Baby Deardorf

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After much research I Bought a baby Deardorf in good condition. It needs cleaning up. Any thoughts on refinisning the camera? I have a 90mm and 210mm lens. Any problem using those lens's? Is the lack of front swing a big problem? I mostly do landscape photos.

-- Tim Kimbler (starman2@gte.net), January 04, 1999

Answers

Rubbing a little mineral spirits on the finish will help take the dirt off and brighten it up a bit. The bellows should be carefully cleaned with Lexsol or Armor All on the outside and vacuumed gently on the inside. Ken Hough of Vaslparaiso, IN can re-build and refinish Deardorffs, his e-mail, etc. is on the Deardorff thread of Tuan's page. He can also add front swing if you decide to spring for the cost, but you can get along fine without it for most landscapes. Believe it or not, the Deardorff was Hedrich Blessings camera of choice until the early to mid 60's. The Baby has some collector interest as well.

-- Sean yates (yatescats@yahoo.com), January 04, 1999.

I mean you should apply the mineral spirits to the finish on the wood. Make sure not to get any solvent on the bellows as it may dissolve the glue holding them together. Also there is a product called Never Dull or Nevr Dull or some such that does a great job on polishing metals with a minimum of fuss. Also be sure to keep that clear of the bellows.

-- Sean yates (yatescats@yahoo.com), January 04, 1999.

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