I just found a Barn-Fresh Featherweight & Table
 

Today I bought an old (probably !950s I haven't looked at the serial # yet) Featherweight that was advertised on local Craigslist. The machine was as dirty as I've ever seen. I have given it a first wipe down with a damp cloth and a lot of ugly came off. I know how to grease and oil the machine but I don't know how to remove 50 year old masking tape. The bobbin case is there but seems to have a spring broken. The table has been stripped and is sound but ugly. Any Ideas about how to approach the issues? Oh yes, I forgot to say the machine & table only cost me $250.

Get some Goo Be Gone and work with a soft cotton cloth like an old under shirt. Doesn't look bad. Alcohol might work but I use GBG all the time. Do it in an inconspicuous spot first.

Alcohol will remove the shellac finish. I wouldn't recommend it. Goo Be Gone can damage decals so be careful using it.

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Have fun fixing her up.

Oh you lucky girl!! I love FWs!! It looks pretty good! The table looks great too and with a little bit of prep will be ready to be refinished.

I agree with Candace- I wouldn't use GBG or alcohol. Is the masking tape brittle? When puling on it to remove, it might also pull off some of the decal. I would first try putting a really damp cloth on the tape for a period of time. I would probably repeat doing that a few times hoping that the paper tape and adhesive will soften and loosen up.
Great find!!

Pretty! Olive or baby oil should help remove the tape. I am not sure if they would do any damage...others may have insight or test somewhere first.

Thanks for the ideas! I just finished cleaning , oiling and greasing it. I've never seen such a mess of lint, grease, old thread pieces etc. inside a machine. The needle was too long and I had to put in a new light bulb too. I put in a bobbin case from another 221. Now it runs like a top and sounds the way it should. I do love these old cuties! The table looks to have old oil stains on the wood. Not sure what to do about that as it has been stripped of the finish. ANY Ideas about that?

I think I would try Kerosine. It is a light weight oil, and it is the thing Nova Montgomery had us use in a workshop to clean the featherweight.

I know you will just love it. I personally would not use alcohol or GBG, I think I would use some baby oil or singer machine oil on some cotton and let it soak onto the tape, perhaps it may take several applications, but I think it would soon soften up enough to be removed carefully. I know that the oil would not damage the surface, - I wouldn't use a scraper of any kind.

Definitely no alcohol! I've been using it with reckless abandon on my Necchi and it's made the finish dull. I kind of had no choice as there was so much toffee-like gunk all over it - but never on a japan/shellac finished machine! I'd just soak it in oil and see what happens. Lovely find BTW! :)