Mystery Gunk on a Treadle...
 

I recently found a deal on a Standard Rotary Slim Machine that I just couldn't turn down. I spent sixty dollars on a machine that had no rust on it and the treadle worked well and the needle moved easily when I turned the hand crank. It's not in great cosmetic shape; the usual cracks and uneven finish on the cabinet, and I think the machine itself is missing about 95% of the decals. I am looking for a machine to use not display, so that's not a big deal to me.

What is confounding me is that there is some kind of gunk covering the head of the machine that I just can't get off; it's a rough covering over the arm and base of the machine, and there are drip marks that I am thinking is not the original finish of the machine. It has a hard finish, and isn't sticky like the old oil and grime I've been cleaning off the working parts of the machine. On the base(deck? my first sewing machine since I was a kid, still learning the terminology) the stuff is thin enough that I was able scrape a little off with my fingernail. It came up a gold/orange color, but looks black on the machine. Is it some kind of varnish or shellac that someone applied years ago to protect the finish?

I haven't had any problem cleaning the working parts of the machine, but I can't get this stuff off the head. I was able to soften what I scraped off by soaking with a hot, wet rag, but that's not an option for the whole machine. Will sewing machine oil be able to soften/dissolve the stuff if I leave a layer of it on just to soak, or do I need to break out something else? If the decals are still there and just hidden under the gunk, I'd like to save them if I could.

I have major reactions to most cleaning fluids, and would like to avoid kerosene fumes if if I can.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

1. Welcome to the board.
2. Usual remark: Please include pictures, it really helps
3. Sounds like Shellac. Try reading the "sticky" post (the ones that stay at the top) about cleaning machines

4. I would recommend stopping until you have a chance to do a bit more research. water is not necessarily what you want getting under the shellac/top coat. Rust forming UNDER paint is really not fun.

When you say gunk, is it dark in color? Try oil first and if it's not working, try cleaning it with kerosene. But don't ever use alcohol to clean it. Alcohol will wipe out your shellac and decals.

I agree with the oil, but urge strong caution before using kerosene as someone new to the process...

Remember you can always do more, but there is no "undo" button with decades old decals.

OLD, ANCIENT, DRIED, SOLIDIFIED oil. When that machine was made sewing machine oils were sometimes made from sperm whales. And those that were not were no where near as well refined as what we have available today. Also many of these machines made it through the great depression as the only machine a family(s) had. To keep it working they'd use any oil they could find. Even old coal oil or the dregs from the crankcase of the family jalopy. As long as the oil was fresh it's ok, but once the machine was retired that oil solidified. Especially when exposed to heat, and dry air.
I had one Singer 127 that was so bad like you described that oils and kerosene wouldn't touch it. I had to use Hoppe's #9 Gun solvent to clean the majority of it off. Then under the bottom I used denatured alcohol on the rods and other pieces to finish it. I did not use anything but oils on the top.

As far as alcohol, or acetone, or any other of the nasty solvents .... don't use 'em.

Joe

Thanks for the advice: I searched earlier and couldn't find quite what I was looking for, but I may have missed it; and no water at all has touched this machine except for the dime-sized spot where I tried to soften the gunk to see if I could remove it. There are a few places the cast iron is visible, and I'd prefer not to have to deal with rust :)

Yes, the gunk is dark. The lighting in a few of the pictures here make the color of what i'm trying to remove look lighter than it is, but in natural light the stuff is the same color as the machine beneath it, just matte instead of shiny. The color of the first picture is about the shade that the residue I scraped off was.

As requested, pictures :)

Mystery Gunk:

[ATTACH=CONFIG]478877[/ATTACH]

Hard to see in this picture, but the pillar and arm are covered as well, just a different light at this angle:

[ATTACH=CONFIG]478878[/ATTACH]

The whole machine, for reference:

[ATTACH=CONFIG]478879[/ATTACH]

That 'gunk' is dried up shellac. See Glenn's tutorials on refinishing the machine: http://www.quiltingboard.com/vintage...r-t235747.html There should be links to more of Glenn' info and you can search his profile for more info.

Thank you!

That gunk is old shellac clear coat that has gone bad, usually caused by storage in a very hot gold place with lots of humidity. Heat is the worst. The black drips are a poor japan job by the maker. You can take the gunk off but you must be very carefull or you will loose what decals are left and scraping will take them off to. You can use denatured alcohol on a rag around a finger with a drop or two of linseed oil so you will not cut to deep into the decals. Once all is gone you will have to shellac the head using the french polish or you can use spray shellac(clear). Go to the tutorial section and look up my instructions to help you. Most of the decals on this machine are gone but try to save as much as you can. You have a hard to clean with this one.

Thank you for the advice; I was hoping to be able to clean it with oil left on for quite a while. It's simpler, and the strong chemicals intimidate me a little, but at least I will learn a few new techniques out of the deal! There really is very, very little of the decals left, just a hint of gold here and there, although I can see where they used to be in spots, and the camera made even more of them show up than what's visible to the naked eye.

I am glad that I went into this with low expectations about the appearance of the machine; I just wanted one that worked! Around here asking price for a decent-looking machine is much more than what I paid, and one in working condition tends to be out of my price range. I'm still pretty happy with it, although it's going to live on my workbench for a few weeks until I get everything I need to try to clean it following your tutorials.

Thanks for the advice, everyone :)