One tip I got from watch makers is you can dry the parts in a cheap food dehydrator. The little parts won't blow away, and you can get them bone dry. Keep up the great work.
Pipe cleaners are an excellent cleaning accessory, and leave less fluff behind than Q-tips. They can also be bent in custom shapes for all those special part contours.
I’ve been looking into getting an ultrasonic cleaner for my machines, so this is super helpful! My poor fingers always get so tired and grimy cleaning all those tiny screws and such by hand. 😂 Thanks!
Ultrasonics are a game changer if you have a lot of parts to clean! Doesn't have to be anything expensive or fancy, just big enough to hold your biggest part. Now you can save your fingers!
I have my mom's 401A Singer Sewing Machine. While cleaning, I put white lithium grease on the gears. After doing this, I heard it will get hard eventually and be very hard to clean the gears. I bought clear grease but need advice on cleaning off the white grease first. Thank you for your help.
Hi! I am pretty sure I have cleaned that off of gears more than once. Using a cut down chip brush first to knock off the worst of it is usually how I start. Then I go in with very small q-tips that are used by beauticians to get into the teeth of the gears. I dip them in rubbing alcohol first. This is the link to the ones I get: amzn.to/3VFFeZt Finally, I use a small wire brush on them at the end. It can be done, just takes a lot of elbow grease to get the lithium grease off. :) I hope that helps!
Hello, I have a bobbin case that has rust on the outside rim as well as maybe grime & dinginess. Do I take it apart & soak it in the krud cutter solution to get it cleaned up? Or what would you suggest to remove that from the case. It’s the bobbin case itself that you release with the lever & take out of the machine. (All of the bobbing case cleaning videos I’ve found so far are removing the parts that the case itself goes into on the machine & that’s not what I’m looking for. 😊) thank you for your help.
Hi! Krudcutter will get the grime off but won’t do much for the rust. If your bobbin case is rusty then disassembly of the case is probably a good idea. What model are you working on? I’m not sure exactly what you mean with your question about what to remove and disassemble, feel free to send me some pics to jen@sewingmachinerehab.com if you want, maybe I could help you further.
Thanks so much for your awesome video series on Featherweight restoration! I have a bottom cover (where drip pad sits) that has rust on the outside. What what you recommend I do for that?
Hi! You are welcome! It would depend on how much rust there is. If it is just a little I would treat it with rust remover and maybe lightly sand it and then polish it. If it was a lot I would sand it and repaint it with a spray paint. I hope that helps! Mostly you just want to stop it from rusting further or having rust transfer from the bottom of the cover to whatever surface you keep the machine on.
Hi Jen, there seems to be several different types of metal and/or metal finishes. Chrome, nickel plated metal, etc. How do i tell them all apart for each cleaner?
Hi! Anything that doesn't have paint gets put in Krud Kutter for me. That's just what I do but I know that there are different opinions out there on what to use. So far I haven't had any issues with the finish being damaged, it just comes out clean. Usually I don't need to use any polish at all on the nickel or chrome parts after that but if I do I usually use a white polishing compound and my Dremel. I tried a very smelly metal polish in a can once but that just wasn't for me and I didn't think it really made a difference. I don't know if that is helpful or not, hopefully it is!
We use a collapsible strainer for our dremel & mandrel burrs & bits in Podiatry School. You can just hit them with a hair drier or air compressor to get them very very dry afterwards.
Love your videos! If you don’t mind, I have a couple of questions about your ultrasonic cleaner. I see that it’s a GT Sonic unit - what’s the model of the unit you use? (I tried unsuccessfully to find a source for GT Sonic ultrasonic cleaners to look up size, heating, and power ratings.) I see that you use a fine mesh basket in the cleaner - did it come with the cleaner, or did you buy it separately? Thanks in advance! …Scott
Hi Scott! The one I use I purchased off of Amazon. I am going to give you the link but it looks like it isn’t in stock anymore. My main criteria was that it needed to be large enough for holding rock shafts and other larger parts and it needed to heat the solution. So far I have been happy with it but the button you push to stop and start the cleaner has started to crack. I think I paid between $100-$150 for it, can’t remember. The mesh basket is an aftermarket one, also on amazon. I just made sure it fit inside the cleaner before I purchased it. Sometimes I use that basket and sometimes I just use my little mesh strainers for the tiny parts. Here is the link so you can hopefully at least see the specs. 3L Ultrasonic Cleaner, 304 Stainless Steel Professional Ultrasonic Cleaners with Digital Timer & Heater for Jewelry Watch Glass Circuit Board Dentures Small Parts Dental Instrument a.co/d/5HMh7He
@@SewingMachineRehab Thanks for the link! I’ve been using a small unheated ultrasonic cleaner and have been thinking of upgrading. Having the specs for your cleaner gives me a good place to start. …Scott
Hi! I am very careful with the lead and usually put down towels I dispose of when dealing with it. And wear gloves! I actually throw away the old wires in the lead tubing and rewire the machine so using a technique that is lead free. I wouldn't ever put any of the wiring in the cleaner, for sure! Hope that helps!
