Old 12-05-2012, 08:12 PM
  #39708  
Mizkaki
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Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: Northern CA near Sacramento
Posts: 1,107
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Miriam,

I bought a Singer 15-30 treadle with gingerbread/ tiffany decals years ago that had an added on motor with 'melted' wiring. The melting was so bad that it had run over the up-right arm, over the bed and down onto the wooden belly pan. Funny how older wiring either melts into a goo or becomes totally brittle.

I removed it with kerosene. I soaked small flannel rags in kerosene. I then placed the rags on a small section of the wiring puddle for 10 minutes or so then rubbed the puddle with this rag. I continued to repeat this using a fresh rag each time. This action slowly removed the puddle a tiny layer at a time. Nothing quick about job. A small amount of the goo never came off of the belly pan.

This machine is now drop dead gorgeous. I had no damage at all to the decals, but the shellac on this machine was intact. If the shellac had been compromised I suspect that I would have seen decal damage.
Cathy



Originally Posted by miriam View Post
what do you use on the places where the wire wrap stuff rots on to the machine in a hard to remove pile?
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