I posted my new purchase of my GE machine here
http://www.quiltingboard.com/vintage...e-t225346.html
Upon bringing it home and cleaning it up, the awful yellow, brown coating that I had assumed was nicotine, dirt and grease (that was in the photo) has turned out to be the lacquer/shellac literally coming off. I disassembled it for it's spa time and cleaned it up best I could. I don't think the lacquer is salvageable at this point, it's yellow and brown in some areas. And I can scrape it off with my fingernail.
So, here's what I'm pondering. Do I try to salvage and redo the shellac? The decals are iffy at best. Or do I do a full paint job? I'm hesitant to do a full paint job, just because these machines seem pretty rare. But, it's not a good looking machine as is and it needs something.
The motor is also disassembled and is not co-operating being put back together. So, we're taking a time out today, but I need to decide how to proceed. I'm leaning towards a full repaint in cherry red.