Steve,

You are already repainting it. So I'd polish-up and refinish the metal surfaces, too.

Cathy

I agree. In fact I have decided to clean and buff but not repair.

I can always go back later and change my mind Muhahahaha.

Here is one I forgot earlier, the back of the movement arm notice the hollowed out side now.
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I thought a contrast picture would be cool, Painted body on old bed.
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Started on the bed, slow going doing it "softly" to preserve the texture of what portions of the original machining marks are still there. FOUND A SET OF NUMBERS!!!! I had hoped that they had put a serial number on the frame as well as the slides, that does make WAY more sense.
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Check out the "action area" neat machining.
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Close up of the numbers.. ANY help here would be appreciated.
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Kinda of cool representative shot. The bed as I stopped for the night.
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And 90% of the under bits. Done. Check out the feed dog.. it is Sharp.
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That's it for tonight. If I do not stop now, I'll be up all night trying to finish...

Final note: I was blown away to find out that the spring is brass!!! I did not know until i began to remove the tarnish! (AND I HAD HELD IT)... That was a secondary "sweet" moment. after the numbers.

Enjoy, I sure am.

Wow, Don't you wish your machine could talk...oh the tales she could tell, and I bet she is delighted to be "resurrected". Congrats on you lovely Christmas gift.

I think it would be a lot of "Hello?..... Hello?.... It's damp here!... Hello?"

or this rust itches get it off me

I am in awe! What did you use to remove the initial surface rust? A brush of some sort, or chemical?

Awww, thanks.

I used Krud Kutter as a "wash" and PB blaster as the real workhorse, then hand brushed with a brass wire brush. I was not sure how tough the material was still. Then after a couple days of "worrying it" as my Grandmother would say, and the parts started to soften. From then on it has been a 6" fine wire wheel on a 1/2 hp buffer. I have a 3/4hp but the weaker motor keeps me from pushing too hard. As the RPM's drop, the sound changes, I actually maintain my pressure more by sound than touch. (hard to feel when the world is going bzzzzzzz)

The PB Blaster stuff is amazing. It works like a cross between WD40 (penetrating) and Navel Jelly (rust breakdown). It is the ONLY think that will loosen the old bolts on my Jeep Cherokee's (yes, plural) If I could have afforded some Evaporust I would have tried that... It looks cool.

It's bad... I wanted to take the day off to finish the cleanup...

No work done last night. My DIL's car got busted into last night. The idiots tried to hot-wire the car. They found out it is not as easy as in the movies. all they succeeded in doing was destroying the plastic around the steering column, shred the ignition module, and render the car nonoperative...

They are hitting the wrecking yard today to get parts, and then I'll fix it tonight.. joy of joys...

I did take a couple close up shots of the needle plate.
I love the skill represented here. Remember:1860's...
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That is a very cool machine. I have never seen one.

for those who like to read as well as look at pictures...

from the Smithsonian:
Users Manual for Elias Howe Step feed
https://dl.dropbox.com/u/18576541/Us...%20Feed%20.pdf
Instructors manual for the Elias Howe New Family
https://dl.dropbox.com/u/18576541/In...w%20Family.pdf