Originally Posted by cabbagepatchkid
She looks AMAZING!!!!!! Which products did you use for machine and also for the table. I'm getting ready to do a treadle table, too.
Check out this video, by Treadle Lady:
http://www.youtube.com/user/TreadleL.../6/Fi8a_OHUv1M
In the video she shows how to set up that same model sewing machine and she also explains how to get the bobbin slide plate back on. She says that a lot of model 66's come with a missing bobbin plate because people can't figure out the right way to get them back on.
She also has a couple of video showing how to fill a long bobbin and how to insert the shuttle into a machine.
Thanks for the video! My bobbin plate has indeed gone missing, and I've ordered another one. I know from the manual they go on 'backwards', but it wasn't quite jelling in my head exactly how, so it's nice to have seen someone do it.
The machine itself was already pretty clean. I used mineral oil (baby oil) to soak the rest of the grime off, but haven't done anything else. I need to get a black paint pen (a la Billy-lostn51) and touch up a couple of spots of bare metal, then wax it, although I haven't decided with what yet. I'm open to suggestions, if anyone has any.
The table was easy to do, but a lot of hard work. I started with hot water, Murphy's Oil soap, super fine steel wool, and elbow grease. It took several scrubbings, both with and against the grain, to get all the wax off. I like the oil soap because as long as you keep it wet, it'll keep softening the wax layers. I tend to use it on everything I'm rehabbing. After that I let it dry, then rubbed it down a couple of times with Howard's Restore-A-Finish in walnut. Let that dry, then I waxed it with Howard's Feed-N-Wax.
I had considered scrubbing it down with TSP, which would have completely eaten the varnish finish, and then oiling the wood, but frankly, it's too hot to spend that much time outside! And the finish on this wasn't in too bad shape-the drawers are a bit alligatored, but that's about it. In the end, the restore-a-finish worked just fine.