Hello there. I am a beginner to working on old sewing machines, and quilting as well. I am not quite a beginner with sewing, my mom started me out with her sewing machine when I was maybe 9 or so. My mom had an old Singer treadle when I was little. I used to love it when she would open it up to show our friends how it worked. We had to sell it when we moved, unfortunately. I don't claim to be an expert, but I know enough to be dangerous!
Anyhow, this week I did something completely crazy and brought home a Davis treadle vertical feed machine... the belt is gone, there's a bit of rust here and there, and the finish is of course a lovely orange-peel texture on the bed of the machine. The good news is when I turn the hand crank the needle and foot move like they ought to, and the shuttle also.
I'd like to make this old beauty shine again. I may be overly optimistic, but I think I can get her working again. Should I use this technique with orange-peel textured crackled finish? Or is there something I should do first to protect the remaining decals? I've cleaned off the head some with sewing machine oil and gently wiping with a soft cloth. I just really don't want to damage the decals. I know my chances of actually damaging the body are laughable, unless I did something evil and left it outside in the rain.
I don't have a vast selection of old machines to practice on, so eventually my only choice will be to make a decision:
jump in with both feet and see if cleaning it works OR leave it as-is with regards to the paint, and just work on getting the mechanics running smoothly. I want to make sure when I choose, it is an educated decision. Any personal experiences or links to more Davis-related resources greatly appreciated!