Cleaning and repairing the Shellac clear coat on Vintage sewing machine heads
#71
I am excited to see how that Davis turns out! It is a PERFECT candidate.
Dan, I understand your position. Skip's method is amazing and I've used it multiple times. In fact, I'm going to try and save what is left of the finish on my Alvah National (my very first treadle). On the flip side, I am using non-traditional finishes on the woodwork. Wipe-on poly is my finish of choice because I know life happens! None of my cabinets ever have decent finishes when I get them. Sometimes, I spend more time gluing down lifting veneer than working on the head!
Like Skip says, make your own tutorial! I'm not very skilled with metal/paint finishes so I'll be sticking with the French Polish method for the heads. It will be very interesting to contrast the two methods. Right now, I'm avoiding buying machines with cracked paint. Could you start with one of those?
Dan, I understand your position. Skip's method is amazing and I've used it multiple times. In fact, I'm going to try and save what is left of the finish on my Alvah National (my very first treadle). On the flip side, I am using non-traditional finishes on the woodwork. Wipe-on poly is my finish of choice because I know life happens! None of my cabinets ever have decent finishes when I get them. Sometimes, I spend more time gluing down lifting veneer than working on the head!
Like Skip says, make your own tutorial! I'm not very skilled with metal/paint finishes so I'll be sticking with the French Polish method for the heads. It will be very interesting to contrast the two methods. Right now, I'm avoiding buying machines with cracked paint. Could you start with one of those?
#72
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This is my 201k. The ebay auction showed the paint was cracked, but it's not as bad as I had expected. The shellac is cracked some but it's not down to bare metal. In fact, the cracking is minimal and I'm not going to do anything to it.
Notice the light is attached to the back! Yipee! I'm going to rewire the entire machine, the wiring is in bad shape. And then I'll put it in a table.
This is my 201k. The ebay auction showed the paint was cracked, but it's not as bad as I had expected. The shellac is cracked some but it's not down to bare metal. In fact, the cracking is minimal and I'm not going to do anything to it.
Notice the light is attached to the back! Yipee! I'm going to rewire the entire machine, the wiring is in bad shape. And then I'll put it in a table.
#73
Super Member
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Michigan
Posts: 2,037
Glenn
Did you use gold paint or gold leaf to repair the decal? What brand of gold paint or gold leaf? Your machine is beautiful. I now have 23 machines all in different stages to refurbish and your instructions a very explicit. Thank you
Did you use gold paint or gold leaf to repair the decal? What brand of gold paint or gold leaf? Your machine is beautiful. I now have 23 machines all in different stages to refurbish and your instructions a very explicit. Thank you
#75
I am trying to fix up my Davis, and it is looking better... the black areas no longer have that icky sticky orange peel texture, BUT, some of the areas with the decals seem stubborn, and despite going very slow and cautious, I ended up with a bit of silvering. It may be the damaged shellac is adhered so strongly to the decals that anything affecting the shellac will damage the decals. Talk about a catch-22. It's made me nervous to continue!
I have been focusing instead on cleaning and rust-removal of the metal pieces.
I have been focusing instead on cleaning and rust-removal of the metal pieces.
#76
Super Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Huntsville, AL
Posts: 2,609
I am trying to fix up my Davis, and it is looking better... the black areas no longer have that icky sticky orange peel texture, BUT, some of the areas with the decals seem stubborn, and despite going very slow and cautious, I ended up with a bit of silvering. It may be the damaged shellac is adhered so strongly to the decals that anything affecting the shellac will damage the decals. Talk about a catch-22. It's made me nervous to continue!
I have been focusing instead on cleaning and rust-removal of the metal pieces.
I have been focusing instead on cleaning and rust-removal of the metal pieces.
#77
I am trying to fix up my Davis, and it is looking better... the black areas no longer have that icky sticky orange peel texture, BUT, some of the areas with the decals seem stubborn, and despite going very slow and cautious, I ended up with a bit of silvering. It may be the damaged shellac is adhered so strongly to the decals that anything affecting the shellac will damage the decals. Talk about a catch-22. It's made me nervous to continue!
I have been focusing instead on cleaning and rust-removal of the metal pieces.
I have been focusing instead on cleaning and rust-removal of the metal pieces.
#78
Hi Glenn,
I did clean them first with sewing machine oil. I had been gently wiping them with sewing machine oil before I read this.
What I've been doing is dipping the rag in the linseed oil, and then just barely touching it to the alcohol.
When that started silvering one spot, I also tried oil + a tiny dab of shellac. That worked better in one spot, but the darkest/crackliest area on the front doesn't seem to want to lighten up, and even going very slow, mostly oil and the tiniest drop of alcohol or shellac, I still got a bit of silvering on one section.
I'm going to continue rubbing mostly oil and a bit of shellac to try to protect it. I am pleased with how much better the black areas look, that's for sure.
I did clean them first with sewing machine oil. I had been gently wiping them with sewing machine oil before I read this.
What I've been doing is dipping the rag in the linseed oil, and then just barely touching it to the alcohol.
When that started silvering one spot, I also tried oil + a tiny dab of shellac. That worked better in one spot, but the darkest/crackliest area on the front doesn't seem to want to lighten up, and even going very slow, mostly oil and the tiniest drop of alcohol or shellac, I still got a bit of silvering on one section.
I'm going to continue rubbing mostly oil and a bit of shellac to try to protect it. I am pleased with how much better the black areas look, that's for sure.
#79
Super Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Huntsville, AL
Posts: 2,609
Hi Glenn,
I did clean them first with sewing machine oil. I had been gently wiping them with sewing machine oil before I read this.
What I've been doing is dipping the rag in the linseed oil, and then just barely touching it to the alcohol.
When that started silvering one spot, I also tried oil + a tiny dab of shellac. That worked better in one spot, but the darkest/crackliest area on the front doesn't seem to want to lighten up, and even going very slow, mostly oil and the tiniest drop of alcohol or shellac, I still got a bit of silvering on one section.
I'm going to continue rubbing mostly oil and a bit of shellac to try to protect it. I am pleased with how much better the black areas look, that's for sure.
I did clean them first with sewing machine oil. I had been gently wiping them with sewing machine oil before I read this.
What I've been doing is dipping the rag in the linseed oil, and then just barely touching it to the alcohol.
When that started silvering one spot, I also tried oil + a tiny dab of shellac. That worked better in one spot, but the darkest/crackliest area on the front doesn't seem to want to lighten up, and even going very slow, mostly oil and the tiniest drop of alcohol or shellac, I still got a bit of silvering on one section.
I'm going to continue rubbing mostly oil and a bit of shellac to try to protect it. I am pleased with how much better the black areas look, that's for sure.
#80
Super Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Huntsville, AL
Posts: 2,609
KittyKat, I always test an area to see how will the decals will hold up or if they need a coat of shellac to protect them. Vintagemotif is right sometime all you can use on the decals is machine oil. I do this also when I know the decals will not hold up. But I always clean the black Japan.
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