I think I am becoming a sewing machine collector
 

A couple of weeks ago we purchased an old White machine it was manufactured in the early 30's and the cabinet is sweet...needs some TLC.

Then last week I bought an old treadle that is in sad shape. I loved the cabinet but it is brittle and falling apart. Spoke so someone about them and they said to always remember to oil the cabinets good as they seem to dry out quickly and the veneer will peel back and this one is starting to do that. The machine is a 1929 and the previous owner taped the drawers shut with duct tape so there is a lot of sticky on the wood.

Here is hoping we can make them look pretty again. If not the treadle is going to be made into a table top.

Any suggestions or ideas?

No we won't mention the other 7 machines I own and the longarm....lol. It is a good thing my husband humors me!!!

Welcome to the club.... don't know exactly what to use to get the sticky off. I would probably try to scrape off what I could and then use oil or goof-off. I'm not sure what it would do to the wood. I'm sure someone will hop in and let you know what will work.

I saw on the antiques roadshow this week (I think it was a re-run) that you shouldn't oil wood because the oil oxidizes and turns the wood black and it's not reversible. Just parroting that, though. I don't have first hand experience and I myself am wondering how to preserve wood.

I think climate is important, though. Wood likes the same temperature and humidity ranges as people do. Not too hot, not too cold, not too dry and not too humid. Hard to control the climate, though. Plus, I think expansion and contraction would hinder the glue's ability to hold on to the veneer. Expansion and contraction are caused by temperature fluctuation.

Glenn's tutorial would help you a lot.

I had a client who refurbished antiques and brought them back to life by using boiled linseed oil. She had the most beautiful pieces. They always looked brand new. I would use the Goo B Gone to remove sticky residue.

I have a friend who used to refinish furniture and he suggested linseed oil for my bentwood case. But it was linseed oil that the appraiser on the road show said not to use. :confused: <---This smiley is supposed to look "confused". I think he looks like a teddy bear.

I'm also in the "no linseed oil" camp, unless that is the look you are after. There are so many oils and blends out there, and many will stain the wood, so you have to take that into account. There is nothing wrong with using something that will darken the wood if that is the look you want.

If you turn that treadle into a table I'll drive up there and haunt you.

Get some Elmer's Wood Glue Max, and old plastic credit card, some clamps and glue it back together. If you are careful, you can fix it without a lot of trouble.
Here is a thread I did when I fixed one that had been used as an aquarium stand:
{ http://www.quiltingboard.com/vintage...e-t204377.html }
I lost my "during repair" pics to a computer failure, but at least I have some before and after pics of it. We showed the pics to my SIL. She wanted the machine and cabinet back. I declined her request.

It takes time and effort to fix one this bad, but it's worth it.

Besides, I NEED three Singer treadle cabinets and cannot find any locally.

Joe

Wow, Joe, that looks gorgeous! You did an amazing job! So nice to have a 9W, too.

On the oil question -- linseed oil is derived from flax seed, so maybe it has a tendency to go rancid or oxidize over time. Mineral oil is derived from petroleum and never goes rancid. It's pretty much inert. Any oil will immediately darken the wood some, or at least bring out the contrast in the grain. But will mineral oil turn black over time, like the appraiser said linseed oil would? I don't automatically believe everything the road show appraisers say because I've seen them get things wrong. But I think it's worth looking into.

Sheila,
Some types of oil has a tendency to soften wood or so I've been told. Gun stock finishers use BLO ( boiled linseed oil) or Tru-Oil on the stocks. But it's made just for finishing wood.
I wouldn't use and don't use oil on my furniture. On the treadle I did the thread about I used the appropriate stain and then used shellac for the finish. After that I used Briwax polish to finish it off.

Joe