I have a Miniature Speed Graphic - the leather over the graphic back has come off. What glue is best to reattach the leather to the metal? I've used wood glue on my other cameras to reattach to wood, but I'm not sure what's best for metal/leather attachment.
thanks in advance
john

Elmer's Contact Cement product number E-753.
Any latex/neoprene based contact cement.

The glue used on the Graphics was hide glue. It will basically stick to anything. There only a couple of sources for hide glue left, but if you do a search you'll find it. One thing tho, it is a cook it yourself deal, so you may be better off with the contact cement. Why not just leave the leather off and paint it? A nice high gloss finish in a different color might be interesting. Racing flames would be nice! Be creative.

Hide glue was indeed used to attach the leather body covering and in all likelyhood, the joints in the wooden body. Don't know about the bellows, though. Hide glue is not very flexible when dry. For bellows repair, I'd stick to Pliobond, contact cement or rubber cement. Hide glue is available at good hardware stores and home improvement centers. It is made by TiteBond.

Just a note about the Titebond "liquid hideglue"

Yes, it is hideglue. But, NO it is not ordinary, regular, _standard_ hideglue that woodworkers are familiar with or that glued together wood cameras. The Titebond product is not heated to use and comes in liquid (water based) form. I don't know how they process the stuff, but it is far less water resistant than standard hide glue, which was far from water resistant to begin with! I use it very often for temporary glue-ups because it's so easy to disassemble with the slightest touch of water. It is still an excellent glue. Primarily for porous, non-flexing substances. I would NOT use it on any metal surfaces because it is water based. Besides the rust problems, it would take a very long time to dry as the metal would prevent the water from evaporating. And yes, it is extremely brittle. No flex whatsoever!
Standard hide glue comes in flakes and must be heated to be used. It could be used succefully on metal surfaces, but I doubt it would create a great bond. For something like a leather covering, no great bond is needed though...

"Goop" works good, but is like super glue in that, it is usually difficult to use it after the first time.....tends to sit on shelves for a long time I guess! Bert

A side note on hide glue: it is the use of this stuff, with all it's corrosive nasties, that caused all the green corrosion and "Zeiss" bumps on these cameras to begin with. Stick with contact cement.
Or Goop, your choice.

Can't be certain about this but here's what I do know.

The top handle and Pre ann had a wood bed with an aluminum panel. The leather never touched the aluminum as there was newspaper and cotton batting between the two. The leather was glued only at the edges.

On Annys...well again, the ones that I've come across don't seem to have the glue near the aluminum except on the edges....the bumps seem to between the rivets and the aluminum and are certainly accelerated by humidity. Galvanic action possibly.

The horse seems to be out of the picture entirely with Pacemakers as the leather and hide glue are no longer used.

Now when mixed right, hide glue will stick to just about anything. That's what they use to make "glue chip glass"

But I agree with the end recommendation...pliobond, contact cement or goop. All are easier to handle, and while not exactly Chanel No5 have a more pleasant odor than a rendered Mr. Ed.

Just to point out that my original question dealt with regluing the leather onto the metal of the graphic back. I used the contact cement, and it seems to have worked fine.
j

Just to get my 2 cents worth in here some place....the cover was glued everywhere on all the aluminum Ann and Pace doors, and the bumps were usually caused by the green wax that was used to hold the "blind nuts" in place during assembly...yea, the same green wax that was used for light shielding around the hardware, that a lot of fellows complain about!!...........Bert

I'm not sure if this helps, but Berg cement is a popular leather glue used in the harness & saddle business. It sold in tubes in hardward stores.