French Polish a Vintage Sewing Machine

[@erickilpatrick6403]

Hi Paul. Great demonstration of Singer restoration of the shellac top coat. Can't believe there are only 711 likes. Come on people, show some love.

[@BarbaraGleeson-h2r]

thank you so much Paul! My project was abysmal till I saw your video and now it is successful. Once again, THANKS

[@janicecameron3688]

I've just bought the same machine. Thank you for showing how to bring it back to life.

[@bookbeing]

😍 the ornamental elements are so beautiful on this old machine!

[@crazycameraguy2007]

Hi Paul,thank you for sharing this video. I just bought a 99k 1939 Singer. I did the shellac coating what a beauty . If I did not come across your video I would of never know how to takle restoring the top coat. Takes alot of time and patience. Well done mate keep up the great work.

[@MaryBethCarlPetrone]

What are you using to apply the shellac and where did you get it?

[@shirleyoliver3628]

I need to repair parts of the decals. I'll use metallic paint markers. (Saw this in another video). If I plan to shellac the machine, would you recommend using water base of oil based markers? I'm just wondering if the shellac would make the paint marker bleed.

[@amos616]

I would use the oils based

[@jomercer21113]

Use oil base. Water base would be alcohol/shellac soluble and bleed.

[@4486xxdawson]

I dont think the clear coat back then was thick at all , i have a 1904 27-4 and i would swear there is no clear at all , i only use dish soap and warm water with a soft used toothbrush, i found that it takes more time but i have never harmed the condition of the clear or decals useing this mothod , also use a good soap , i use dawn in a water bottle with water , and spay the machine in areas and even use it strait no water on hard spots , seems to do a pretty good job of not causing further damage to 100 year old paintor decals ...still a great video , i enjoyed watching and think its just fun to clean up and use old machines no matter what method anyone uses, it all trial and error , i used a degreaser on one of my early restore project's and almost destroyed a 1951 Necchi BU , always do a small test area on the bottom if your not shur ....

[@pmatulew1]

It all depends on the current condition of the machine you are working on. I generally wouldn't recommend water though. The decals are "water slide" and there is a strong likelihood that if they are exposed, the water could detach all the color and leave only the silver base layer. Also the old shellac can absorb water and become cloudy. You can heat the surface after the fact to boil out the water, but why go there in the first place.

[@4486xxdawson]

@@pmatulew1 ive had good results with useing water and soap , never had any decal issues so for , i always do small areas and never just wet it and walk away , it depends on the condition i guess , because ive never once had my decals come off with water but other methods used here on youtube have had bad results , how is water bad but gojo or orange clean or any liquid ok do they not contian water ? Hmm im confused here , your telling me water bad cleaning chemicals good , do they not contian water ?

[@pmatulew1]

@@4486xxdawson The recommended cleaners, (plain oil. or Gojo), are oil based rather than water based. Alcohol will definitely strip the shellac and the decals so apply with caution. Dish soap is a degreaser so it will help dissolve the old grime but the water base is a risk. If it's working for you, go for it. Just be aware of the risk.

[@vickigregory709]

Great video! What do you use as a pad? I think I heard you say the shellac is thinned with the alcohol? What are the ratios?

[@Sharon-pb7so]

Nice job, I'm going to give it a try on one of my vintage Singers. I have a 66 Red Eye that has its decals perfectly intact but the finish is dull, that one will be my guinea pig.

[@MashaSuralmasha878]

Hi, Paul! Ty for a great tip! What would be a proportion? How much of a robing alcohol, shellac and a oil?

[@davidfleisher3691]

Hi. After seeing this video, I was thinking of touching up the decals and filling in the missing chips and scratches in the black base coat with Testors "model airplane" enamel on some of the machines in my collection. Will applying the shellac over the enamel paint disturb it? What do you folks think?

[@rogierius]

I think it will work, did you try it out?

[@phoozchic]

I think you struck a beautiful balance here with the age of the machine and a polished and protective layer over the painted cast. The finish adds to the beauty and age of the machine without making it look factory finish. I love shellac and I collect and rehabilitate vintage Singers and really want to try this method. I don’t want to strip and repaint. I would just like to level out the pin rash, scissor scrapes and spots where something spilled and dissolved the finish. Do you work with the oil right from the start? And do you have any treatment for the small chipped off paint we often see on the edges? Thank you for the detailed video.

