artisanatheart

Wow! I'm really impressed that this looks so much different. You can hardly see the water marks from the photo!

Minerva1

The paint stripping continues, but is going very well. Had to buy more Zip Strip this morning.

I'm leaning towards a walnut stain when I get that far. But was wondering about using tung oil instead of shellac or varnish. Any thoughts?

Thanks,
Patricia

Glenn

I would recommend shellac not tung oil. Shellac will give you more of the look of the original finish than tung oil which was never used on these old sewing machine cabinets.
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pinkCastleDH

Tung oil really amounts to a type of varnish (cured rather than evaporated setting process) and has some of the same advantages and drawbacks. It will be better against water and might be tougher than shellac. OTOH, shellac is reparable - new shellac will meld with the existing finish very well - whereas with cured finishes repairs will be separate from the original finish (less any mechanical connection from roughening.) You also don't have to worry about the cloths you use for shellac catching fire on their own

JudyTheSewer

I bought a Willcox & Gibbs treadle machine a few weeks ago. A repair is needed. The machine gets attached to a board, and the board gets attached to the cabinet. The problem is that the board cannot be attached to the cabinet because the screw holes are not solid. Here are some pictures to show the board and what the hinges look like on the cabinet that this board should attach to with wood screws:

Top of board (dark marks are an outline of the machine base)
[ATTACH=CONFIG]376740[/ATTACH]

bottom of board
[ATTACH=CONFIG]376741[/ATTACH]
hinges on the cabinet (these allow the board to drop down into the cabinet for storing the machine away under the cabinet top)
[ATTACH=CONFIG]376742[/ATTACH]

The problem is the the veneer has pulled away and the screws holes are at that exact point. Here is a picture of one of the sides of the board that I fixed by gluing and clamping. I am thinking that will be solid enough to be used now
[ATTACH=CONFIG]376743[/ATTACH]
And, here is the side that I still need to repair. This side has missing veneer:
[ATTACH=CONFIG]376744[/ATTACH]
Below, I've tried to explain the idea I have for fixing this.
[ATTACH=CONFIG]376745[/ATTACH]
I am wondering the best way to make this repair? I have no experience in woodworking or wood finishing but I've been around it my whole life.

Thanks for any suggestions you can give me.

Judy

Minerva1

I ended up using the Zip Strip on the drawers. I put it on and waited about 20 mins. The majority of the paint wiped off. I put a second coat of the stripper on it and it got the rest off. I did have to gently use a small brass brush, a wooden orange stick, and a wooden skewer to really get the paint out of the crevices.

I'm almost done with the staining. Only three pieces left to go.

Patricia

Glenn

Judy I would square off the bad veneer and glue new back of the same thickness. The I would dowel in the screw holes hardwood dowels glued of course. then redrill screw holes and attach the hinges and you should be fine. Sorry I did not get cack to you sooner.
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carolaug

I am so thrilled that people are sharing how to restore these and keep them out of the trash!! I get so sad when I see people tear them a part and sell just the drawers in consignment shops.

JudyTheSewer

Perfect! That is what I will do then. I'll post pictures once I am done. Thanks Glenn. I am anxious to use this machine in its cabinet.

Glenn

I want to give you a tip on the inserting the dowel into the screw hole. Get a dowel a little larger than the screw hole and sharpen it in a pencil sharpener to taper the dowel to fit the hole and glue it in and cut off any excess dowel flush with the side. Be sure to let the glue cure for at least overnight or 24 hours.
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