repair a broken flash shoe

I present here a method to repair a broken flash shoe. .
Following the purchase of a flash cheap on eBay (a good bargain)
I found myself with a flash in operation
but unable to stand independently on the camera or a trigger to trigger slave flash.

The fixation on the hoof is an important part undergoing some mechanical stress.
At first I thought at a plastic part identical and simply paste,
But mechanical forces are too strong and the plastic would have broken.
To do this I used the neoprene glue (Chloroprene glue) for redo the missing part of the setting (fully neoprene).

One problem is to dry the neoprene for it to harden, forming a flat part
for slip into the flash shoe side SLR camera,
and this glue is a form identical to the broken part.
The solution was simple, a piece of paper.

I applied a piece of paper (what you see on the pictures in pink) at the same distance as the other leg of the flash
then I applied a layer of neoprene thickness of the broken leg.

After 24 hours, the neoprene was dry but had decreased in thickness,
I therefore applied a new layer. Again a period of 24 hours of drying.
Finally, I was missing part of the leg of the hoof firmly glued to the hoof itself.

There was still a problem, neoprene, even after drying, is an glue relatively soft and elastic,
if it is not applied in a thin layer between two parties.
To harden like plastic, there is a solution.

Simply apply a thin layer of Cyanoacrylate glue (Cyanoacrylate, also known under the name of "Super Glue").
The chemical reaction hardens strongly the neoprene glue and permanently.
After drying, I did a little sanding to smooth the glue.
A new thin layer of cyanolite and it's over.

I made many tests later, and since I use it as a slave flash without any problem.

Here is a trick that you may be used to repair your
or redo any part undergoing some mechanical stress.

Aesthetically, there may be better, but it deserves to work well and cheap.


Copyright 2010 ThierryD - http://rienquepourlesyeux.free.fr
Last update 31/01/2010
Reproduction prohibited