Singer Restoration Sunday - Stripping off the old paint

Here is the Model 66 I'm working on, with most of the rust and old paint removed.

I removed this much with an electric drill sander, using 60-80 grit sandpaper. Next week, I will use my sandblaster to get at the harder-to-reach parts (like the inside of the throat and the underside).

Larry

Singer Restoration Saturday - Singer Emblem Removal

The brass Singer Manufacturing Company badge, all shiny and new again.

Shiny again

Removing the badge on the front of the throat is tricky.  It is held in place by two brass pins, which are pushed through the holes in the badge and the throat, and then are bent over inside. It isn't easy to reach these pins, straighten them out, and push them back out again.

What is not as hard is to break the pins at the bend when trying to straighten them, and then gently pry them loose. With this badge, I was able to get one of the pins out intact, but I broke the other one.

The shinier areas on the badge are where dirt flaked off while working the pins loose.

What you are left with is a clean spot on the machine, and a number worked into the metal of the body.

Relatively Clean Spot

Sometimes I think the expected way to remove the badge is to clip off the pins, pull off the badge, and replace them with all new pieces.  And sometimes I think you're not supposed to remove the badge at all!

Larry

Singer Restoration Saturday - Cleaning up the rusty parts

To remove the rust from the parts removed from the sewing machine (especially the visible ones), I soak them in a vinegar bath for a couple of days.  This converts the insoluble red iron oxide (rust) into (more) soluble black iron acetate, which can then be scrubbed off more easily.

I start with the parts in a plastic bin:

Parts ready to be de-rusted

I then pour in enough vinegar to cover the parts.  If you do this a lot, you may want to start buying the gallon jugs of vinegar.

After soaking a couple of days, the parts are ready to be scrubbed down.

After soaking

Some of the color in the vinegar is because I used some cider vinegar to top off the bin, but most of it is from the converted rust and grime from the parts.

Next I take an old toothbrush and scrub off the remaining black stuff from the parts.  A sink with running water is the best place for this.

The cleaned up parts

You can see some of the parts, like the long feed dog rod, still has a rusty look to it.  As an internal part, the look is not so important, but you might want to give it a wipe with a bit of oil to keep the rust away.

The balance wheel's rust has been removed, but the areas that were rusty have still lost their paint.  I suspect the whole wheel will need to be stripped and repainted (and the pitted places on the rim smoothed out).

The most improvement comes in the chromed external parts.

Before

After

This is a now a faceplate that would dress up a sewing machine.

Larry

Singer Restoration Saturday - Preparing Stencils and Cleaning Parts

Last week, I was only needing to get a few more pieces of the Model 66 I'm working on, and I could start stripping the head.  I wound up having to get a new screwdriver, one with a narrow enough head to fit through an access hole in the back of the faceplate area, and short enough not to bump into the arm with the handle.

My other screwdrivers were too wide or too long

Now I just need to get the brass Singer badge off the side of the arm, and I am ready to strip off the paint.  I will have to reach in and straighten these pins so that I can pull them out and release the badge.

Not as badly bent as in a Model 127

And, of course, there is the cleaning of the parts I took off.  A little scrubbing with soap and water and a toothbrush really makes a difference.

These two parts used to look the same

And finally, I am trying to work with stencils, rather than decals.  I have captured a photo of the Singer logo on the arm, and will try to 

use it as a stencil when repainting it.

That's all for now!

Larry

Singer Restoration Saturday - Return to Model 66

With the restoration of Dollie's case completed, it's time to return to the Model 66 (no nickname at present). I had started to disassemble it for cleanup and refurbishment (as the one in the next worst condition) when I switched to work on the other Model 127 ("Pearl").

Model 66 Case

The paint had definitely suffered from its previous use and storage, and almost all the decals have been worn off the bed.  After removing a few more parts (like the brass Singer logo plate, and the rest of the needle rod), the body will be ready to be stripped for repainting.

Model 66 and parts removed

And, as you might expect, there are a lot of parts that need to be cleaned and de-rusted. 

I re-wired the electric motor, control box, and light, since the original wiring was falling apart.

Model 66 re-wired electric motor and light

This machine also came with a cabinet (as opposed to a treadle table). As you might expect, it is in poor shape also.

Model 66 cabinet - front view

The veneers are all peeling off, and the exposed wood is weathered and warped. The lid seems to have been closed and provided some protection, but the rest looks like it was exposed to the elements for quite a while! You can also see the knee lever for the motor controller (hanging down under the drawer). The controller would be mounted on the right side inside the cabinet.

Model 66 cabinet - rear view - closed

The two pieces of wood resting on the top are the back pieces of the lid and top, which have come loose.  You can see the lid support arm, which swings out when the lid is opened to help hold up the weight of the lid.

It looks like a pretty big job, especially the cabinet! I will get to try out some new techniques with it!

Larry