K1000 body refurbishment

girimugundan · 04-02-2015, 08:40 PM

I recently bought the k1000,the internal mechanics are good but the body looks dilapidated.i need to replace the leather and paint it..any help on that??

**pentaxus** · 04-02-2015, 10:34 PM

Try Armor all instead of paint.

stevebrot · 04-03-2015, 04:08 PM

Welcome to the Pentax Forums!

Ummm, I would skip the Armor All. It will make the camera hard to hold and it gets on everything. The leatherette may clean up with nicely with some dish soap in water. Depending on the material, a little black shoe polish may help as well. As for the "paint", it is actually an anodized metallic finish. It rubs off the corners and scratches and is generally not worth attempting a repair. Paint will not stick.

Steve

VF-19 · 04-03-2015, 04:20 PM

Originally posted by girimugundan

I recently bought the k1000,the internal mechanics are good but the body looks dilapidated.i need to replace the leather and paint it..any help on that??

If you're looking to fill in the black lettering, Thin some black paint with the appropriate thinner (not too thin, just enough so it's encouraged to move about), and let it flow into the recesses. If any spill over, quickly wipe it off with a rag. I did this with my KX and some hobby paints, and the paintwork still holds up.

**patrick9** · 04-03-2015, 06:42 PM

I replaced the leather on my FM2. I got it from cameraleather.com. It came with easy to follow instructions. I liked it so much, I am planning on redoing a couple of my other cameras as well.. These are after during and before. The tape was just to hold the brass cover in place till I was ready to install the new leather. That piece was loose.
Disclaimer. I am not affiliated with cameraleather.com.

girimugundan · 04-04-2015, 08:39 PM

Originally posted by patrick9

I replaced the leather on my FM2. I got it from cameraleather.com. It came with easy to follow instructions. I liked it so much, I am planning on redoing a couple of my other cameras as well.. These are after during and before. The tape was just to hold the brass cover in place till I was ready to install the new leather. That piece was loose.
Disclaimer. I am not affiliated with cameraleather.com.

thank you..i know about the leather..i have access to my own. It's the paint that am worried about. i thought it was a baked finish.
some suggest spray paint.

stevebrot · 04-04-2015, 11:48 PM

Originally posted by girimugundan

It's the paint that am worried about. i thought it was a baked finish.
some suggest spray paint.

The black trim paint around the leather is lacquer. The silver is an anodized finish.

girimugundan · 04-05-2015, 12:55 AM

Originally posted by stevebrot

The black trim paint around the leather is lacquer. The silver is an anodized finish.

Thank you Steve. for the welcome and everything..am new here in the restoration stuff.
I had a minolta maxxum and it stopped working recently.I live in India,vintage cameras in
perfect working capacity are hard to come by...well mine works and i need to refurbish the body,
any way to paint the body?.any help would be much appreciated.

**patrick9** · 04-05-2015, 06:05 AM

Are You wanting to repaint the trim, or refinish the entire body? I would personally probably not paint the body. Maybe polish the body and refinish the trim, I used a very small cotton brush and automotive paint to repair my trim on the FM.

girimugundan · 04-07-2015, 02:05 AM

Originally posted by patrick9

Are You wanting to repaint the trim, or refinish the entire body? I would personally probably not paint the body. Maybe polish the body and refinish the trim, I used a very small cotton brush and automotive paint to repair my trim on the FM.

the trim and the leather are not the problem..the chrome finish is..it's scratched very badly.

**Moe49** · 04-07-2015, 09:52 AM

>the trim and the leather are not the problem..the chrome finish is..it's scratched very badly.<

I replace scruffy chrome and black Pentax camera parts with New Old Stock top covers, base plates and film doors. I have found several on eBay, and some here at PF Marketplace the past few years (SV, ES II, K1000SE, K2, KX, KM, ME-F, MX, LX...). The base plates and film doors I replace myself. For top cover installation, I send the camera to Eric (and usually have him perform the CLA too).

Xmas · 04-17-2015, 10:20 AM

Originally posted by girimugundan

the trim and the leather are not the problem..the chrome finish is..it's scratched very badly.

Not much you can do for chrome, you can remove the chrome and paint the base metal (or plastic) but that is dissemble the camera. They do look nice in black.

Cuthbert · 04-17-2015, 01:50 PM

In my experience chrome ages better than black paint...it's tougher.

Xmas · 04-18-2015, 01:16 AM

Yes paint dissappears but if the shell is brass it is yellow and pretty and it looks like a pro camera and is pretty.

Rechroming to same finish is expensive.

If you don't like current chrome repaint or bin are only real options neither easy or cheap.

04-02-2015, 08:40 PM	#1
girimugundan New Member Join Date: Apr 2015 Posts: 4	K1000 body refurbishment I recently bought the k1000,the internal mechanics are good but the body looks dilapidated.i need to replace the leather and paint it..any help on that??

