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Old Singer treadle sewing machine - cleaning, etc.

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Old Singer treadle sewing machine - cleaning, etc.

#1

JL

Old Singer treadle sewing machine - cleaning, etc.

JL

A friend inherited an old family heirloom. A treadle Singer sewing machine.

The iron still is in great shape - the wood (which appears to be mahogany) is not.

The top veneer is cracked, broken, missing pieces, and is delaminating.

The bottom veneer that is under the sewing machine when it swings down to the lower position is delaminating, cracked, broken, and missing a few pieces.

All the wood is grimy and dirty. The solid wood is intact - just dirty.

Restoration is going to be "interesting". My thoughts were to gently scrape the top and sand. I would then cover w/ a new mahogany veneer and then stain and finish it.

I am uncertain as what to do with the bottom veneer (plywood - as there are three layers). It has an ogee like curve so that it can hold the sewing machine in the stored position. The two sides of the lower portion have the shape of the curve.

Should I take off the veneer (plywood) and try to glue the layers back together? Should I just replace with multiple layers of veneer? Should I replace w/ some thin Bendiply?

Re: Old Singer treadle sewing machine - cleaning, etc.

#3

Re: Old Singer treadle sewing machine - cleaning,

John Veerkamp

the old singers I worked on for my wife have been oak or walnut. all of the tops are veneered. Stains varied from limed to darker like old mahogany color, even walnut. Tops were often too bowed to straighten.

challenging project

Re: Old Singer treadle sewing machine - cleaning, etc.

#4

Re: Old Singer treadle sewing machine - cleaning,

Ralph Lipeles

Years ago I restored an old Larkin cabinet. Both plywood side panel inserts had delaminated. I sanded each layer and reglued the assembly using cuals top and bottom. The reglued panels came out looking really good.

Also, check your local Craigs list and other classified listing places. Many people take the metal base and replace the top to make custom tables. There are a lot of Singer parts out there.

Re: Old Singer treadle sewing machine - cleaning, etc.

#5

Re: Old Singer treadle sewing machine - cleaning,

Bill White

The one I restored was oak. I used Murphy Oil soap for the initial cleaning. Never saw one with mahogany veneer.

If yours is in really bad shape, might be a candidate for a full resto of the veneer if possible.

Re: Old Singer treadle sewing machine - cleaning, etc.

#6

JL

Probably is walnut..

JL

Not that it makes it any easier to clean.

That does mean the veneer is slightly less expensive.

Re: Old Singer treadle sewing machine - cleaning, etc.

#7

Interesting.....

Barry Irby

every one I ever saw has been Oak, quarter sawn white oak. They looked like they might have been fumed. The medulary rays would quickly distinguish it from walnut.

I have seen about ten, only repaired one, but it was minor repair. Also seen a couple that were parted out.

Re: Old Singer treadle sewing machine - cleaning, etc.

#8

Re: Old Singer treadle sewing machine - cleaning,

Keith Mealy

While you are fixing the cabinet, I'd recommend taking the machine to a good sewing machine repair shop and having it tuned and lubed. We've picked up two retired industrial machines and a 1940s Singer and we've always done that.

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