Cleaning large rusted attachments?
 

Hey everyone, I am starting some serious sewing machine cleaning of my collection.

I have a nice White rotary that had some large attachments with it but they are in pretty bad shape. I know how to clean machines but not these. Should I do this in stages? Are they too far gone? What would be best to remove the rust with? And NO, I do not want to take them apart....so best way to clean them as a whole unit.;)

Here are the pics:

People seem to use a product called "evap-o-rust" to good effect. I have never tried it... I use a very hot solution of citric acid ( caution will darken most metal ) they are not "too far gone" but they may not ever be real pretty again. the blue-black parts ( the thin springs) are the places you would end up braking first if they get realy rusty and yours seem to be workable.

Thanks, I think I have some evap o rust. Maybe I will try brushing ( with my dremel ) off all of the loose rust first then soaking...

The black parts are chemically blued. Just like guns. Evapo-Rust will remove this rust very quickly. Other than changing the appearance of the attachments I don't see too much of a downside to that. At least the rust will be gone.

Joe

wanna do mine next ?
[ATTACH=CONFIG]520408[/ATTACH]

Oh...Veeery funny...LOL

I had Evap o rust on my shopping list for a while, never got to a real auto parts store to ask, and naval jelly did nothing.
quite by accident, this past week I went to Tractor Supply to buy cat food, and they had Evap o rust in one of the bins.
Hopefully today I will have some things soaking.

I tried to buy Evap-o-rust at my local lumber yard/hardware store, but they didn't have it. I think I'll try Fleet Farm next.
By "Tractor Supply", do you mean a special store, or one that sells supplies for tractors.

Tractor Supply is the name of a Chain of Farm and ranch supply stores ... mostly in the south or midwest I think ( I have never been in one ... none here in Alaska ) but it is sort of a "home improvement" store catering to a farmer. Not so much Lumber Think large stock tanks Barbed wire , Chain , fencing material etc.

Tractor Supply has everything you need for a farm, and here we also have another, Rural King, which is huge, used to be a Sears store that closed, food, both people and animal of all sorts, toys, clothing furniture, guns, amno and most anything you want for rural living, and sporting/fishing of any kind, and here in Crystal River/Homosassa there is a lot of that.

We have Tractor Supply (TSC) and it does not carry it. Don't know if they have them south - but they are all over the upper midwest. Only place I've found it is at an Auto Parts store.

We have them here on the west coast too, they cater mostly to our farmers and equestrians, I shop there mostly for the dog food and their chocolate, bacon and potato chip candy bar when I can get one as they sell out quickly.https://tse1.mm.bing.net/th?&id=JN.n...d=1.9&rs=0&p=0

Hey,

Hi to everyone first!
I had several bobbins, 15s, came with a sewing machine that had been left in the rain. All but one had thread on them, and all very rusty and full of thread. I decided I didn't want to toss the thread, as I could use it as test thread, so I submerged the bobbins in white vinegar, cheaper than evaporust. A few hours later I scrubbed with a tooth brush, bobbins thread and all, they came out very clean. The thread is still stained but useable. After the vinegar bath I rinsed them well and hung them up to dry. If the thread does break later, I can always toss it then!

Ethel

Given the price of thread at places like Connecting threads I would toss the thread and never look back. Since I started using cone thread I don't look at small retail spools the same way though I still buy them if I need to match a color. Starting with known good thread eliminates at least one source of problems when trying to troubleshoot a machine. Known good bobbins eliminate another. If a bobbin is too pitted it will catch your thread.

If you have a Harbor Freight Tools store in your area, they carry Evaporust too.
You can try white vinegar as a rust remover too though I don't think it's as powerful as Evaporust or citric acid.
Rodney

Auto supply stores have it. Thats where I got it last O'Rileys, I believe and perhaps Auto Zone and others. It takes a village, wire brushes, Dremel, steel wool, and everything else in the cabinet before we are through.

I was in Tractor Supply today and they had it in gallon jugs. I thought it was a little pricey, but suppose I'll go back in a day or two and get it.