oreo1912

This is my first post attempt and first attempt with pics. I,ve been reading all about vintage machines and I found this WD9 wheeler & Wilson which I think is in pretty good shape. S/N 2709457. Other dates on the nameplate jul 17/89, march 25/90 and aug 2/92. I,m sure that means something to you experts.


now the cabinet is in pretty good shape except for some missing wreath work on the drawers. Any suggestions on finding repl? I thought I would clean well with Murphy,s oil soap and then use bees wax or liquid gold.


The mechanism is free and turns easily, needle moves and so does the bobbin. I have to get a new belt which I have ordered. I also have the wood accessory box, spring catch with some accessories you will see in pics.


Now the machine itself is covered in some dark grime that is kinda sticky. I tried carefully using oil, then dawn dish soap, and Murphy,s Oil soap nothing worked. Then my husband suggested trying a little oops solvent, still nothing. Then I decided to try my mr. Clean eraser dampened and rubbed very lightly. That really took it off but in small layers. I started on the back of the machine as it appeared not to have any decals. Much to my surprise I uncovered decals. Then I got scared and quit afraid of harming the decals. We think this crud could be an accumulation of dust and sweat. It gets really hot in Iowa in the summer and could this be a case of years in the attic where it was left out of the case and the metal would sweat and the dust would collect then it would dry and harden in the winter and then another layer added the next year.


So all you knowledgeable people's. help me with cleaning suggestions please. Oh I also got 6 donut bobbins and 9 needles. Is it possible to sharpen needles since I know they next to impossible to find?

DanofNJ

I'm a fan of the W&W...they sew like a dream. Beautiful cabinet!

mighty

Beautiful!!!!!

J Miller

Oreo,

For the needles, if your machine normally takes the 127x1 size you can substitute the industrial MY1014B. They are a round shank and are the correct length from the tip to the eye and from the eye to top. You have to orient them in the needle bar yourself, but it isn't that hard. Seriously they do work correctly, I use them in my #2 9W-7.

For the gunk on you machine I've had good luck with Hoppe's #9 gun cleaning solvent. It's got a kerosene base and to date has not damaged any of the ancient machines I've used it on. I put it on with a cotton ball let it sit a bit and gently wipe it off. There's most likely more decals under there than you think.

Joe

oreo1912

Thx Joe I am not a gun enthusiast but I work with one and I,m sure he can point me in the right direction

oreo1912

Joe the hoppe,s no 9 worked well. And it is cheap at Walmart. I think I have most of the crud off at least it feels smooth now so I can handle it without feeling sticky. Did not get as much decal as I had hoped but then gain she has been around a while. Hope to start the mechanical cleaning next. What would be a good metal cleaner to use? And is the medallion brass so would brassy be a good polish.

SteveH

Joe's not available right now, but yes Brasso is awesome for that. I use it for all of the metal bits (and some painted areas)

oreo1912

Thanks for the answer. I've been out of pocket for a few days and just caught up on Joe. So I should use brasso to clean the inner mechanisms? Before I tri-flow ? I cleaned up the cabinet today and have the head on my table ready for dissection and cleaning.

SteveH

NO, I did not say YOU should. I said "I" do.

The Brass is fine, no problemo.

You can clean the under bits but it is important to get ALL of the residual Brasso off.

Brasso is designed to be rubbed on (with pressure) and then allowed to dry, then removed with rubbing.
(My Grandfather used to call Brasso "Elbow Grease booster")

The dried brasso will become an issue if left behind.
I am VERY thorough in it's removal.

If the parts are removed it makes it much easier, then you can Brasso them and wash them, THEN OIL them.

Sorry for the delay in response, LONG weekend.

oreo1912

don't apologize for the delay I'm happy with any suggestions I can get. Experience is usually the best teacher.

Since some parts may be difficult to get to is there a better metal polish to use to clean up the interior parts? I don't want to just add tri-flow without first doing the best job I can to clean off the old dust, dirt, and oil. I plan on using this machine a lot so I really want to make it mechanically sound.

Joe suggested hoppes no9 to clean the outside and that worked well but I wasn't sure if that would be an acceptable cleaner for the inside mechanicals as well.

I reviewed the suggested videos on cleaning and there are references to metal polish but no mention of products to use. Most metal polishes I've seen are for brass, silver or stainless steel. I would assume that these parts would be just steel? Am I over thinking here? Maybe I should just use a degreaser like Dawn or Goo Gone and just make sure it is thoroughly dry before I re-assemble and tri-flow.

cabinet looks good but my DH has 35+ yrs in the paint biz so he provided guidance there. When it comes to mechanicals he reminds me I married handsome not handy.

Just a rookie trying to get it right.