Many times you find vintage or antique
sewing machines that appear to be worthless, what with all the rust, dirt
and built up gunk on them. A little elbow grease and some fairly mild cleaning
solutions can produce unbelievably beautiful results.
Always test every cleaner you try on an inconspicuous area (especially
if you'll be using it on the decals), before you start.
SEWING MACHINE HEAD: When it's cleaned to your satisfaction, oil lightly with a thin coat
of sewing machine oil, then wipe off all the excess. I know someone who
uses baby oil on her machines! Or, you can wax it with a carnauba car
wax that has NO cleaning compounds in it.
BRIGHTWORK: VINTAGE MACHINE CASES w/ODORS: If the case has a hideously nauseating stench, like someone left their
old PF Flyers in it, try bleach. Pour some into a high-sided bowl or glass,
and place in the empty case. Close the lid. Leave to sit undisturbed for
a day or so. The bleach will absorb the odor. Then, place a fabric softener
sheet in the bottom, for a fresh fragrance. Unless that just reminds you
that you have laundry to do.
OR
For tough musty odors, try this hint from Shirly Adams:
1. Take one clean metal trash can. AND
For really tough odors, try this, from Bill and Nancy Behrman,
the Featherweight experts at www.fwfan.com.
1. Clean thoroughly with a solution of half and half bleach and water
applying with a soft cloth. Set this out in the sun to dry for several
hours. This may need to repeated to kill the mold spores. 2. Spray Dow
Anti-bacterial spray in the case and wipe dry. Place in the sun and repeat
if necessary. This takes about 90% of the odor out of the case for me.
3. Then, if it's still a little musty, add a chip of Ivory soap.
VENEER: "I've got a bit of experience with restoring cabinets with veneer problems.
Thanks to clerks at Woodcraft stores (bless them!), I learned that the
glue used to attach veneer in the late 1800s and early 1900s was hide
glue, which can be re-activated, if there's still some left on the case.
Get yourself an old iron (otherwise it gets very messy on your good
iron and you have to clean it), a press cloth, some waxed paper larger
than the area to be restored, a piece of flat plywood as large as, or
slightly larger than the area to be fixed, several large spring clamps
or C-clamps, a large piece of plastic (like a dropcloth), and a respirator
if your lungs are compromised or if you are allergic to molds. You are
limited in area to the size of your piece of plywood, but multiple sessions
will work too, just take longer.
Put the plastic dropcloth on the floor near where you will be restoring
the veneer. Plug the iron in, and turn it to the Cotton setting (dry iron).
Get the press cloth damp, then wring out excess liquid. When the iron
is hot, have the waxed paper, clamps, plywood within arm's length of your
work area. Put the moist cloth on the veneer, covering only the area you
are working on this time. Press the hot iron onto the press cloth and
count to about 15 seconds in each area. Move the iron as needed to cover
the entire area to be fixed. This part is where clouds of steam with whatever
has been lurking on the surface for decades rises into your face and lungs.
If at all allergic, use a respirator, or get somebody else to do this.
A paper mask won't protect you much at all.
OK, when the entire area to be fixed has been pressed with the iron,
set the iron in a safe place, whip off the press cloth (careful, that
baby is HOT!) and fling it onto the plastic dropcloth. Grab the waxed
paper, slap it onto the area that was pressed, put the plywood on top
of that, then clamp the dickens out of it (I usually used 6 clamps to
provide coverage around the perimeter of the plywood)and let it sit for
8 hours or overnight. If there is any old glue still left under the veneer,
this WILL WORK. Like magic. And a lot faster than the work on the machine
head will take."
MORE: Restoration
Using a clean, soft terry cloth, begin with mild dishwashing liquid and
water. Rub gently, and change to a fresh cloth as soon as one becomes
soiled. You will be constantly changing your cloths, because if you don't,
the dirt you're pulling off your machine will scrape the finish like sandpaper.
If the liquid soap isn't cutting the grease and gunk, try STP's "Tuff
Stuff" which is an auto upholstery cleaner, or plain old WD40. Don't try
anything containing ammonia, as that will 'silver' the decals. Remember,
work slowly and gently, and test first.
Remove any plated or brightwork parts, including feet and various attachments,
and soak in a mild solution of 409. Scrub with a toothbrush or nylon pad.
Rinse, dry, and oil any moving parts with sewing machine oil.
If your Featherweight or Bentwood case has a slightly unpleasant 'fragrance'
to it, consider placing a new, unused fabric softener sheet in the bottom,
under the machine.
2. Take one clean bag of fresh kitty litter and empty it into the clean
metal trash can.
3. Take your musty item and set it on the kitty litter.
4. Take newspaper and stuff well, over the top, and all around the item.
5. Add more fresh kitty litter.
6. Add uncooked coffee.
7. Close the lid and keep it shut up for a week or more.
8. Remove carefully
This works for me on the machine, box, books, and more.
This technique was suggested by Linda Scholten, and is written in her
own words:
For a really in-depth explanation of cleaning and restoring vintage machines
(with some amazing 'before and after' photos), check out Dick Wightman's
TreadleOn page under "The Sewing Machine Shop" http://www.treadleon.net/
Alan Quinn's Needlebar
Guy Baker's
sewing Machine Parts
