I recently acquired 2 cased Old Types. Both case's were in very good condition (in and out) with the exception of the case lid/top. The factory hinges were gone on both and the top's were only affixed by the inside fabric lining. I located some micro hinges on the net that would have worked at re-attaching the top to the lower case but this would have required the removal of the fabric liner. I ruled this out as to high risk for damaging the delicate fabric. I decided the only other viable option was to use tape but I wanted to try and match the factory outer vinyl covering. After visits to several hardware stores I ruled out regular black duct tape, regular vinyl, etc. An older guy at the (no name) hardware store suggested I look at book binder repair tape. The hardware store did not have this speciality tape so I located several sources via the net. I looked at several different brands and found a 1/1.2 inch wide (size needed) semi-gloss cloth & vinyl tape that looked to fit the bill. Today it arrived. I secured case top and case bottom with a rubber band to hold the case shut while I applied the tape. I cut a strip 3 1/4 inch long and affixed it to the back of the case. Success. The case lid opens and closes like new. The tape color match was darn close, but I still applied some black shoe polish (like I previously did on the vinyl case) directly on the tape to help it blend into the existing vinyl covering. I used a spit and polish technique on the tape (like basic training on boots) and it looks pretty decent. Since the repair is on the back of the case it's not really noticeable unless you closely inspect it. The important thing is the case lid is secure and it can be opened without damaging the fabric. The brand of the tape I used is "Brodart". Not cheap about $15 for 15 yards incl shipping.
I have the same problem .. What I do is take a screen shot of the original picture. If you have an iPhone. I then crop them.
Finally here are the pics regarding the Old Type case hinge repair as detailed above. 1st pic is after repair with lid open. 2nd pic is before repair showing rear of case and repair tape used. 3rd pic shows rubber band used to hold case closed for repair. 4th pic show rear of case with tape affixed. The tape shows more in pic. I applied black shoe polish to tape to help blend the seam. Not perfect but will prevent any future tearing damage and less invasive than screws, etc.
I use an old digital camera too. I load the pictures in my computer and resize them with Irfanview, a free digital editor.
Great job on the case repair. Never would have thought of book binding tape. Learn something new everyday.
Thanks. But old (experienced) guy at the hardware store gets credit. H.W.S. always a great placed to start with a problem.
Hello preidy, that is an excellent way to repair those leatherette hinges. I have been experimenting with various methods of hinge repair, and have only had marginal success. I mean, I repaired them with some various styles of metal hinges, but most are unsightly. This looks to be an excellent alternative. Thank you very much for sharing. This is a perfect idea. Congrats on your successful repair too.
Hello again. I just scoured eBay, and came up with a pretty promising prospect. Here it is http://www.ebay.com/ulk/itm/391281047483 I scored one for myself. I feel sure it will work great! Thanks preidy!!!
