How To Clean Old Sewing Machine Wood

Q.  "What'due south the best mode to clean a vintage sewing machine?"

A.  "Carefully."

We get asked that question quite often, and the simple fact of the matter is that "carefully" really is the best reply!  However, I unremarkably feel obliged to expand upon that a chip, so in the hope that this post will henceforth save me saying the same thing over and over to unlike people, here goes with a few thoughts.

As with virtually things, there's a lot of stuff on the internets about how to clean an onetime machine, but soon afterwards you starting time wading your way through it all, two things become apparent.  I of them's obvious and the other's maybe not.  The obvious one is that most of the folk explaining how to do the deed are in the United states of A, and the other's that we don't usually know how many machines their method has worked on.

So, Mavis Fenderbender in Chevrolet KY uploads a wobbly video to Yous Tube showing at smashing length how she transformed an quondam wreck she got at the one thousand sale final week – and we immediately accept two problems.  One is that the product which Mavis used for stripping off the grot of ages is "King Krudbusta", a tin can of which she picked up from a bargain bin in Walmart possibly 10 years ago now.  And the other is that Mavis is keeping quiet about how she managed to accept all the decals and some of the paint off the final car she tried restoring.

A couple of years ago, I kept seeing on the interweb that a sure aerosol cleaner intended for car upholstery was the affair for cleaning up old sewing machines.  All y'all needed to do was spray information technology on, let it soak in, then wipe it off with a soft cloth.  It was of course made in the USA, and it took me a long time to runway down a Great britain source.  But I got there in the terminate, and one day set up to with a spray can of it and a really filthy 66K which I'd stripped for spares.  Sprayed the magic stuff on, let it soak, wiped it off and sure enough off came well-nigh if not all of the filth.

We were so impressed I immediately used it on a potentially very pretty merely at the time icky 28K which stank like an ashtray.  On went the spray, we let it soak, wiped it off and oh wait – the lovely gold decals are now silver …

That prompted several months of experimenting with dissimilar lotions and potions in an effort to find out what worked reliably and what didn't, the issue of which tin can exist summarised thus:-

one  What works on one quondam sewing machine may or may non piece of work on the next one.  I once soaked a 99K in alkane (kerosene) overnight with no ill consequence any, merely the adjacent fourth dimension I tried it, information technology took about of the clear coat off an apparently identical 99K of most the same age.  I even so haven't worked that one out.

two  The usual advice to test whatsoever you're thinking of using on an inconspicuous part of the motorcar showtime takes no account of the fact that the finish in that inconspicuous area might well react differently to that on the remainder of the car.

3  Nosotros know that at least where most old Singers are concerned, there'south a clear glaze over the decals and the blackness enamel.  Personally, I suspect that the type of articulate coat used changed over the years, simply fifty-fifty if it didn't, I'm convinced that present the way information technology will react to any detail solvent or cleaning agent is unpredictable.  And one time that clear glaze goes, the decals' days are surely numbered.

4  As far as nosotros're concerned, the merely totally prophylactic cleaning process involves household soap and warm h2o on a soft cloth in small areas at a time, immediately followed by a "rinse" with a different cloth dampened in warm water before moving on to the adjacent area, then after drying, a shine with a piffling sewing machine oil on another soft cloth.

5  Whatever you use and still you lot go most cleaning a vintage Singer, do it good light and continue a careful center on the area you've simply worked on.  If y'all notice any change in the appearance of the surface other than it looks cleaner, cease what you're doing and work out what's going on.

half dozen  The full general dominion of cleaning is if in doubt – don't!

The chromed parts are easy.  To bring back as much life equally possible to them, we always use Solvol Autosol, which is available in the UK at Halfords and most places that sell automobile polish and suchlike.  And that illustrates the other problem – our many overseas readers are at present wondering what their local equivalent of Solvol Autosol is!  Alas, I have no thought, but information technology's a very mildly abrasive metal polish which is typically used for polishing the aluminium castings of vintage motorcycle engines.

Finally, just to put what I've said above into perspective, I do sometimes wonder why then many people seem to be obsessed with returning a vintage sewing car to nigh-enough "as new" condition.  If that's your thing, fair enough and the best of luck to yous in your endeavours.  But it would seem wrong to united states if a automobile that'due south l or 100 years one-time didn't have its "fingerprint" of cosmetic habiliment and tear and the usual minor dinks and scratches.

A total restoration would freak u.s. out.  Nosotros'd be scared to use it!

Edited to add – when information technology comes to the woodwork of cases and cabinets, once more we don't aim for perfection.  Whatsoever lifted veneer is carefully glued back downwardly, rough edges are lightly sanded, and after that information technology'southward just whatever whatsoever the forest needs to minimise any significant scratches and scrapes.  Nosotros tend to favour Rustins Scratch Encompass in the appropriate colour (they do a calorie-free and a medium/dark and yes, you can mix them), and Elsie also likes Rustins Finish Reviver now she's got the hang of using it!

Source: https://oldsingersewingmachineblog.com/2012/10/19/how-to-clean-a-vintage-sewing-machine-some-thoughts-on-that/

Posted by: fieldscized1961.blogspot.com

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