Quick Fix Pinhole in Bellows repair

[martolod]

I was delivering to a Customer of mine when i spied this product on the shelf

http://www.basspro.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Product_10151_-1_10001_39763_225004002_225000000_225004000?hvarAID=shopping_shopzilla


 Star Brite Liquid Electrical Tape.
i think it is a glorified industrial version of Latex type fetish Paint, but , after having a quick look at the specs it would appear to be just the thing to brush onto old bellows that are still salvageable bar for a few pin holes.
i would paint it on the inside of the bellows . the colours i can get here are black and red.
as this a product that is 'Made in USA' i would think that other colours are available, and that it would be widely available from places like automotive parts stores, auto electrical suppliers etc.
Cost in Oz is $15.00 AUS
when i get going again i will get meself a can of this stuff and try it. Up to now i have been using a latex fabric paint but was not quite happy with it..it works, but it's a little thin so you have to apply it several times to get a decent coat.

[radiophoto]

Kalle, don't waste your money.  The liquid electrical tape may seem like a nifty thing, but the stuff never quite cures to a non-sticky consistency.  If you have two surfaces coated with it that face each other when closing the camera, they'll stick together and go all stringy like mozzarella cheese when you open it again.

[martolod]

thanks for the heads up on that. mozaarella gunk is the last yer want on your bellows.

[Glenn Thoreson]

I never had that problem. I use it all the time. I also don't fold up the camera for a few days. If it still seems a bit tacky, I just brush some talcum powder on both surfaces. I really like the stuff, except the fumes when wet. They can really be overpowering with some brands. I've used it to fill some pretty good size pinholes and also for patch glue. I even painted a very light coat over most of a rickety 8X10 bellows and it still works. If doing little pinholes, apply just a drop with a toothpick and smear it around a little. When well done it is almost invisible on a black bellows. Unless you use the red kind........ :p :p :p

After thought ---
Be sure you shake the can real good before you buy the stuff. The solvents in the stuff are extremely volatile and can escape while on the shelf. If you can't make it "slosh" when shaken, it may have turned into a lump. After opening, screw the top on tight, with pliers, and store it on it's top. I swear the solvents can evaporate right through the tin can. :eek:

[Mike Kovacs]

x2!

Mine came in a small glass bottle and the whole thing dried out on me after a year on the shelf after last opening.

[radiophoto]

Talcum powder?  What a great idea, Glenn!  I kept my camera out for several days and it was still tacky when I went to close it the first time, which is where my experience lies.  But to quote the great American poet, Ogden Nash:

A bit of talcum
Is always walcum

[br1078lum]

Just checked my Viking, that I gave the treatment to a few months ago, and unfortunately the Liquid Tape is pulling away from the bellows.  It was pretty well holed anyway, so I figure no great loss, it was just a temporary fix so I could test the camera.  I'll be ordering a new bellows from Sandeha in the spring.

PF

[LarryD]

I used it to fix a cloth shutter let it dry used the powder as a finishing touch. I have not had a problem yet. We are talking a year now.