same finish on FW as on a 66 or a 99 - well maybe a green/white one.
You just don't want to rub on the decals

It is Ronson - went into a local "smoke shop" recently- whew, filled with smoke, asking about lighter fluid with naphtha and she said they don't sell that kind, but go next door to the convenience store and get it. Which I did.

Hi, I've just read through all the posts and am very tempted to try this method over stripping all the paintwork and repainting! The Lotus decals on my Singer 66k 1929 hand crank are very worn in places and I want to replace them. If I replace the decals, would I apply them after the shellac has cured (a week or so after the process detailed in this thread) and apply another layer or two of shellac again?
This machine is my first vintage and I bought it cheaply. I have to replace the hand crank (which I've sourced on ebay) and the Singer badge is missing on the pillar (I don't know where to source one of these?)
Thanks in advance for any help you may be able to give me

I have a few machines that don't look like much. They were beat nearly to death by Grandma. They work though and turn the best. We have an old 99 we put a HC on. It it the one my grand daughter always gets out to use. Then my husband wanted to make a quilt block for Rodney so I had him use that machine. We brought it over here (my parents) to use for a project with DGD and when he took it back home I noticed that it was where he could use it. LOL... Some times there is so much character I hate to cover it up. When a machine can be cleaned up and the old finish smoothed out some times it is enough. Then use and enjoy all those merit badges and character. I'm almost afraid to use one that isn't sort of a beater. Here are some links to ugly machines I've messed with and one I still love the best out of all of the ugly beater machines:
http://www.quiltingboard.com/vintage...e-t261967.html

http://www.quiltingboard.com/vintage...h-t257669.html

http://www.quiltingboard.com/vintage...r-t256543.html

more links for ugly machines:
http://www.quiltingboard.com/vintage...d-t227831.html

http://www.quiltingboard.com/vintage...t-t174236.html

Thanks Miriam. I'm thinking that I might start with a clean up using 'The Method', protecting and avoiding the original decals to see how she looks after that process. Then I'll have a proper think about decals, whether or not I will go down that route.
I'm in Ireland so had to do a quick Google to work out our equivalent of some of the supplies needed. All readily available :)
You have done some amazing clean up jobs! Great inspiration for people. For this machine, I'm not going to resell it, that's not the motivation for me cleaning her up. I would just like to get her pretty again.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]526234[/ATTACH]I hope this photo isn't too big, I've tried to resize it

AH an amazingly clean lotus with scrubbed off decals and a nice hand crank!!! That looks like a very serviceable machine as it is.

You might remove the decals on the base with acetone, touch up paint or stain on the edges where the black is worn off, then French polish after that dries. That would give the base an Amish buggy black look.

The decals on the back are in a lot better condition. I have removed all the metal bits and pieces and washed it down with dish soap (the dirt I removed already was unbelievable!) I used machine oil to clean the decals gently. I'm going to bring it to my parents house and work on it in their shed. I have young children and worry that they might disturb the machine while I'm working on it.
I have aniline on the way from the US as I can't find any over here. Everything else I have to hand now to begin the process. I might start another thread to keep track of my progress. The head isn't too bad inside, around the bobbin there was a lot of felted lint and some thread. The red felt also needs to be replaced.
Someone marked along the 'Singer' decal on the front of the arm with what I think was a pin... they etched Singer into the gold decal :eek: I also found the initials MP and 1950 etched into the arm too.
I can't wait to get properly started and see how it comes up! My first vintage and I'm learning so much already about the workings, the finished that was used, and the history of how the machines evolved. I have modern machines and they honestly do not compare to this - the user had to understand their machine in order to use it back then (oiling points for example - my new, quite expensive Brother clearly states in the manual not to oil it!).

Your new, quite expensive Brother is only made to last 5 years more or less.