Leica shutter pinhole repair - second best method?

[M like Leica M6]

Of course, this needs to be explained:

The best method is to send your M to Leica to let them replace the shutter curtain. It will cost you between 500 and 900 Dollars, e.g. the price of a good, working, used M6 on eBay. My used M6 is, of course the second best camera I could get. The best solution would have been to buy a new MP or M7 :D

What is the second best method?

- Easy to apply
- Not causing other problems
- Cheap
- Lasting, endurable, permanent
- Invisible, if possible (though it is in the dark most of the time...)

[ChrisN]

Star brite Liquid Electrical Tape. Comes in a can as a thick liquid. Use a fine brush to put a small drop on the hole, just enough to cover the hole and no more. Lay the camera flat and don't move the shutter for 24 hours. I patched three holes in a fabric shutter this way - perfect.

[ErnestoJL]

I had the same problem in an old Zorki 1.
I used black acrylic fabrics paint. First layer, the paint was thinned with warm water. Later it was applied as it comes from the can.
I´ve been fortunate that the drums where the curtains are rolled are exposed so it was easy to apply paint to both sides of the curtains (this do not apply for modern Leicas from model III and newer).
Mine had two vertical rows of small spots in the middle of the neg. caused by cracking of the rubber coating. Now I´m testing it with ISO 400 film.
Hope it helps.

Cheers
Ernesto

[ben lloyd]

CRR Luton replaced my shutter curtain for the price of the parts (£20) whilst doing a CLA. I'm sure most techs would do similar, ie. if its at the same time as a CLA its not going to be that much extra, and certainly not near Leica Service Dept. prices.

[DonW]

The exposure counter is missing from my Tower 45/46 and a suggestion was made that I should check out a FED or Zorki and see if theirs might fit.

The cup on the advancing lever is 15.0mm outside diameter and 14.0 inside. It is just slightly less than 3mm deep. There is an eccentric in the middle of the cup and a small nub on the floor of the cup.

Does anyone have a parts camera that might fit this?

DonW

[awilder]

Shutter curtain replacement is around $400 at Leica according to Dave Ellwell at Leica USA and about $250-$350 if done by Don or Sherry. If the camera need a CLA anyway, the additional cost is about $75 for the replacement curtain part.

[alexz]

Youxin just recently replaced both curtains on my beater M3 while breathe a new life into it by a thorough CLA. The price was 50$ per curtain, which I consider is far better then fair. Perhaps the replacement curtains weren't brand new, but at least the material looks not worse then on my M6 which looks not far from Mint.

[Limpovitj]

- Easy to apply
- Not causing other problems
- Cheap
- Lasting, endurable, permanent
- Invisible, if possible (though it is in the dark most of the time...)

I've repaired pinholes using rubber cement from a bicycle repair kit in two Leicas (M2 and IIIc).

I applied it with a tiny paintbrush (intended for water paints, and pretty much useless for that purpose afterwards...). You have to work really (and I mean really) quick to apply it beofre the cement starts to set. I first did a thin (and I do mean THIN) layer, and then painted it black with a sharpie/magic marker (the cement in itself being transparent). Check with a flashlight (in a darkened room) and apply again as needed.

Keep from firing the shutter until it really has dried, or you'll get rubber all over the innards of you camera.

It was somewhat easy to apply, hasn't caused other problems in my cameras, was cheap, seems endurable enough, but was far from invisible - it's downright ugly.

As they say, your milage may vary. It worked for me.

[Jon Goodman]

SoSoft or TulipSoft professional fabric paint in either lampblack or opaque black is what I've used for years. In fact, I've actually made shutter curtain material from this and synthetic silk, and it works like a charm. The stuff is very opaque, dries rubbery and lasts a long time. Do not use "dimensional" fabric paint. This is nothing but white glue which has been tinted and totally useless for shutter repair.
Good luck,
Jon

[rlouzan]

or Liquitex acrylic artist color opaque (mars black)

[nikonhswebmaster]

I just use latex flat black paint. Lasts forever, dries so it does not stick to the other surfaces, and just never comes off. I had several cameras with it, that I used for many years, hundreds of rolls.

Never thought of using Liquitex acrylic artist's paint, but it is really thick and archival, really should last. I only used it when I was painting... which the world thanks me for not doing anymore.

[David Murphy]

DAG camera replaced the curtains (and more) on my Leotax for $180, so I can't imagine an M costing much more -- maybe less.


Of course, this needs to be explained:

The best method is to send your M to Leica to let them replace the shutter curtain. It will cost you between 500 and 900 Dollars, e.g. the price of a good, working, used M6 on eBay. My used M6 is, of course the second best camera I could get. The best solution would have been to buy a new MP or M7 :D

What is the second best method?

- Easy to apply
- Not causing other problems
- Cheap
- Lasting, endurable, permanent
- Invisible, if possible (though it is in the dark most of the time...)

[Vido]

Lots of expensive fixes out there and probably will work and maybe last longer than my fix, but I was in a bind with no stores around to supply me with glue, paint, or any liquids of any kind other than the beer everyone was consuming. But I had a felt tipped black permanent marker in my bag that was my salvation and fix for the leaks. Just a dab and another dab, and another dab and problems were covered up for no money at all. I did remember that the ink in a permanent marker is sticky, so I left the lens off in a dust-free environment for an hour just to be sure all was dry.

That fix was 6 months ago -- my Leica IId is still very happy with the care I took dabbing its shutter curtain ever so delicately. It worked for me, but then again I could be Dennis Miller.