Vulcanite starting to come off, how much time do I have?

[Glockodile]

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Hello, my Leica M2 just had its first piece of vulcanite come off at the bottom on the side with the hook, not the side with the rotating latch. Just a small piece came off. I was wondering how long it will usually last before the problem gets so bad it needs to be replaced. Thanks!

[Pyrogallol]

Maybe another 50 years.

Very common to lose a bit there where the bottom hooks on.

Did you see it in time to save the broken piece and glue it back?

[250swb]

Yes just glue the piece back on if you have it, if not dip a pin into a small pool of superglue and run the glue around the edges of the chip to stop it spreading.

[ktmrider2]

I took an M2 to the Mayan ruins of Tikal a few years ago.  The vulcanite was fine before going to Guatemala but the heat and humidity seemed to act like paint stripper.  Within ten days the camera needed a recover.  I think a lot of the speed of the deterioration depends on the climate conditions.  But once started continued decline seems to be inevitable.  I'd look on it as an opportunity to recover the camera in something you really like.

[Anbaric]

So, anything from a week to 50 years!

One school of thought is that it's better to replace it once it starts to go, as this may be an indication the vulcanite has become chemically unstable with age, which can potentially damage the body shell underneath:

https://www.cameraworks-uk.com/post/2017/04/10/should-i-keep-the-vulcanite-on-my-leica-m3

How does the camera look under the missing piece?

[spydrxx]

I've had the remaining vulcanite last for years. But, I do think it best to recover the body as soon as feasible. If nothing else, it often feels like a new camera, so one can revel in the joy that brings.

[TomB_tx]

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I agree - good idea to recover it. I bought a used M with a small piece missing as you describe, and repaired it with a black epoxy putty, which looked fine. Then the remaining real Vulcanit started coming loose in large pieces. The Aki-Asahi replacement fit perfectly, looked and felt like the original.

[Glockodile]

10 hours ago, Glockodile said:

Hello, my Leica M2 just had its first piece of vulcanite come off at the bottom on the side with the hook, not the side with the rotating latch. Just a small piece came off. I was wondering how long it will usually last before the problem gets so bad it needs to be replaced. Thanks!

I looked around quite a bit but unfortunately I couldn't find it

[Glockodile]

5 hours ago, Anbaric said:

So, anything from a week to 50 years!

One school of thought is that it's better to replace it once it starts to go, as this may be an indication the vulcanite has become chemically unstable with age, which can potentially damage the body shell underneath:

https://www.cameraworks-uk.com/post/2017/04/10/should-i-keep-the-vulcanite-on-my-leica-m3

How does the camera look under the missing piece?

It does look brown under it. I don't want to send it off again so soon, I just got it back, and haven't actually been able to shoot a single roll on it yet. I also don't think I am comfortable doing it myself.

[spydrxx]

Reskinning a Leica is a piece of cake. Just follow the instructions, completely remove vulcanite and any adhesive which might exist, wipe it with isopropyl alcohol, and carefully apply the new skin.

[Glockodile]

17 minutes ago, spydrxx said:

Reskinning a Leica is a piece of cake. Just follow the instructions, completely remove vulcanite and any adhesive which might exist, wipe it with isopropyl alcohol, and carefully apply the new skin.

Thank you, that does give me some confidence. How hard is the Vulcanite to remove and what is the best way to get it off?

[Pyrogallol]

There are a number of discussions on the forum about removing vulcanite and replacement.

 

[250swb]

It's very easy to repair damaged vulcanite and to be honest I think some of the replies are hysteria.

[andrew01]

Aki Asahi #4008 is a perfect match for the original vulcanite.  I got my M3 recovered during service and very happy with how it turned out.

[nitroplait]

The camera shown in that link from Cameraworks does not look like that because of deteriorating Vulcanite. It has obviously been exposed to something else and I consider the use of that image as misinformation in the given context.

Their warning is highly academic and theoretic and one must remember that they earn money from replacing the covering.

We have patched vulcanite for decades and it is not a problem to replace a patch with some black hot glue or whatever. When patching becomes impractical it is time to recover - not need to rush it.

[Huss]

4 hours ago, nitroplait said:

The camera shown in that link from Cameraworks does not look like that because of deteriorating Vulcanite. It has obviously been exposed to something else and I consider the use of that image as misinformation in the given context.

Their warning is highly academic and theoretic and one must remember that they earn money from replacing the covering.

We have patched vulcanite for decades and it is not a problem to replace a patch with some black hot glue or whatever. When patching becomes impractical it is time to recover - not need to rush it.

Yeah that M in the pic looks like it has suffered some kind of chemical abuse.  And then left at the bottom of the sea for a while.

[Huss]

On 9/29/2022 at 10:42 AM, spydrxx said:

Reskinning a Leica is a piece of cake. Just follow the instructions, completely remove vulcanite and any adhesive which might exist, wipe it with isopropyl alcohol, and carefully apply the new skin.

It depends on which M.  Ms with the real vulcanite - the black hard finish on the M3, M2 etc - can be much harder to remove than those that have the softer touch finish which basically can just be peeled off.  I have removed the vulcanite from 2 M3s, a 1F and an MdA.  With those bit of it may come off with not that much effort by using a blunt metal instrument, but most was really bonded to the metal.
 For that I used paint stripper (not thinner!) as described on the cameraleather.com site.  It is a thick gel that after a few minutes bubbles up the vulcanite and then it is very easy to scrape off.  It also removes the brown glue like residue under the vulcanite so you are left with a clean body.  
Be aware that paint stripper is very caustic.  Handle with care using appropriate gloves.

Once the old covering has been removed it is very easy to apply a ready cut leather/pleather replacement.  The fun thing is now you can experiment with different colours and textures as if you change your mind, they are very easy to peel off and replace.  None of the hassle as with the vulcanite.  It makes the camera feel new again in a way!

[250swb]

The OP has said the chip came off from the camera at the most obvious high stress place possible, around the rivet lug. Not that it was falling off all over the camera! So come on, run around and wave your arms around in panic dealing out extreme remedies if you feel it relieves your stress, but don't do it to add to the OP's stress. 

Seal the edges of the vulcanite where it has chipped off with a smear of superglue. That should be enough, but if you want to do a restoration get a pack of Milliput two part kneadable resin putty in the black option

https://www.milliput.com/black.html

With the baseplate on the camera as a template mix and mould a tiny bit of the resin putty into the gap where the vulcanite was and level it. Then with a cocktail stick dipped in water to stop it sticking to the putty knead a similar texture to the surrounding vulcanite into the putty, you have a few hours to perfect this before the putty starts to set.  The final matt black finish and texture (if you've done it right) of the Milliput resin putty is almost identical to the vulcanite. The only problem you'll have is wondering what else to do with this pack of resin putty, but sealed up it lasts for ages and it's not expensive, so keep it if you have another chip off the vulcanite.

Edited October 2, 2022 by 250swb

[Huss]

Yeah I remember when the first piece came off my perfect condition M3.  I freaked and glued it back on.  Then it started to come off in places elsewhere so I replaced it.  My M4-2 has lost a little piece by the base plate where it hooks onto the body.  I’ve left that as is, and it has been good so far.  Then again it is a much newer camera even though it is still old!

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