Antique Sewing Machines

[Boondox]

DAP -- My CEO restored a treadle 1903 Singer in much the same shape as yours. She used Ivory soap on a damp (not wet) cloth. Don't use one of those sponges with the scrub pad on one side! It took her a LONG time, but the machine looks great now -- complete with intact decals and that gorgeous black patina finish -- and it actually works!

Good luck!

Pete

 

[Von]

As an antique dealer, I might get in big trouble for giving out this big trade secret, but here it is! /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif If you want to get it real clean use hand cleaner! can't remember the name but its the white creamy one. Works on both wood and metal for removing oil and dirt! can just be wiped on and off with a rag. Then just give it a wax job and oil it up and your wife is ready to sew! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[Hakim]

My wife owns a perfume company, and gets display boards back from stores and refurbishes them. They have all kinds of oil-based stains caked all over them.

The ONE product that seems to work above all others is "Citrisolve", or one of the other citrus-based cleaners. Will even take black magic marker off a light tan carpet.

 

[trkbldr]

Would that hand cleaning product be "GOOP"? It is definetly good for things other than cleaning hands.

 

[DAP]

Pete ... I tried some Dawn liquid on this thing to begin with. After a minute or 2 I started to get a lil shine. Later, after letting some parts soak in solvent, I accidently dropped a drop, literally a drop, of ammonia on the part I had just done. Wiped it off and said "Chief, you're gonna need a bigger boat" kinda expletive. Basically, the Dawn just cleaned up the upper most layer of CRUD! This thing is DEEEEURTY.

I picked up some Turtle Wax Tar, Bug and Sap remover and this did get some of the scum off the decals without dispensing with em, but could not disolve whatever the heII is on the enamel.

Next challenge is to find a drive chord for it. I'm guessing the originals were rubber? Have to check with that place in Hebron Ohio that sells this kinda stuff. Name escapes me.

Lastly I got the treadle freed up and spinning like a top. The iron work is filthy also and I'm praying to god it isn't black enamel also. After about 20 hours on this puppy now, I can say this emphatically, AMMONIA has proved it's mettle, but it eats the decals for breakfast.

Perhaps I'm grossly underestimating the amount of cleaning passes this thing needs. 2 COMPLETE rolls of paper towels and I'm still at what appears to be square one, except for about 30% of where I did the ammonia thing (un-decaled sections). Anyway, it looks a LOT better than when I started ...

It's an interesting device, but not as interesting as our spinning wheels. That's another thread though.

Prisoners of yesteryear on this end. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

We'll keep ya posted.

 

[Boondox]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Prisoners of yesteryear on this end )</font>

Us too! We have the 1903 Singer treadle sewing machine in the living room, a couple of 1957 Dodge pickups in the garage, an art-deco 1950s front load washing machine, a 1930 Kalamazoo wood cookstove...all in an 1860 New England farmhouse! Our water comes from three hand dug springhouses dug in 1860, 1900, and 1950. Oh, and our "heating pad" used to warm the bed before turning in is a block of soapstone that absorbs heat on the woodstove all day till needed!

Not sure why we're like this when all the hills around ours are spotted with multi-million dollar trophy homes packed with all the latest conveniences. Maybe a bit of technology overload on my part -- living on a nuke submarine for a few years can do that to a fellow. But what makes my bride so special in this way? I'll probably never know, but will always cherish it!

Anyway...sewing machine parts. We got everything we needed to rebuild our old Singer on Ebay at great prices! Check it out!

Pete

 

[DAP]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Not sure why we're like this when all the hills around ours are spotted with multi-million dollar trophy homes packed with all the latest conveniences.
)</font>

Pete, my home (attached) was built in 1790, 214 years ago and the main barn was build in 1859. Actually, places like this are merely borrowed. Mortgage notwithstanding, my wife, the animals and me are merely temporary caretakers fortunate enough to know something meaningful when we see it and lucky enough to call it home for a while. The grave stones on the property are rev. war markers. I've spend a lot of time documenting this old historic place. My immediate surrounds too are getting packed with 6000 sq. ft. behemoths on a half acre of land. I do know one thing, those houses won't be standing in 214 years.

 

[Boondox]

Wow, what a beautiful home! Ours is much more modest, as Vermont 200 years ago was considered the boonies. Come to think of it, we're still in the boonies! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Two generations of my wife's family are buried on our land, and another four generations are buried a short distance down the hill on state land. So in a very real sense, we belong to the land.

Nice to find yet another kindred spirit! Pete

 

[DAP]

Believe me pete, this house was pretty modest when we got it also. Every room was carpeted and papered. A lotta turn of the century paper had to go and some really nasty shag carpeting hiding 18 inch oak planks. Yum. Gotta love plaster walls. We've done most of the work ourselves and we're tired! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Old house enthusiasts - lots o tinker time!

 

[DAP]

After a lot of cleaning both the machine and the wood and iron .... just need some old bobbins and a treadle belt.