Re: [Leica] Another Sherry Krauter testimonial

["Dan Post" <dpost@triad.rr.com>]

Andrew-
Your testamonial strikes true, and I can attest to her skill, even though I
have my friend Youxin do a lot of the LTMs I buy and sell. Sherry told me
about the 'routine' she uses to do a CLA. She completely rebuilds the
camera, cleaning old lube and dirt from every little part, and reassembling
with something like 9 different lubricants and literally puts it in factory
new shape. The only down side is that it takes her over a full day to work
her magic on one of these old cameras, and she now does it only as "A labor
of love" as she puts it! I don't think anyone else in the world does such
detailed and fine work, and if you intend to keep a camera, it is worth the
wait (up to five months!)
I wish she would do something like what George Milton did at Quality Light
Metric and take on an apprentice (The nice young lady that answers the phone
there alluded to doing a couple of my Weston Master Vs, and she did a
magnificent job! She will have job security for a long time!) It would be
nice if Sherry could find a dedicated person, young and manually adept in
order to pass on what seems to be an encyclopediac knowledge of Leicas!
I have seen several posts from erstwhile repair people and I do get the
impression that it seems to be a underappreciated profession, and that is a
shame!
People like Don Goldberg, Sherry Krauter, John Van Stelten, and Steve Grimes
who is a whiz at shutters, are becoming a dying breed of craftsmen (er,
Craftspeople- shorry Sherry, but you ARE one of the 'guys' as far as I am
concerned! I'd love to sit over a beer with you anytime!) I was very pleased
with one of my sons who decided to take what we used to call 'shop' in
school, become a welder, and decide that it is not above him to work with
his hands. A friend of mines son got an apprentice ship with a machine shop-
Most of the men there he referred to as "The Old Grays" since the median age
of these guys was 55-60 years of age! They were wonderful- the men who build
the machines that build the machines! I think it will be tragic to let these
skills die out!
I can attest to the problems of finding a place to machine negative carriers
for the Ic and VALOYs! Late this summer I took it upon myself to get in
touch with Leica, see if I could do it without stepping on anyones patent
right, got permission, then went in search of a means to have them done!
Well- if it were a matter of producing several hundred thousand of them, it
would be worth the thousands to set up a mold for plastic injection molding-
but I had firm interest from about thirty people!
So if I got them 'copied' with screwed parts and swaged guide pins, we were
looking as a per unit cost to make of nearly 60USD a piece, if I order a
quantity of 50- a $3000 investment!
Right now, I am workjing with a draftsman to get a working drawing for a
carrier that has guide 'rails' on the bottom, and guide stubs on the top,
and that can be machined from a single billet of aluminum on a numerically
controlled milling machine. This should make them both cost effective, and
nearly indestructible!
It is true- it is hard to find someone now willing to get their fingers
dirty, and do the exacting sort  of work that Sherry is so deservedly famous
for! I can only say- "Live long, and prosper...."

Dan
- ----- Original Message -----
From: "Andrew Moore" <dmm@bronze.lcs.mit.edu>
To: <leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us>
Sent: Wednesday, December 06, 2000 9:58 PM
Subject: [Leica] Another Sherry Krauter testimonial


>
> Due to reasons beyond Sherry's control, I've waited a little longer than I
> expected to receive my IIIf which I sent out for an overhaul.
>
> All I can say is that it's been worth the wait.  In the nearly twenty
> years since my father gave me this camera, I've *never* been so happy to
> have it in my hands (absence must have made the heart grow fonder, I
> guess).  I've never owned a piece of gear that I love more than this one.
> Last year Sherry also overhauled my three LTM lenses, and now everything
> is ready to start being used again.  The IIIf never felt, looked nor
> sounded so good.  She did fine work for a very reasonable price.
>
> Leica warns that you should trim the leader before loading film into the
> IIIf.  I've never bothered (and never had a problem).  Not anymore!  It's
> not worth undoing all this wonderful work.
>
> Thank you Sherry for firing up my enthusiasm.
>
>    Sherry Krauter
>    Golden Touch Quality Camera Repair
>    118 Purgatory Road
>    Campbell Hall, NY  10916
>
>    Tel. 845-496-8834  (NOTE the new area code.  Old was 914)
>
>    DON'T CALL before 11 a.m.
>    Be patient and don't whine.
>    Trim your film leaders.
>
> --Andrew
> NO ARCHIVE
>
>