Will feed dogs be ok in ultrasonic cleaner? My friend gave me a vintage sewing machine 128k so they are actually quite rusted. I also have my new featherweight.
Hello! Yes they will but you will need to dry them well and you may still need to hit them with a wire brush if you can't get the rust off. Usually that does the trick!
11:09 am. I am working on a singer 27 treadle machine. I removed the bobbin winder from the machine. The spring that holds the bobbin in the winder is not working, can that be fixed? replaced?
I believe you can find a new spring, is this the one? www.sewingmachinesplus.com/15366.php?gclid=Cj0KCQiAkeSsBhDUARIsAK3tiefckOV0j9rKw8ZyANVHgrEe25EDoj-xXolQw_Y-im7gY-_frL7uu8MaAqw1EALw_wcB
Hi! You know, I am not sure! It’s big enough to fit some of the longer parts like the rock shafts from a Featherweight but it wouldn’t hold rock shafts from something like a 66. I have had if for several years and they don’t sell it anymore. There are so many out there, I would choose one that fits your budget and your parts and you should be good to go!
Jen, I really enjoy your videos. My sister and i are restoring about 15-20 machines and we would like some information about buying a SONIC CLEANER. Would a regular jewelry sonic machine without the heat do the same as yours when it comes to cleaning the machine parts? Thank you
Hi! I have been hearing from other viewers as well that the rust remover I use isn’t available to them. I haven’t found one that I like as much yet but I am looking. It seems to be kind of a niche product and most options I am coming across are more industrial and you have to buy a huge bottle of. Some rust removers also turn the area where it was applied black which we certainly don’t want. When I find one that will work I will definitely make a video and let others know about it. Wish I could give you a better answer!
Hi! It depends on what I am polishing. For painted parts I love Zymol cleaner wax. Some of the chrome pieces I leave as is once I clean them. I use a dremel and a white polishing compound on metal parts sometimes. I haven’t worked with many metal polishing compounds as I usually don’t need to. Hope that helps a little!
Hi! I use it to help me polish the commutator along with some fine sandpaper. I also find that it works well to get any burrs off the thread loop guard for some hook assemblies and remove dark spots or mild rust from things like the feed dogs. Just don't use it on anything that is chrome or nickel plated, it will scratch it! Hope that helps!
Hi! Do you mean on the parts that come off or the parts like the needle bar and presser bar bushing? Parts that I can remove like the needle bar, hook assembly and etc. I clean in a solution of Krud Kutter. If I don’t remove the presser bar bushing for example I very carefully clean it with rubbing alcohol, very careful not to get it on the finish of the machine. Then I will gently polish them with a very high grit sand paper, usually in the 2,000 to 10,000 range depending on the part. I hope that helps!
@@SewingMachineRehab i’m not sure exactly what they’re called but they’re the plates that are on front of the machine like the badge names. It’s like a stain and they’re even at the creases. It’s like every vintage machine I find, those are the hardest parts to clean.
One tip I got from watch makers is you can dry the parts in a cheap food dehydrator. The little parts won't blow away, and you can get them bone dry. Keep up the great work.
Wow, that is a great tip! Thank you!
Pipe cleaners are an excellent cleaning accessory, and leave less fluff behind than Q-tips. They can also be bent in custom shapes for all those special part contours.
Yes, I am going to try them, another viewer suggested them as well. Don’t know why I never gave them a go, thanks for the suggestion!
I’ve been looking into getting an ultrasonic cleaner for my machines, so this is super helpful! My poor fingers always get so tired and grimy cleaning all those tiny screws and such by hand. 😂 Thanks!
Ultrasonics are a game changer if you have a lot of parts to clean! Doesn't have to be anything expensive or fancy, just big enough to hold your biggest part. Now you can save your fingers!
4:42 what size ultrasonic cleaner do you have?
Great info/tips- appreciate this. I have several vintage machines this will help me with, tremendously.
Hi! I am glad you find it helpful! Thanks for commenting!
Looks awesome Jen!
Thanks Bob!
Best sewing machine restoration videos.
Wow, thanks!
