Thanks Rodney! Hubby said the same. It just seems odd to me since I have re-wired MANY motors and none had such tiny strands. I looked over the rest of the wires and they are all just as tiny.
Ha! I wish I HAD left them alone but i was so sure something was wrong that I clipped them and carefully nipped back the insulation looking for more. I was careful not to overdo it and was successful in getting them re-tinned and soldered back in place.
Now I just need to oil the bearings and get it back together for a test run. *fingers crossed!