DonnaMiller

I would use a premium chrome polish, the kind in a tube. I have had good luck with it and if you wipe carefully, it won't leave any grit behind. It seems to cut the blackened oil quite well. My polish smells like petroleum base. I got it from a friend and don't know where you can find it.. The name is "Congress" Made in Germany and imported by Congress Tools Co., Inc.- Naugatuck, Ct 06770-1009. Says it contains aluminum oleate, whatever that is. It is excellent for shining up dull face plates, needle plates and bobbins. I have had no bad results at this time. Used it on a dull Kenmore plate and it now looks like a mirror.

sewred

If you plan on selling her down the road cleaning her up will reduced the value greatly.

Mickey2

Seriously? It's the case with coin collections, but I didn't know it was so with sewing machines? I would expect a clean machine to be a pluss, not worked ovezealously though . I'm very careful with the paint and decals, but metal shines up with out anything affecting the surface. These old machines often have a nickle finish, it isn't as hard as chrome, and needs a bit more gentle treatment. These machines almost always show signs of wear and use, and a good polish cleans with out doing anything that can't be undone. Maybe it's the patina factor, what's just plain dirt, and what's honest signs of a century gone by.

OurWorkbench

HUH??? Cleaning the machine up and using it properly will prevent further damage from parts rusting together and DECREASE the value should it be decided to be sold. I know if I saw two identical machines that one was rusty, dirty and 'frozen' next to a cleaned, oiled and 'working' one even if well used condition - I would expect that the clean one would be more expensive.

Janey - Neat people never make the exciting discoveries I do.

OurWorkbench

Sewbeadit, Congrats on a very cool machine and all the neat things to go with it. I hope you can find something to work for the stop ball on the treadle. Thank you for sharing the pictures of it with us and your adventures getting it back in working order. I'm sure you will have fun sewing with it.

Janey - Neat people never make the exciting discoveries I do.

SteveH

Yeah, I'm going to have to say no to this one. For extremely rare machines (and I mean RARE) that is true. If the machine has a history that the patina reflects it is true. But for 98% of the old machines out there. conservation cleaning is a good thing. Even museums do conservation on the super rare machines to arrest rust growth and prevent future deterioration. (I sold one to a museum on the east coast for over $4000 that is in that process right now)

Machines like this W&G are really not very rare. There are over 200 listed for sale in the US right now...... In this case a clean functional machine is FAR more desirable than a rusty dirty one. There is even a person on the big auction site that is stripping, repainting, and re-decaling old machines and those are selling. Mostly to folks who are not collectors of course, but they have significant value on the market non the less.

sewbeadit

I know on that auction site the really cleaned and beautiful ones do sell very high, they are shiny and look new as a new car, so I would think cleaning them up for that reason as well as for preventative treatment.

As Steve Mentioned the W and G isn't a rare machine, but is so darn cute. I want mine just to be a very nice machine and tidy, but not in "show condition" as I don't need one like that.

I would like to know what to use for a polish on some parts on other machines, is there a certain brand that I can obtain through a normal store that I can use? Thanks Janet for your kind words.