04-03-2015, 06:42 PM	#5
patrick9 Site Supporter Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Murfreesboro Tennessee Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 3,458	I replaced the leather on my FM2. I got it from cameraleather.com. It came with easy to follow instructions. I liked it so much, I am planning on redoing a couple of my other cameras as well.. These are after during and before. The tape was just to hold the brass cover in place till I was ready to install the new leather. That piece was loose. Disclaimer. I am not affiliated with cameraleather.com. Attached Images

04-07-2015, 09:52 AM	#11
Moe49 Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Santa Cruz Mtns. Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 874	>the trim and the leather are not the problem..the chrome finish is..it's scratched very badly.< I replace scruffy chrome and black Pentax camera parts with New Old Stock top covers, base plates and film doors. I have found several on eBay, and some here at PF Marketplace the past few years (SV, ES II, K1000SE, K2, KX, KM, ME-F, MX, LX...). The base plates and film doors I replace myself. For top cover installation, I send the camera to Eric (and usually have him perform the CLA too). Attached Images Last edited by Moe49; 04-09-2015 at 08:29 AM.

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04-02-2015, 10:34 PM	#2
pentaxus Site Supporter Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Central Coast, CA Posts: 1,313	Try Armor all instead of paint.

04-03-2015, 04:08 PM	#3
stevebrot Otis Memorial Pentaxian Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Vancouver (USA) Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 42,007	Welcome to the Pentax Forums! Ummm, I would skip the Armor All. It will make the camera hard to hold and it gets on everything. The leatherette may clean up with nicely with some dish soap in water. Depending on the material, a little black shoe polish may help as well. As for the "paint", it is actually an anodized metallic finish. It rubs off the corners and scratches and is generally not worth attempting a repair. Paint will not stick. Steve

04-03-2015, 04:20 PM	#4
VF-19 Veteran Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Ottawa Posts: 364	Originally posted by girimugundan I recently bought the k1000,the internal mechanics are good but the body looks dilapidated.i need to replace the leather and paint it..any help on that?? If you're looking to fill in the black lettering, Thin some black paint with the appropriate thinner (not too thin, just enough so it's encouraged to move about), and let it flow into the recesses. If any spill over, quickly wipe it off with a rag. I did this with my KX and some hobby paints, and the paintwork still holds up.

04-04-2015, 08:39 PM	#6
girimugundan New Member Join Date: Apr 2015 Posts: 4 Original Poster	Originally posted by patrick9 I replaced the leather on my FM2. I got it from cameraleather.com. It came with easy to follow instructions. I liked it so much, I am planning on redoing a couple of my other cameras as well.. These are after during and before. The tape was just to hold the brass cover in place till I was ready to install the new leather. That piece was loose. Disclaimer. I am not affiliated with cameraleather.com. thank you..i know about the leather..i have access to my own. It's the paint that am worried about. i thought it was a baked finish. some suggest spray paint.

04-04-2015, 11:48 PM	#7
stevebrot Otis Memorial Pentaxian Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Vancouver (USA) Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 42,007	Originally posted by girimugundan It's the paint that am worried about. i thought it was a baked finish. some suggest spray paint. The black trim paint around the leather is lacquer. The silver is an anodized finish.

04-05-2015, 12:55 AM	#8
girimugundan New Member Join Date: Apr 2015 Posts: 4 Original Poster	Originally posted by stevebrot The black trim paint around the leather is lacquer. The silver is an anodized finish. Thank you Steve. for the welcome and everything..am new here in the restoration stuff. I had a minolta maxxum and it stopped working recently.I live in India,vintage cameras in perfect working capacity are hard to come by...well mine works and i need to refurbish the body, any way to paint the body?.any help would be much appreciated.

04-05-2015, 06:05 AM	#9
patrick9 Site Supporter Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Murfreesboro Tennessee Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 3,458	Are You wanting to repaint the trim, or refinish the entire body? I would personally probably not paint the body. Maybe polish the body and refinish the trim, I used a very small cotton brush and automotive paint to repair my trim on the FM.

04-07-2015, 02:05 AM	#10
girimugundan New Member Join Date: Apr 2015 Posts: 4 Original Poster	Originally posted by patrick9 Are You wanting to repaint the trim, or refinish the entire body? I would personally probably not paint the body. Maybe polish the body and refinish the trim, I used a very small cotton brush and automotive paint to repair my trim on the FM. the trim and the leather are not the problem..the chrome finish is..it's scratched very badly.

04-17-2015, 10:20 AM	#12
Xmas Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2015 Posts: 617	Originally posted by girimugundan the trim and the leather are not the problem..the chrome finish is..it's scratched very badly. Not much you can do for chrome, you can remove the chrome and paint the base metal (or plastic) but that is dissemble the camera. They do look nice in black.

04-17-2015, 01:50 PM	#13
Cuthbert Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2013 Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,740	In my experience chrome ages better than black paint...it's tougher.

04-18-2015, 01:16 AM	#14
Xmas Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2015 Posts: 617	Yes paint dissappears but if the shell is brass it is yellow and pretty and it looks like a pro camera and is pretty. Rechroming to same finish is expensive. If you don't like current chrome repaint or bin are only real options neither easy or cheap.