material it is necessary to remove to do this properly is sometimes of a greater depth of than was deposited during the original plating process. A different thought: An MR meter has 5 screws in its foot. 2 to pivot w/ & 3 for locking down. Using these screws it is possible to: 1. Align the meter bottom parallel to the camera side to side & front to back so it always clears the M while sitting securely in the shoe. 2. Align the pin on the meter's shutter speed adjustment wheel w/ the shutter speed dial set @ B on the camera such that when returning the meter interface wheel from beyond B after having lifted it up & turned it a little beyond B to put it on or to take it off the pin will drop & correctly sit in the little groove between the 2 & 4. 3. Maintain a small space between all of both surfaces of the interface wheel & the camera's shutter speed dial regardless of what positions they are later moved to while engaged. Before putting on or taking off the meter always set the camera shutter speed dial to B & twirl the meter interface dial to B. Raise the interface dial & continue turning it in the same direction until it stops. These are handy little meters to take off & use separately or use for closeup measurement if the camera is on a tripod or not near what is to be measured. Best Regards, Michael Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pico Posted April 10, 2011 Author Share #3 Posted April 10, 2011 Thanks for the good infomation, Michael. I will find something to practice upon before trying it on the Leica - maybe a well worn baseplate. The fine-grain first makes a lot of sense, and the step to restore is new to me. No surprise - my ignorance is boundless! I did not know the meter had all those adjustments. I do find that it does not sit level, but down on the left side. One of the hot shoe springs pushes it that way. I'll drag out the M4-P that has one now and check it out. Cool! Thanks again! Edit: I just removed the meter, and put a fine screwdriver to the three larger screws - they were totally loose which is probably why the meter wobbled. I'll work this out, then be off for a bike ride. It is beautiful on SE Minnesota today. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Geschlecht Posted April 12, 2011 Share #4 Posted April 12, 2011 Hello pico, I forgot to mention the 2 small headless screws adjust left to right as well as determining the height of the meter from the camera & the 3 larger screws also adjust front to back as well as locking the system down. Another thing is sometimes the interface wheel is a little crooked in relation to the meter it is part of. When that is the case you have to sort of fiddle w/ all of the adjustments to make sure there is no contact between the interface wheel & the shutter speed dial anywhere between 1000 & B. @ the same time make sure there is enough contact between the interface wheel's connection pin & the camera's shutter speed dial so the pin does not pop out during adjustment. Best Regards, Michael Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
hilm3 Posted May 22, 2011 Share #5 Posted May 22, 2011 Michael, Very useful information on set-up and alignment of the meters. Had no idea the screws functioned this way. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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