[@pmatulew1]

I haven't tried it yet but several collectors have suggested nail polish or appliance enamel repair kits to fill the paint chips. Use oil while rubbing shellac as necessary to keep the pad from sticking. The first layer or two it's not really necessary as you're mostly just painting the shellac on to get a base coat to seal the decals before you start working over them.

[@phoozchic]

Paul Matulewicz : thank you Mr. M I bought some Testers model enamel (gloss black) and will try it on a small, inconspicuous chip. I love working with shellac and have used it on numerous woodworking projects. So I hope to try your technique Soon. Thanks again!

[@davidfleisher3691]

@@phoozchic Hi. I was thinking of touching up the decals with Testor's as well as filling in some of the black paint's chipped areas on some of my machines. What do you think?

[@rogierius]

@@phoozchic Did you try the enamel gloss black paint combined with the shellac?

[@Isa-dz4gm]

Hello, I found an old SINger machine from 1926. The decals and black parts are a bit damaged. I would like to repaint them and repair some "holes" in the black. Could you kindly explain me what kind of process and paint/coating I should use please? Thank you very much Your video was enlightening for me!!

[@lindaherr255]

Hello. I found your video very helpful in my search for info to restore my 1910 Singer treadle machine. Where can I find your "part 1" video about cleaning and degreasing the machine? Thanks!

[@bella-bee]

Linda Herr good question! He said something like Gojo. I’m from UK and e don’t have that so I don’t know exactly. And sewing machine oil to clean. Gojo or similar can damage decals. I’m told SMO is the only safe thing to use, but does it get years of grime and tobacco off? I’m wondering, since shellac dissolves shellac we could clean off dirty shellac by diluting it over and again with clean new shellac, rubbing it back, but not so far down into the layers that we take the decals off.

[@DavidinTexas]

Outstanding! the 1937 machine I just bought is mechanically perfect, but the finish is almost flat, very very dull ... Cant wait to do this!

[@mikyboy7771]

Thank you for the video, the instructions, details. I am getting some clouding on mine, what am I doing wrong... is it humidity, temperature, none of the above? Thank you in advance to anyone which has experience and can help.

[@jaynedaily6080]

What do you "wet sand " with?

[@beakytwitch7905]

I am not bothering to cosmetically improve my 1913 sewing machine. Basically I enjoy the patina....

[@froby_flingit]

I have an old Western Electric Sewing Machine that the finish is like "Pebbled", would this system work on that?

[@ramloganfracic5761]

Thank you this valuable information. I admire your patience and respect your skills. How old is this machine?.

[@pmatulew1]

1904

[@bella-bee]

I read somewhere that the top coat wasn’t always shellac, they varied over the years, which is why sometimes cleaners damage decals and sometimes not. Good to know shellac was the thing in use at that time. Mind you, my 1903 singer 15 is from a German factory so who knows!

[@michaelthomas4346]

Hi. So you recommend using the zissner seal coat from start to finish? This will still melt the previous shellac, as the zissner shellac did? Hope that makes sense. Thanks

[@pmatulew1]

Yes. "Seal Coat" is originally meant to be used as a wood sealer before painting (wood). It's just regular shellac that has been thinned with more alcohol so it soaks in better rather than laying on the surface. For our purposes the extra alcohol will most definitely dissolve the old layer. Plus I found it's easier to apply than the regular formula that builds too quickly and gets lumpy.

[@isabellundstedt1430]

I'm jealous of your machine. Only 1600 made. Just wow what a survivor

[@psdumas]

nice video. But, unsure of your materials and steps in the tutorial. Did you start out with just the seal coat, or seal coat mixed with denatured alcohol? Can't hear too well on those instructions.. Thanks! Pat

[@pmatulew1]

errr uhmmm...do as I say, not as I do? I was using up what was left of a can of "Shellac" that I thinned with alcohol. Purists would probably say it's old and spoiled. Maybe so. "Seal-Coat" out of the can is already thinned to a nice working consistency. No muss, no fuss. Also "Seal-Coat" is dewaxed so it's easier to re-coat.

[@psdumas]

So it's mixed with denatured alcohol, or isopropyl? Or is it just straight up seal coat? Did you also strip the machine before shellacing? Not sure of what I'm hearing. Also not sure what the errrr uhmmm was for. No insult ever intended, Just want to be absolutely sure of what I'm doing when I slop this stuff on my machine. :-)

[@pmatulew1]

The Lotus was already flat and dry with barely anything covering the decals. No need to strip first. The Seal-Coat product is already thinned enough.

[@psdumas]

So you are just rubbing on Seal Coat straight from the squirt bottle? Just need more clear instructions. Radio in the background makes it hard to hear what you're saying.

