Cracked japanning - can anything be done?

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12-04-2015, 06:55 PM

#21

ArchaicArcane

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Thread Starter

Join Date: Jul 2012

Location: Not Here

Posts: 3,817

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jeanette Frantz

I don't think I'd tempt fate on the RAF. I'm no expert, but I would be afraid the testers paint and/or the black nail polish would really screw it up! Just my opinion, but that's a pretty special machine. The only thing you really could do would be clear coat shellac and I'm not well versed enough to recommend that! Afraid I'm not much help.

Jeanette

No, I won't tempt fate on the RAF. Fate likes to play games with me.

I got pretty nervous just cleaning it but it was SO worth it! I do have the ability to touch up other machines with the paint and polish though. I've now used Glenn's process on 3 machines and while I don't mind doing it on some machines (I have a 15-91 in progress as I write this and touch-ups on the 201 that I did last year just after Christmas - note to the wise - don't put the can of Bri-wax on the bed - even after several weeks of drying!) I'm just not steady/consistent/confident enough yet to take on one like this. I truly am thrilled though with how well the cleaning came out. I just hoped here was a way to mitigate further damage with relatively minimal interference.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mickey2

From furniture restoration I know they are not afraid to add fillers or coloring in damaged parts before adding new layers of shellac; and that's when they don't sand down or strip the wood brefore they polish it up. I'm just keeping up a hope that dings, chips and cracks can be improved upon.

I do think that wood is easier to repair than the machines - at the very least it's different, like you mentioned before. I shudder to even think of doing to some of these machines what I would attempt with some of the cabinets. Maybe that's me disrespecting the wood though.

05-06-2023, 07:40 PM

#22

MeganMills

Member

Join Date: Dec 2019

Location: Auckland, New Zealand

Posts: 76

Quote:

Originally Posted by SteveH

Unfortunately there is very little that I am aware of that can be done for this.

Think about what you are looking at. the moisture level of the paint/japanning has been reduced to the point that the material has begun to shrink. the cohesiveness of the material has been broken and the areas where you see "cracks" are actually exposed to the base in most cases.

how would you be able to reintroduce moisture enough to allow the material to re-expand without effecting the bare metal that has been exposed OR the decals on top?

if you find a solution, PLEASE let me know. I have a Shaw Patent chainstitch machine from 1862ish that I got for under $200 because of the "alligatoring" (what I usually hear that paint effect referred to) otherwise it would have been worth well over $1000

Sew Purty Workshop has this to say on the subject (which you might have found already):
https://sewpurtyworkshops.com/restor...h-back-to-life