Stripping Paint from a Vintage Sewing Machine using an Electrolysis Tank

[@clementihammock7572]

Salute and respect. Thus far, I saw and watched five American Ladies on YT, doing vintage sewing machines restoration, i.e. hands-on with meticulous work. And you, the only one with a set of Pink Box Chapman. 🤣😂

[@prometheansewingmachines]

I 💕 love my pink box 🤣😁

[@mercedesdelcastillo8324]

Can’t wait to see the final result.

[@pwhite2579]

some things to think about ...gotta love electrochemistry! 1 wire burn out: If the two alligator clip wires were not the same then the smaller one will fail before the larger one. 2 tub solvent careful about what goes in, just because you put in soap does not mean that is what is in there after. 3 different parts may have been painted differently therefore different results. 4 metal / paint this old may have used unexpected elements be careful. 5 go down to at least 1000 grit wet sanding after that brush and before painting. 6 looking forward to the finished machine! Good luck!

[@prometheansewingmachines]

Great comments!! Thanks for your insight 😊

[@grammykcutter6374]

So interesting. I enjoy watching you figure things out. Looking forward to you painting the old girl.

[@angelcastro3129]

Great Video! I wonder, I used to have a parts cleaner mostly for auto parts and used Purple Power in the tank I wonder how well Purple Power would work in one of these setups watered down of course. Thank you so much for inspiring me back into vintage sewing machines. I just purchased a Singer 206k on ebay, She should be here in a week. Can hardly wait to get to rebuilding her.

[@annecain3301]

An old saying ‘If a job is worth doing, it is worth doing well’. The end result of all your work will definitely be worth the effort. So looking forward to seeing the finished machine.

[@prometheansewingmachines]

Thank you so much. I'm really anxious to get the painting video on because she did turn out beautiful.

[@Mrsfalldowngobump]

Oh my goodness, now i want one.

[@dianemontavon5670]

WOW, this is amazing.

[@normacooper6377]

I’m glad you’re not needing to use such harsh chemicals as before. You don’t have to breathe those toxic fumes either. 😅 Quite an interesting project. Glad you’re pleased overall with the results so far. Can’t wait to see what color you choose & any details you’ll add to this one.

[@prometheansewingmachines]

Thanks Norma! I think you'll like it when it's done.

[@ames0596]

Oh pardon me - i misunderstood what you were doing -wow its wild! I have the exact machine and am not as brave to take it completely apart.

[@gavinhodge2290]

Interesting! Why the battery too? Is that to keep these new electronic battery chargers from shutting down in protection mode?

[@prometheansewingmachines]

Pretty much 😊

[@melotone3305]

How big was your tank, and what was it made of? And what size battery is that? Maybe it's the camera, but it did not look like a regular 12v car battery - looked smaller. Anyhow, I really liked the results. I would suggest flushing the machine head with hot water inside and out all the while brushing vigorously with long wire brushes (sometimes called gun brushes) inside the column and arm. Then drying it with a heat gun set to to the hottest temp. Then liberally apply regular sewing machine oil - using a spray bottle that you can get from the hardware store. Make sure that the interior spaces of the column and arm are awash with oil. Rotate the drive shaft and all moveable elements to make sure that they get oil to all of the metal-to-metal surfaces and that nothing is seized. I would not use mineral spirits at this point because I don't think they will be more effective at lubrication or rust prevention at this stage of the game. Also, for those mineral spirits to be as effective as the SMO, you would have to use a lot of it (spray bottle) and we are trying to avoid that type of chem exposure if possible.

[@prometheansewingmachines]

Hello, since I did this video I've changed a few of the things that I do with regards to my e-tank. First of all I don't use mineral spirits anymore, instead I have found that if I hit her with a wire brush she shines up really well and there's no danger of flash rust. I can't spray the inside liberally with oil before I paint, there's too much of a danger of the oil getting on the exterior of the machine and having issues with paint. Instead what I have done is put just a few strategic drops of oil with a needle nose bottle on parts on the inside just to keep it from wanting to sieze. As soon as my paint is finished you had better believe that she could say throw him dousing of lubrication 🤣 my tank is a big rubber feed trough that I got from tractor supply years ago. The battery is for a lawn mower or four wheeler. It does a great job cleaning, removing rust, and removing paint. I would say that the machines need to stay in there about three days. Also as soon as I pull the machine out of the tank, I have a high pressure air gun connected to my massive air compressor and I thoroughly blow any water out of the machine and off of the machine. That also helps blow off any loose paint that might still be stuck to the machine. It's turned into a really nice process. And no chemicals.

[@jodiepotter6029]

Hello! So, would this process be good for a machine with a frozen main shaft? I’ve tried soaking the machine j. Evapo rust and while it helped a little, it’s still locked pretty solid. This is a practice machine for me, but I’m hoping to be successful in rehabbing her. But I won’t be if I can’t get the mail shaft/needle at moving again. Thanks for your great and informative videos.

[@prometheansewingmachines]

Maybe. I'm am assuming have already disassembled everything else.

[@joebonomono5078]

Cool process on your machine. As far as your video, I think youre looking at yourself in the monitor as you talk and not looking at "us", the camera. You might might want to put a smiley face sticker above your lens to remind you to talk to the camera. Just a suggestion.

[@kennethepps3425]

Question, how large, dimensions/capacity, is the tub you are using for an electrolysis tank?

[@prometheansewingmachines]

It was about 20" wide and about 3 feet long, But it really could have been smaller and still work well.

[@katehead5356]

Do I have to disassemble the machine to strip it? I’d take the silver bits off but a bit overwhelming disassembling completely to remove the severely damaged paint

[@prometheansewingmachines]

I'd say take off all you can feel comfortable with and make the best of it.

[@katehead5356]

@@prometheansewingmachines I found one even worse off and pretty rusty seized so I’ll have a swing at disassembly on that one haha

[@ames0596]

ultrasonic cleaner I think you mean?

[@jollyroger7624]

Will this work with japanning (shellac) ?

[@prometheansewingmachines]

Yes it will. However there's usually a chunk that is left on the bottom bed after it has been soaking for a few days. I have found that I can pull it out, and then use an abrasive wheel to get the last bit off fairly easily. I think that the electrolysis loosens the hold somewhat even if it doesn't take it off completely on the bed. But I can tell you that everything else comes off fairly cleanly in the tank in my opinion.

[@jollyroger7624]

@@prometheansewingmachines Thankyou, the next ? is what about aluminium machines i.e. featherweights?

[@prometheansewingmachines]

@@jollyroger7624 I've never tried it with an aluminum based machine. At this point my gut tells me it would work the same because I have used this process on components that were not cast iron and it worked very well on them.

[@jollyroger7624]

@@prometheansewingmachines Thankyou, I think I have some work ahead.