[@bella-bee]

Is the alcohol isopropyl alcohol? Or would that do? I’ve noticed it does spoil a shellac polish on furniture, so I guess it would dissolve it ok. (Ask me how I know!)

[@r.duroucher225]

What a fine video. Thank you.

[@elviradonaghy6425]

Thank you. Looking good.

[@janeelow911]

The back decals really lightened up after the cleaning. Were they just dirty or did the gojo lighten up the old varnish?

[@pmatulew1]

Yes. Both. Old shellac gets soft and traps a lot of dirt. Plus the time the machines spend laid down in the cabinets lets them collect more dirt.

[@monraet]

Hello Paul, Really appreciate your videos but looked at them too late. I have (had) a 501 featherweight in perfect condition until I did something dumber than dumb. I decided to wipe it off with rubbing alcohol. I did about half the machine and the top part. If I follow your steps do you think I can salvage my sewing machine. I am nervous about moving forward. Thanks Maurice

[@shakerson]

501 is a Rocketeer not a Featherweight.

[@tommyeroades901]

I have a machine just like that decals an all. Can you tell me where i can find the the machine all put together ,

[@pmatulew1]

A complete machine to purchase? Try Craigslist or Ebay.

[@tommyeroades901]

I have ,yours is the only one i came across. thank you for getting back to me.

[@pmatulew1]

The "Lotus" pattern was produced primarily in England so they are less common in the States. The New Jersey plant produced a lot of the "Red-Eye" pattern and some of the others. Consequently those are less common in Europe.

[@ernestsuazo6970]

Can't understand what you saying sometimes, please skip the background music and explain the process a little more.

[@stephengern9425]

Just use the cc control on the bottom right of the utube screen.

[@poche660]

Kind of funky looking but better than any wax or abrasive. I'll stick with just oil.

[@lewis6180]

Hi Paul, this is a fantastic tutorial - thank you! I was a little over-zealous when stripping the old shellac off and I think I have silvered the decal in the middle pretty badly. What do you think of adding a little amber dye to my shellac to bring back the gold?

[@pmatulew1]

You've got nothing to lose at this point. You won't have any detail but the amber might tone it down and make it less noticeable.

[@xwhitewolfx]

Hello! Your description said this was part 2, but I can’t find part 1?

[@meganmills6545]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/l4OmlJell55-a6c&ab_channel=paulmatulewicz

[@mikescudder4621]

Nice work bud!

[@gasman7558]

very nice work. what do you think if i just put on the seal coat on Just the decals on my grandmothers singer? I really don't want to seal coat the whole machine i just want to protect the decals. Would this look funny and uneven? Thanks for any and all your advise and time.

[@pmatulew1]

You can do as much or as little as you like. Each layer of shellac does have some thickness, so the trick will be blending the edges. Once you get going you may end up doing more than you started out to do. If the goal is to do as little as possible I think I would try thinning the shellac with more alcohol and using lots of oil. Try starting at the 'polish' stage rather than the 'build' stage.

[@pmatulew1]

It will be difficult to coat just the decals and not have the finish look uneven. Shellac is also available in an aerosol spray can. Unfortunately I didn't have any luck with it. All I got was a speckled finish as the spray came out in droplets rather than a mist. YMMV.

[@psdumas]

What is the oil for in this step? What kind of oil? Thank you.

[@pmatulew1]

I just used sewing machine oil.

[@sallyw5739]

@@pmatulew1 Hi Paul, I got alcohol on a small area on the bed of my 301. It left an awful spot and smudged when I panicked and tried to wipe it off. It's the only area on the entire bed that is now matte. Do you think I could use the 'polish' stage of this process to restore the gloss just in this one spot? Also "using lots of oil," do you mix the oil into the shellac+alcohol or dip the pad into the oil then shellac? OR to you have a better solution for restoring the gloss in a small area?

[@FrancineJohnsonMcGee]

What a BEAUTY!!

[@mrgroovestring]

Would you tell me what the ratio of alcohol and sewing machine oil to shellac are you using? And, I heard you say straight alcohol. But are you using de-natured alcohol, or something else? Thanks

[@pmatulew1]

Denatured alcohol out of a big can, though I suppose any sort of alcohol would do. Ratio of alcohol to shellac? If you use "Seal-Coat" it is already thin enough as is. I had originally purchased regular brushing weight shellac and it was too thick for this purpose, so i thinned it down a bit. You'll just have to spit ball it. The sewing machine oil you just dab a little as necessary to keep your pad from sticking or skidding as you work.

