ArchaicArcane

A couple of months ago, I spied one of my most wanted decal sets at a thrift store and gasped when it was even in my price range (for a reason - missing slide plate, electrical wires cut, missing stitch length lever, no pedal... ) but it IS an RAF decal.

I even saw the cracked japanning on the machine but I didn't care.
Today, I care a little more and wonder if there's anything I can do to minimize it? I've been doing a lot of cleaning of the finish per Glenn's tutorial and it's cleaning up beautifully.

Before:
[ATTACH=CONFIG]536886[/ATTACH]

Currently:
[ATTACH=CONFIG]536887[/ATTACH]

And a closer look at the cracked finish (prior to the 2 hours of cleaning on the finish I just did):
[ATTACH=CONFIG]536885[/ATTACH]
[ATTACH=CONFIG]536888[/ATTACH]

The linseed oil and alcohol phase of Glenn's process seems to have made it a tiny bit flatter but if there's something else I can do for it, I'd like to. Does anyone else have any experience with this? I know that some of the Pfaff 130s do this too (mine included)

cashs_mom

I doubt there is anything you can do to correct the crackling short of repainting. Car paint will do the same thing on vintage cars. The only thing you can do with them is to repaint. I'll be interested to hear from some of our vintage machine experts on this.

Mickey2

With furniture there are lots of different techniqes for restoration. Some are more along the lines of Glenn's menthod, and some work with pure shellac, brush on, sand down, buff with that powdered lime stone they use for high gloss finishes, and repeat it all several times. Maybe you could sand down the cracks just a bit with a super fine tool, then fill in the cracks with a black glaze and apply shellac on top. It would be a project with buffing and applying shellac repeatedly to get the finish all smooth again. I can't recommend it for your RAF, but if you had a beaten up machine to test it on, it should be possible (in theory at least). I have been thinking obout much the same, I have an old 1920s or 30s table with damaged veneer, worn feet and more that needs a bit of care too look nice again. It's always different with wood than these cast irion beauties.

Glenn

There is really nothing you can do to get rid of the cracks in the Japaning. You can fill in the cracks with shellac to reduce the look of the cracks. If the japan is damaged not much you can do but to hide it with shellac.

SteveH

Unfortunately there is very little that I am aware of that can be done for this.

Think about what you are looking at. the moisture level of the paint/japanning has been reduced to the point that the material has begun to shrink. the cohesiveness of the material has been broken and the areas where you see "cracks" are actually exposed to the base in most cases.

how would you be able to reintroduce moisture enough to allow the material to re-expand without effecting the bare metal that has been exposed OR the decals on top?

if you find a solution, PLEASE let me know. I have a Shaw Patent chainstitch machine from 1862ish that I got for under $200 because of the "alligatoring" (what I usually hear that paint effect referred to) otherwise it would have been worth well over $1000

ArchaicArcane

I didn't think there was much I could do but I figured it was worth asking.

Because it's an RAF, I won't be experimenting but I had thought that if I could protect it from further damage, that would be good.

My experience with alligatoring is just at the shellac level - that's what I've encountered here anyway - so I'd probably use Glenn's process on it. This is much further down. I've seen this before on the 130s but I didn't feel the need to fix it. If it was a more common decal set, I would try some of the things Glenn and Mickey2 mentioned. As it was, the cleaning got my heart rate up high enough I don't feel the need for a workout today!

I will just be happy I'm in an arid climate and hope that the rest of its temperature controlled life will be rust free.

I have wiring left to go then it's just some adjustments and a test sew. (And waiting on the new slide and throat plates I ordered) I'll post some pics of it once I'm finished.

sewbeadit

It sure has nice decals on it, sorry for the cracks.

SteveH

Here, this should make you feel better about yours... this is 153 years of that drying out.

These were not decals, but handpainted... sigh.
[ATTACH=CONFIG]536918[/ATTACH]

[ATTACH=CONFIG]536919[/ATTACH]

tessagin

Don't look at it so close. Things disappear when I do that.

ArchaicArcane

As you see, they weren't a deal killer for me. I'll still love her, and squeeze her and...

Oh! Poor baby! She looks so sad! So, from what I'm guessing, these failures are from either a poorly prepped base or from too much or too little moisture when the japan was applied? I have a machine here that's been repainted and the clear was mixed wrong and the paint is too thick and I'm seeing problems with it already as a result.

The cleaning part of Glenn's process looks like it would re-flow the old shellac a little. Perhaps that's just enough to prevent rusting in my humidified room but arid climate?

LOL! This is a good rule. I find the same thing.