The decals on the back are in a lot better condition. I have removed all the metal bits and pieces and washed it down with dish soap (the dirt I removed already was unbelievable!) I used machine oil to clean the decals gently. I'm going to bring it to my parents house and work on it in their shed. I have young children and worry that they might disturb the machine while I'm working on it.
I have aniline on the way from the US as I can't find any over here. Everything else I have to hand now to begin the process. I might start another thread to keep track of my progress. The head isn't too bad inside, around the bobbin there was a lot of felted lint and some thread. The red felt also needs to be replaced.
Someone marked along the 'Singer' decal on the front of the arm with what I think was a pin... they etched Singer into the gold decal
I also found the initials MP and 1950 etched into the arm too.
I can't wait to get properly started and see how it comes up! My first vintage and I'm learning so much already about the workings, the finished that was used, and the history of how the machines evolved. I have modern machines and they honestly do not compare to this - the user had to understand their machine in order to use it back then (oiling points for example - my new, quite expensive Brother clearly states in the manual not to oil it!).