So I took a second look at the machine and deduced it's a Singer 128, made in 1946. It's a shuttle bobbin machine, and it is fun to watch! I'll tell you about the rehab on that machine soon - it's headed to the shop as well.
On the case though, the shellac/varnish is missing in parts,
you can see that it has water damage,
the veneer is missing in parts
the inside is scratched up
and those $@$^%$& holes are in the back of the case.
It looks pretty shabby. But since I refurbished the Singer treadle table for the Redeye machine, I've seen what good products can do. This is not product placement. Trust me, nobody pays me for such things! Plus I have a high sell-out cost. :)
But I took those techniques and applied them to the case. Mostly, I just used some Old English Lemon Oil in the pour top and some elbow grease. Darn that it didn't fix those nasty looking holes, but it's not toooo magical of a product I guess.
Here's the afters:
The front sure cleaned up nicely, and the Singer name stands out.
One of the sides, with the key hole. This bit of veneer is lose, but not irreparable.
The wood grain on this end shaped up nicely. Too bad the bottom part is missing veneer.
And that's the back with the gouges. They look prettier this way at least!
See how much better the inside looks? And you can tell the gouges aren't too bad on the inside - the machine just pierced those parts and the busted through the bentwood on the outside.
Moral of the story? Even if the wood looks iffy, and there is damage, a good coat of lemon oil can make the situation look a lot nicer. You might even be inclined to fix those nasty bits now!
Take care.
Jess
Thanks! I think I just bought one today, but it's icy here and I had to leave the car on the top of the hill and haven't been able to look at it again carefully. I'm wondering if I paid too much? I paid $140. The machine seemed to work, and it had a wooden sewingbox that opens and lays flat, with lots of parts. It has another bag full of parts too.
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