Congratulations Steve! The ring is beautiful. Love the story of how you met, awesome!

Kenmore 15 clone - good amount of rust
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Next to the Tri-Flow I found some bike chain oil.
Works good on rusted up stuff.
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The kidos came over and we cleaned it up - still doesn't turn. Wilbur did NOT know what to think of GREEN oil. GREEN. It could use a bit more work but Wilbur was grumpy.
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Miriam, I know you will get more of that rusty color off.... I've seen the stuff you've cleaned up. But I have a question. I use a cotton string with metal cleaner on the take-up bar and it cleans up really nicely but I always wonder how you clean up the presser bar lever.... It has that heavy spring around it and it's hard to get to. What do you suggest?

Also, do you take everything apart? I haven't ever disconnected everything..... and can't always get to things as well as I'd like. The 128 is an example of what I'm talking about. When I moved that little chrome tag-looking plate on the front, the moving part inside looked like it needed more cleaning but I couldn't really get to it very well. What do you do?

Some times you just have to give it a lick an a promise.... :cool: Usually clean up isn't this bad. I threw out the bobbin case etc. This one I'm thinking I am going to have to pull the needle shaft and the foot shaft and give it an Evap-o-rust bath - possibly find a donor - that is if I can get the parts OFF the machine - if they moved I wouldn't need to remove them - maybe just knocking them a good one with the hammer... I have oiled it and I have scraped with the dental tool and used the string etc.... what ever dried on there is not the usual suspect. I may try to use a solvent on the surface - see if it is dried oil bonded with the rust. Something is really bad in there. At this point maybe use a dremmel tool??? The machine did not come in a case - so that may explain the horrid condition. That green oil did seem to dissolve the surface rust and lubricate it at the same time. I'm not sure about it but I had nothing to lose. Evap-o-rust is my first choice. But getting it in there... ? I have a special tool I use to scrape some stuff - it is the remains of a crochet hook minus the hook ground to a point. I love that stupid thing. The rest of the machine looks pretty good - a few blemishes but not bad. The tension is missing it's nut. I'm thinking maybe wrap some rags around the needle bar shaft and soak it in evap-o-rust? Anybody got some ideas?

Wilbur and Miss L were over to help me with that machine. We cleaned up the little circle plate from the back and I handed it to Wilbur with the screw and told him to put it back. He knew right where it went. It took him a few tries and some detective work with the magnet to find the screw he lost... :p But he was busy. Miss L cleaned up the nose plate and very proudly re-attached that. Then we cleaned up the bobbin stuff from the evap-o-rust and I had her re-assemble that stuff. She is catching on.

OK I got the rest of the color off it - Hoppe's Gun cleaner took it right off. The machine still doesn't move. I oiled it and it is going to get some time out.
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My husband swears by Hoppe's. Keep us posted.

And yes, by some miracle, I am not only able to view this page but post too!! Makes up for the car not starting and the furnace breaking this morning. God must know I need some encouragement.

Annette; Life will be better tomorrow. Get some sleep or go sew something mindless. Sorry your day was not so good. Sending you some virtual chocolate chip cookies.

Chris

I can't say Hoppe's worked any better than fingernail polish remover but it did clean off the brownish stuff the green oil didn't but I doubt if the green oil is suppose to dissolve dried on oil.