The one important thing is don't use alcohol or anything with alcohol on the
finished parts of the machine. Test in a hidden spot any chemicals you use.
So far as the innards. Oil might need to soak in over a few days to get the
parts happy and moving. Q-tips and pipe cleaners help. Put the parts you
remove in a cup or bowl or on a magnet so you don't lose them.
Taria
"Kate XXXXXX" wrote in message
o.uk...
On 15/09/2010 20:09, Leslie& The Furbabies in MO. wrote:
My poor ol' 1950 Singer 15-91 spent 3 years in the garage with
Missouri's heat and cold and high humidity. It has this thick, brown-ish
colored, sticky, greasy feeling film on it- it's much like the cooked-on
grease you sometimes see on the bottom of frying pans. Any thoughts on
some thing safe to clean it- that won't mess up the lovely decals or the
black paint?
Tha greasy film may well be the shellac coating that holds the decals on,
degraded in heat and humidity. Those old machines were given a coat of
enamel, a bit like stove enamel or car paint, then the decals were put on.
They varnished over those with shellac to protect them. It can go brown
and craze or go sticky with time. You need to clean it off without
damaging the decals if you possibly can. If the decals are very worn and
one of the plainer, more common sets, I'd be tempted not to worry about
them vanishing if you just want a utility machine rather than a palour
decoration.
Also, I hear y'all talking about cleaning and lubing the old machines to
get them running well. Can somebody tell me *exactly* how to do it? Not
just 'clean it well' but how do you get up into the innards, what do you
use for wiping and for removing the gunk, and how do you know if
something up in there needs help or special attention? What product do
you use to lube it and where? All the research I did some time ago
really didn't say how to get to the stuff- just a broad 'clean it' and
'lubricate it' statement. I need very detailed specific instructions,
please. Help?
Leslie & The Furbabies in MO
Best stuff is plain ole sewing machine oil... Just smear the outside, let
it rest a day, then GENTLY swab off with cotton balls. It won't damage
any fragile decals. You can polish the oil off, then give it a GENTLE
swipe over with a barely damp microfiber cloth wrung out in a solution of
washing up liquid. If you have removed all the shellac and kept the
decals intact, you need to make sure you have cleaned ALL the oil off
before giving the black areas a coating of some new shellac to protect the
decals.
For cleaning and restoring the innards and other working parts, look he
http://www.tfsr.org/publications/tec...machine_manual
It's the clearest and most comprehensive set of instructions for restorung
this type of machine to use that I've seen.
--
Kate XXXXXX R.C.T.Q Madame Chef des Trolls
Lady Catherine, Wardrobe Mistress of the Chocolate Buttons
http://www.katedicey.co.uk
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