[LargeFormat] Neatsfoot Oil on Bellows?

[Les Newcomer]

Neatsfoot oil is great for harnesses but like Mr. Ruth I'd be afraid it
would attack the glue.

I've used Lexol on the non bellows leather on all of my cameras where
the leather was still sound. This is used by several museums, but I
still use it sparingly.

As to damage done, I'm not sure what to tell you. trying to remove it
may do more harm than good, since any solvent for neatsfoot oil could
effect the glue, and non solvent remedies use elbow grease and an
abradative (brush,etc) again not great on fine leather.

Les

Douglas Cooper wrote:
> 
> I remember being told -- perhaps here? -- that Neatsfoot Oil was good for
> keeping bellows supple (both leather and synthetic).  Now Ken Ruth (the
> virtuoso camera repairman on Bald Mountain) tells me that this stuff is the
> worst -- bacteria like it, which can erode glue etc.
> 
> I'm afraid I already doctored the synthetic bellows on my Super Graphic with
> this oil (as well as the vulcanite on my Leica -- this too was suggested).
> Any notes from the trenches?  Am I in for trouble?  Anything I can do to
> remedy this?
> 
> By the way, he recommended high end plasticizer -- Black Magic and the like
> -- which you can purchase at car supply places, for cleaning vinyl seats and
> keeping them supple.  I'm just wondering if I've already done damage.
> 
> Douglas Cooper
> http://www.dysmedia.com
> 
> NO ARCHIVE
> 
> (oh, another question:  *does* this stuff get archived?  and is this how I
> can stay out of the archive?)
> 
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