Grant, did you take the tension apart and polish each piece? I'm so afraid of taking the tension apart.

You do such beautiful work..... I need to get at the machine I got a few weeks ago..... just have had too much company.... maybe next week.

Jeweler's rouge??? where do you get that?

Nanna, Thank you for the kind words.
You can get Jewelers Rouge at Walmart, or on line. It is a buffing compound.
I do take apart all upper and lower tensions and polish each piece. Nothing to be afraid of Nanna. When I take them apart I set them down in order. I clean them in order and assemble as I go. I also recommend taking a picture of it before you start and all of the parts in a row in order too after they are all out. Clean each piece and put it back together. If you are doing it for the first time I would recommend doing it with no interruptions so your memory is fresh. After you do it a few times you will see that there was nothing to worry about in the first place. Note where the spring is pointing when you start and try to get it back in the same spot when it is done. There are two types of removing of the center post. One is a set screw, and the other unscrews from the head. I guess I should do a tutorial on my Sew Restored page. The tension knob can be difficult to clean. I use a brass brush to get heavy gunk off and scrub the rust out with it on these knobs. Then I go over it with a buffing wheel.
It sounds intimidating and difficult but it is much easier than you might think.

Here is a before and after of the upper tension. I have the parts laid out in order of how they go back together. The part all the way to the left is specific to the Free Westinghouse this tension goes to.
~G~

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Grant, Great job!! Gotta get me some of that wadding cloth....

You can get rouge at most big hardware stores or some craft stores.
Frequently listed as metal polish with Coarse-Med-Fine.

Rouge is the fine one.

Thank you Steve.
Most of this came off with the buffing wheel. Wadding polish is available at auto parts stores. It works FANTASTIC on gunked up needlebar and presser foot bars too. A toothpick can get a lot of the big stuff off first and go over it with the wadding polish. It makes removing them so much easier. Also, I forgot to say what Steve just said about Coarse-Med-Fine. Thanks again Steve.
~G~

Thanks Grant and Steve. I know I should take the tension apart on the machine I got this summer. Maybe...... I'll have enough courage to do it. .... usually I'm pretty gutsy about taking things apart and putting them back together. Once the company is gone after tomorrow..... I'm going to get at that machine.

I am so impressed with the knowledge and skills represented on this thread. Amazing pics of before and after.

You go girl! Seriously. do the following and you will virtually remove the chance for failure.

1. Clean around the are to be worked on (de-gunk)
2. Take at least two photos from different angles (not just close and far)
3. REMEMBER these things usually have springs in them, proceed slowly and with care. (NO Fear)
4. Have a clean piece of paper of fabric on the side, as you remove parts lay them down in a line in the order of removal.
5. When you remove the tension note the number of turns it took to remove it, (helps get you close on the reinstall)
6. If you have to remove part A to get to part B, STOP and take a picture before removing B
7. Photograph the laid out parts as soon as they are all out (because you WILL move things around)
8. Clean each part one at a time and return it to the location you got it from.
9. have your photos ready
10. reverse the above and you are done

There was a New Home machine at a local flea market today. Way past my level of ambition but I thought it might belong here. :D FYI: about 2 1/2 hours from Indianapolis
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What do you like to use to work on the finish? There are a lot of different favorites, and I'll admit I've tried a lot of different things, some worked, some silvered the decals or just flat dissolved them, dulled the shine, you name it.

Hard question to answer with one word. I have a few things I use. Machines are like kids. What works on one, doesn't always work on another one. For most machines car wax works best. On others, Sewing Machine Oil works best. I have several waxes that I use too. Different paint, different formula kind of thing. A vintage Pfaff usually likes sewing machine oil and it works best, and an early Singer 66 likes oil as well, but later ones like car wax
(M). 1940's to 1960's Japanese machines like almost any old car wax. I try different waxes until I am satisfied with the results. If I am not satisfied, I try oil. Some other times it needs both oil and wax to make them look the best.
But mostly I have good luck with car wax. I use a Meguire's wax and something I have had from a body shop made by a company called Wizards.
But be warned, do not use a buffing compound or a polishing compound. They have abrasives and will hurt your paint.
If there is an area that has already silvered, stay away from it. The paint seal has been compromised and can become more damaged by just wiping it with a dry towel. It should be protected and sealed from further damage FIRST before trying to shine it up. There is a good tutorial here on how to do that.
So my short answer, Car wax and / or Sewing Machine Oil. Neither should damage your paint if you are careful.
~G~