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Reskinning an old porro (1 Viewer)

Ignatius

Ignatius

Inactive member
Austria
Does anyone have experience or information on reskinning an old porro with leather?
What glue to use, how to remove old leatherette, how to cut the new parts. I am not a newbie at working with leather and I have a fairly comprehensive toolkit.

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What glue does Swarovski use on Habichts?
 
I have no experience doing this, but I've thought a bit about it and would like to give it a try sometime.

I think Shoe Glue may be the thing to use, as it apparently fills gaps in between the materials that are being bonded and is meant to be durable for everyday use.

For honing in on the right shape for the leather pieces, I would try to perfect the shapes first by using paper, then cut the leather from those templates.

When gluing the leather down, I would spread glue all over the body of the binocular, leaving gaps around the edges so that the glue doesn't ooze from the seams when you press it down. You could always go back later and apply spots of glue around the edges using a toothpick. I would start gluing each piece of leather to the bino at one end and then massage it progressively onto the binocular to avoid bubbles- much like I would do for a phone's screen protector or a bumper sticker.

I would be sure to leave two little flaps on each piece of leather unglued so that I could bind them together with a hand stitch. No idea what edge stitch to use, but youtube must have plenty of tutorials with options to choose from.

To remove the old glue, maybe just chip it off with an xacto knife?

Before you apply the leather, you might even stamp it with your monogram- that would be snazzy.

Please keep us updated with your progress!
 
Ignatius said:
Does anyone have experience or information on reskinning an old porro with leather?
What glue to use, how to remove old leatherette, how to cut the new parts. I am not a newbie at working with leather and I have a fairly comprehensive toolkit.

View attachment 1603829
View attachment 1603830

What glue does Swarovski use on Habichts?
Click to expand...

1727196783317.jpeg
Happy to give Clifton Cameras a ring and get the name of the technician and the tools/adhesive used to stick the leatherette on the ‘mint’ Habichts I received last week😳

I suspect a toothbrush, a cocktail stick and some UHU glue from Lidl would do the trick. And a blindfold.
 
Last edited:
Done this a couple times already
Most difficult is the choice of the skin. Leather needs to be thin enough not to protrude above the end plates but stiff enough it doesn't stretch much, otherwise it will wrinkle over time. Leatherette is easier but need to have enough texture ("pebble finish") to provide grip.
Be sure to strip the old leather entirely and scrape all debris, glue, etc until the surface is absolutely smooth.
Make a template using paper and/or masking tape (make one for each side as castings for older bins aren't 100% symmetrical) , the seam on the inner side of the bridge in the same location as the previous skin. Once you're happy with the fit, cut the material along the template.
Glue, easiest is to use contact cement on both sides, let it dry 15 min then apply the new skin and press firmly. Alternative solution is to use polyurethane glue but it is a mess to remove and clean if need be.

Cheers
zp*
 
Dr. K said:
please post as you progress, I will be interested to see the process.
Click to expand...

I don't actually have a live project. I was asking beforehand because I was hoping for tips and experiences from others that would enable me to purchase old(er) porros which are optically sound but cosmetically Donatella Versace.
So far I feel encouraged.
 
If I can ever get the leatherette on my Habicht 8x30 sufficiently beat-up from normal use, I'll reskin it in midnight blue leather. Come to think of it, maybe I'll try covering a glass bottle first in order to get the confidence to just go ahead do it.
 
In process of thinking how to go about this job. I posted in Opticron forum [8 x 42 explorer I picked up free] optics work fine. Thought an interesting project.
1000176738.jpg
 

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