iadhikari

Hi everyone!
I'm wondering if anyone has had experience with using TR3 resin glaze on their vintage machines. Were you happy with the results? Does it affect the decals at all? I've used wax on my FWs but am not happy with the results... I'd like to try something that might add a little bit more shine. Obviously they're never going to look brand new, but I'm open to options beyond a carnauba-based car wax.
Thanks!
Ila

Mickey2

Not TR3, but I have used other resin type polishes. I got a bottle of Auto Glym Super Resin polish, many of them seem like much the same stuff regardless of name. I chose the resin type after reading up on how to preserve old finishes. I neve came to anything conclusive, but the resing polish type will leave a protective film, not harm the shellac and if I'm correct not oxidize over time. There are museum quality polishes made for furniture, based on petrolum waxes; they avoid blends with carnauba, candelia and all the vegetable oils be cause of their oxidizing nature. One of these are called something like Renaissance Wax, but it was hard to find and I haven't tried it yet. The best carnauba waxes gives the highest shine, that is the disavatage, the resin waxes isn't bad at all, but their advantage is the protective and easy cleaning after. It's decades down the line the oxidation issue can result in trouble, it depens on how you think about it. I have polished old cast irion Singers in reasonably good shape, they were not particularly flaky or brittle. Gold decals were not visibly affected at all. Don't use the whitish liquid polishes on crackle finishes, it's a bad idea. Get one of those "sealants" in stead, they will not live a white residue in all the crinkles. The white part I think is some form of polish, or rubbin component, ever so slightly abrasive.

SteveH

I am not sure why a person would want to add a layer of material to an existing functional paint job.... Why the desire to have it "show car shiny"??

Please, this is not meant as a disparaging remark, just do not understand why the original finish is not enough? I have had a similar discussion on classic car boards where folks spend crazy amounts of money to give their car a "10 feet deep" shine.... The trend in that world is actually finally going back to more original finishes winning shows instead of the super glossy paint jobs.

Cari-in-Oly

TR3 is my favorite thing to use. You just have to follow the directions, and have a good supply of cotton balls handy. Caution though, it will remove a flaking clear coat so you have to be gentle with it where the clear coat is compromised. I've not had any issues with it harming decals but I've read of it removing what's left of already damaged decals. Keep changing your cotton ball as long as it's removing dirt, and don't let it dry until the machine is clean. Best to do a small area at a time, when that area is clean, move on to another spot while it dries on the previous spot. When you've done the whole machine, then buff it all off. That's how I do it and my black machines come out very shiny. You don't usually notice the shine as much with colored machines but when I was taking pics of my pink Select O Matic after I cleaned it I saw the reflection of the motor on the machine bed in the pics so it does get them shined up as well.

Cari

Cari-in-Oly

Steve, I get what you're saying but I like my vintage babies to look good, at least the ones that can. I like shiny things! Now, if I had a valuable antique I might think differently about it, but the machines I use often I like to make them look good and the TR3 also provides wear protection. It's been 5 years since I did the TR3 treatment to my 201-2 and she's due for another one, she's looking a little grubby.

Cari

iadhikari

I don't really need mine to be super shiny. I just want something protecting what's left of the decals. It sounds like TR3 is not the right product, though. All four of my Featherweights have wear to the decals, so the shellac is clearly gone. A regular car wax doesn't seem to really add any protection. Maybe I need to put multiple coats on.
I'm just trying to come up with something to protect the finish. Maybe that's just impossible with 80-year-old machines!
Ila

SteveH

Glenn's method of repairing the shellac on old machines works well. I have no input on the newer finishes.

I am not sure that the featherweights are old enough to be shellac machines, or are they lacquer.

Cari-in-Oly

I used it on my FW with no problems. Mine has the typical decal wear on the front of the bed. The TR3 didn't remove any more of the decals. Like I said before, just be gentle applying it. When I spoke of it removing damaged decals I meant that it was fancy decals that were silvered and badly damaged already, not the worn places like we usually see on FWs.

Cari

Cari-in-Oly

[QUOTE=SteveH;7379518]Glenn's method of repairing the shellac on old machines works well. I have no input on the newer finishes.

I am not sure that the featherweights are old enough to be shellac machines, or are they lacquer.[/QUOTE

I'm not sure what their finish is either but they are aluminum so they're painted, not Japanned.

Cari

Mickey2

The resin polishes protect finish and decals, I don't doubt it at all. Question is how much. If a machine isn't used there is no wear and tear to the finish, but my machines are exposed to hands, fingers, fabrics, buttons and zippers, pins (oh horror, I try to avoid it), that's my reason for the resin polish. There are loads of makes and brands and I haven't bought the very expensive ones. I clean my machines when I get them, and there is usually decades of grime on them, half a century in some cases. I polish them to have the protective film, some of the resin polishes give a very hard durable polish, the most durable and hard finish is typical of two step resin polishes. They call this extra protective step sealants, protectants, maybe "glaze" in TR3 Resin Glaze is the equivalent of this? This hard resin type polish should last years on lightly used machines, maybe six months on machines that see daily use. The first signs of wear is usually on the decals and paint in front and to the left corner on the base. On some machines I've noticed wear has been heavy in the center of the base, right next to the needle plate. I'm sure the life of decals and finish will be prolonged by regular use of the right polish.