[@mrgroovestring]

Thanks for the reply. I recently bought a nice old 1926 model Singer 127 that has dried out badly from many years of neglect, and I want to be able to use it. The decals on mine are in very good condition, but there isn't much top coat on it at all. I'm hoping I can get it back in shape with your pointers. I have never attempted French polish, but I'm going to give it a go after the holidays. Thanks again, p/s when I do this job, if I get in over my head would you answer a few questions if need be?

[@pmatulew1]

@@mrgroovestring I'm always around.

[@mrgroovestring]

Let me ask you a quick question if you would. Do you think that it would be wise for me to spray a very light coat of Zinesser shellac first, before I actually start rubbing on the decals and paint too much? Reason being …. is that some of the gold in the decals on the back of the pillar or (body) are trying to separate from the silver after I cleaned and oiled this machine. I was thinking that the shellac in the spray can would kinda act like glue, and help hold them down until I can build the finish up with the rag.

[@pmatulew1]

@@mrgroovestring Spray, brush, wipe, whichever method you like best. You do want to get a quick base coat on to seal the decals and let it set before trying to build the finish.

[@TheBobelly628]

Beautiful!🎉

[@kateagar-ross2352]

Is there anything added to the shellac on first two coats

[@pmatulew1]

If you use "Seal-Coat" it is already diluted enough to use straight out of the can.

[@debbieflint548]

So after is sets is there a oily film that need to be removed?

[@pmatulew1]

Entirely possible. Just burnish it with a clean cloth. The shellac will be soft for quite a while so be careful of leaving anything resting on it.

[@eleonoreloundermon2372]

No

[@leahq123]

WOW! it turned out nice! What was inside of your polishing cloth?

[@pmatulew1]

Just more squares of t-shirt material wadded up. It helps to have something in there as a reservoir to absorb some of the shellac. That way you can squish it out as you work.

[@davegaziano6619]

All I can find is Zinsser Bulls Eye SealCoat Flat/Matte Clear Oil-Based Universal Sanding Sealer 1 qt

[@JudyWhat34]

What model and year is this machine?

[@pmatulew1]

model 66 with lotus decals, 1904

[@reneecase8678]

I missed where you explained wha the pad is made of.

[@pmatulew1]

Just t-shirt material with a little more crumpled inside. All you want is a little spongy applicator. The knit material is fine grain enough to not leave a lot of pattern on the surface. Traditionally the material would have been fine cheesecloth.

[@elza1530]

Pretty nice job.

[@douglashurrell4766]

Japaning on cast iron will always be lumpy

[@bettyegarrett2487]

Great video on how to polish up a vintage machine.... but I disagree with your statement that most people are going to be looking at the base. I think most vintage lovers look closer to the head of the machine.

[@pmatulew1]

I was referring to the base of the machine, re: the bed, not the cabinet. But then again I do all the cabinet refinishing too, so I look at that just as much.

[@edwardtagg]

Watch French polishers, you don't need to Scrub that fast and vigorous. Gentle is how it's done

[@lynncobb8992]

Beautiful

[@roxanagalarza87]

no entiendo el ingles no habra un tutorial de español

[@anaanastasoglou9498]

I cant believe this guy is applying shellac this way! wow! this is a video on what NOT to do on a beautiful vintage machine. 😢. The proper way to do it, it is to either spray the shellac from a spray can, (a very light coat) or use a professional paint sprayer. Once the first coat dryes totally , used a 1,500 grid sand paper, lightly sanded it, wipe it, and apply another coat of shellacc and keep reapeating the process until satisfied.

[@bobblelooble3530]

The video uploader is applying the shellac in the traditional way. Spray guns didn’t always exist and this technique, French polishing, was a time-consuming skilled coating used on high-end furniture. Think Thomas Chippendale. This is how the coating was designed to be applied originally and it’s a lot easier for an amateur restorer to do as it needs no special equipment, just time. Of course a more even finish will be obtained by an amateur using spray application, but that isn’t necessarily the point of this. Primarily the coatings on these machines are to protect the decals and add shine. Any imperfections in the shellac are reversible and fixable in the future so it isn’t a big deal.

[@beakittelscherz5419]

echt keine ahnung wie man Schellack aufträgt...

[@lindadalton2668]

You’re making me dizzy jumping around with the camera so much

[@pmatulew1]

You're welcome.

[@aa-tn1lb]

Gata