I really like my little brass wire brushes, they dont mar or scratch. Perfect for the feed dogs especially.
Hi! Yes, they are about the only thing that will work on the feed dogs!
I have my mom's 401A Singer Sewing Machine. While cleaning, I put white lithium grease on the gears. After doing this, I heard it will get hard eventually and be very hard to clean the gears. I bought clear grease but need advice on cleaning off the white grease first. Thank you for your help.
Hi! I am pretty sure I have cleaned that off of gears more than once. Using a cut down chip brush first to knock off the worst of it is usually how I start. Then I go in with very small q-tips that are used by beauticians to get into the teeth of the gears. I dip them in rubbing alcohol first. This is the link to the ones I get: amzn.to/3VFFeZt Finally, I use a small wire brush on them at the end. It can be done, just takes a lot of elbow grease to get the lithium grease off. :) I hope that helps!
Hello, I have a bobbin case that has rust on the outside rim as well as maybe grime & dinginess. Do I take it apart & soak it in the krud cutter solution to get it cleaned up? Or what would you suggest to remove that from the case. It’s the bobbin case itself that you release with the lever & take out of the machine. (All of the bobbing case cleaning videos I’ve found so far are removing the parts that the case itself goes into on the machine & that’s not what I’m looking for. 😊) thank you for your help.
Hi! Krudcutter will get the grime off but won’t do much for the rust. If your bobbin case is rusty then disassembly of the case is probably a good idea. What model are you working on? I’m not sure exactly what you mean with your question about what to remove and disassemble, feel free to send me some pics to jen@sewingmachinerehab.com if you want, maybe I could help you further.
A air compressor is key for removing all the moisture after washing the parts.
Agreed!
Watched and commented on this the other day. Great video.
Thanks again! :) I could see a color issue on my end and I had to fix it. Not sure how many people noticed, I guess it was more for my peace of mind.
Thanks so much for your awesome video series on Featherweight restoration! I have a bottom cover (where drip pad sits) that has rust on the outside. What what you recommend I do for that?
Hi! You are welcome! It would depend on how much rust there is. If it is just a little I would treat it with rust remover and maybe lightly sand it and then polish it. If it was a lot I would sand it and repaint it with a spray paint. I hope that helps! Mostly you just want to stop it from rusting further or having rust transfer from the bottom of the cover to whatever surface you keep the machine on.
Thank you so much for your help/advice! 🙂@@SewingMachineRehab
Good Job Jen!
Thanks Jeb, I had to fix the color issue on the video. Oops.
@@SewingMachineRehab I enjoyed just as much this time as before. Still timely, cleaning a 411g. Good review! lol!
Good information and instruction ❤. Thanks 🎉
Hi Jen, there seems to be several different types of metal and/or metal finishes. Chrome, nickel plated metal, etc. How do i tell them all apart for each cleaner?
Hi! Anything that doesn't have paint gets put in Krud Kutter for me. That's just what I do but I know that there are different opinions out there on what to use. So far I haven't had any issues with the finish being damaged, it just comes out clean. Usually I don't need to use any polish at all on the nickel or chrome parts after that but if I do I usually use a white polishing compound and my Dremel. I tried a very smelly metal polish in a can once but that just wasn't for me and I didn't think it really made a difference. I don't know if that is helpful or not, hopefully it is!
1:21
Well, put all your small parts into your sieve and blow dry them all at once but not too close. They won't fly all over and it will be quicker.
Yes, I guess that would keep them put. Terrified of having to find a tiny screw!
@@SewingMachineRehab Or, you can spread them on a cloth , cover with the sieve and blow dry them through the sieve . Works too.
We use a collapsible strainer for our dremel & mandrel burrs & bits in Podiatry School. You can just hit them with a hair drier or air compressor to get them very very dry afterwards.
You must have a Dremel...........great job.
Thanks! I do have one that I use a lot, I don't think I did in this video though. The Dremel is a newer addition to my bench :)
Love your videos! If you don’t mind, I have a couple of questions about your ultrasonic cleaner. I see that it’s a GT Sonic unit - what’s the model of the unit you use? (I tried unsuccessfully to find a source for GT Sonic ultrasonic cleaners to look up size, heating, and power ratings.) I see that you use a fine mesh basket in the cleaner - did it come with the cleaner, or did you buy it separately?
Thanks in advance!
