The Sewing Place
Machine Talk => Vintage Machines => Topic started by: Manuela on August 22, 2020, 11:38:27 AM
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I spent today giving the white Featherweight I bought late last year some well deserved TLC, and she now sews like a champ. While I’m happy with the chipped paint, I am somewhat bothered by yellow staining around the hand wheel and left of the throat plate. I suspect these might be nicotine stains coming from a previous home.
Does anyone know how to get fid of them without damaging the exterior. Any tips/help would be greatly appreciated.
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Hi :)
If it is nicotine, then slightly soapy or detergent water, carefully applied, might shift it? Try dipped cotton wool pads? Or fragrance-free baby wipes?
The featherweight shop use the following for cleaning and polishing, and I have found the combination very good:
https://singer-featherweight.com/collections/shop/products/zymol
Hope you find a solution that suits you.
Enjoy
Leia
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Could it be oil thats yellowed over time?
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Could it be oil thats yellowed over time?
Yes it could - which is why it might need some more punchy cleaner. But you don't want to use anything that will scratch, or soften the surface, or stain.
:)
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Could it be oil thats yellowed over time?
If it is, then paraffin will clean it up nicely. When I'm restoring machines, it's what I use to remove all the dried on grease and oil. A little goes a long way.
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Thank you all. I ordered Zymöl and wax from the featherweight shop and will try a small area with paraffin.
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DH made the mistake of writing on the white board with the wrong pen. Endless wiping didn't get it off and still marked, until I used my Micellar water. Came off straight away. The yellow on sewing machines is a bit different, some seem to go on separate parts of the machine as if different types of plastic used. I bet someone has found a solution on the internet somewhere..
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Found one one Forum:
"The various DIY "retro bright" recipes works very well on old 70s and 80s plastic. It's a bit messy to work with, if you use arrowroot or wall paper glue as thickener in stead of corn starch you don't have to stick it in the microwave. I've done it a few times and I think the yellowing largley is a film of dirt and grime. In cases where you can take the plastic cover completely off and run it in the dishwasher once or twice it turns out just as white and clean again. Be careful with the dishwasher, not all plastics can take the heat, but a lot of hard plastic do."
or this:
http://www.gogokim.com/2018/08/how-to-make-yellow-plastic-look-new.html
There are lots more with various ideas.
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@Gernella re. The whiteboard. If the wrong pen is used, you can go over the marks with the correct pen and then wipe it. It will clean up nicely.
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Just to be clear here though - the Featherweight is not a plastic machine, and doesn't have any plastic parts - it's a metal case with white paint/enamel-like coating.
https://singer-featherweight.com/blogs/schoolhouse/the-white-featherweight-221k
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@Gernella, as LeilaMay states, the white Featherweight is not made of plastic.
@Mr Twingo, it looks like paraffin, kerosene (called Fo Sui in Cantonese) and the likes have mysteriously disappeared in Hong Kong since the protests... I’ll have to wait for the Zymöl cleaner to arrive, it gets good reviews by the Featherweight groups.
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Could sugar soap work?
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@TartanPaint, sugar soap contains an abrasive agent - so it might cause further damage on the paint.
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I find Goo Gone excellent for cleaning dirt metal painted/enameled bodies like Bernina's, and it doesn't require a lot of rubbing. Accumulated old oil and whatever has soaked into that and been left untouched for years... Just a few drops, I use eye make up remover pads, smooth it over and leave for a few minutes.
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@Mr Twingo, it looks like paraffin, kerosene (called Fo Sui in Cantonese) and the likes have mysteriously disappeared in Hong Kong since the protests... I’ll have to wait for the Zymöl cleaner to arrive, it gets good reviews by the Featherweight groups.
You could try WD40. Many people think of it as a lubricant, but it is a mild solvent and works a treat at removing sticky stuff.
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The parcel from the Featherweight shop with the Zymōl cleaner and wax arrived today. I’ll have a go at the stains over the next few days.
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I’m a big fan of baby wipes, especially the ones with a few parabens....
They get grott off machines gently very persuasively!!