…Scott
Hi Scott! The one I use I purchased off of Amazon. I am going to give you the link but it looks like it isn’t in stock anymore. My main criteria was that it needed to be large enough for holding rock shafts and other larger parts and it needed to heat the solution. So far I have been happy with it but the button you push to stop and start the cleaner has started to crack. I think I paid between $100-$150 for it, can’t remember. The mesh basket is an aftermarket one, also on amazon. I just made sure it fit inside the cleaner before I purchased it. Sometimes I use that basket and sometimes I just use my little mesh strainers for the tiny parts. Here is the link so you can hopefully at least see the specs. 3L Ultrasonic Cleaner, 304 Stainless Steel Professional Ultrasonic Cleaners with Digital Timer & Heater for Jewelry Watch Glass Circuit Board Dentures Small Parts Dental Instrument a.co/d/5HMh7He
@@SewingMachineRehab Thanks for the link! I’ve been using a small unheated ultrasonic cleaner and have been thinking of upgrading. Having the specs for your cleaner gives me a good place to start.
…Scott
Jen, why does a sewing machine have to be cleaned so you can eat off of it?
Are you concerned with lead from cleaning? In ultrasonic cleaner? Are gloves ok?
Hi! I am very careful with the lead and usually put down towels I dispose of when dealing with it. And wear gloves! I actually throw away the old wires in the lead tubing and rewire the machine so using a technique that is lead free. I wouldn't ever put any of the wiring in the cleaner, for sure! Hope that helps!
Will feed dogs be ok in ultrasonic cleaner? My friend gave me a vintage sewing machine 128k so they are actually quite rusted. I also have my new featherweight.
Hello! Yes they will but you will need to dry them well and you may still need to hit them with a wire brush if you can't get the rust off. Usually that does the trick!
11:09 am. I am working on a singer 27 treadle machine. I removed the bobbin winder from the machine. The spring that holds the bobbin in the winder is not working, can that be fixed? replaced?
I believe you can find a new spring, is this the one? www.sewingmachinesplus.com/15366.php?gclid=Cj0KCQiAkeSsBhDUARIsAK3tiefckOV0j9rKw8ZyANVHgrEe25EDoj-xXolQw_Y-im7gY-_frL7uu8MaAqw1EALw_wcB
Hi,
What is the capacity of your ultrasonic cleaner? Thank you
Hi! You know, I am not sure! It’s big enough to fit some of the longer parts like the rock shafts from a Featherweight but it wouldn’t hold rock shafts from something like a 66. I have had if for several years and they don’t sell it anymore. There are so many out there, I would choose one that fits your budget and your parts and you should be good to go!
Great video
Thanks!
Jen, I really enjoy your videos. My sister and i are restoring about 15-20 machines and we would like some information about buying a SONIC CLEANER. Would a regular jewelry sonic machine without the heat do the same as yours when it comes to cleaning the machine parts? Thank you
Unable to find krud kutter must for rust, is there anything else that you might recommend ?
Hi! I have been hearing from other viewers as well that the rust remover I use isn’t available to them. I haven’t found one that I like as much yet but I am looking. It seems to be kind of a niche product and most options I am coming across are more industrial and you have to buy a huge bottle of. Some rust removers also turn the area where it was applied black which we certainly don’t want. When I find one that will work I will definitely make a video and let others know about it. Wish I could give you a better answer!
What are you using for polish?
Hi! It depends on what I am polishing. For painted parts I love Zymol cleaner wax. Some of the chrome pieces I leave as is once I clean them. I use a dremel and a white polishing compound on metal parts sometimes. I haven’t worked with many metal polishing compounds as I usually don’t need to. Hope that helps a little!
Elias BRAZIL SP
EXCELLENT.
THANKS SO MUCH.
You are very welcome!
What is honing stick for?
Hi! I use it to help me polish the commutator along with some fine sandpaper. I also find that it works well to get any burrs off the thread loop guard for some hook assemblies and remove dark spots or mild rust from things like the feed dogs. Just don't use it on anything that is chrome or nickel plated, it will scratch it! Hope that helps!
What do you recommend to clean around the metal pieces on the machine that turn brown?
Hi! Do you mean on the parts that come off or the parts like the needle bar and presser bar bushing? Parts that I can remove like the needle bar, hook assembly and etc. I clean in a solution of Krud Kutter. If I don’t remove the presser bar bushing for example I very carefully clean it with rubbing alcohol, very careful not to get it on the finish of the machine. Then I will gently polish them with a very high grit sand paper, usually in the 2,000 to 10,000 range depending on the part. I hope that helps!
@@SewingMachineRehab i’m not sure exactly what they’re called but they’re the plates that are on front of the machine like the badge names. It’s like a stain and they’re even at the creases. It’s like every vintage machine I find, those are the hardest parts to clean.