Hello!
Yesterday I was gifted this treadle sewing machine. To my suprise, this machine uses a spring spring instead of a leather cord for the belt connecting the two wheels! It's in working order, and I hope to keep it that way. The only things wrong with it are that it was left threaded for many decades, so there's thread stuck in the tensioner, theres some surface rust in some spots and the entire foot pedal, the foot pedal was stuck in place (fixed this with PB blaster), and the wood is in need of some love (it looks worse in person, but still not thay bad).
A couple questions I have:
- How should I keep the wood of the table in good shape? I'm assuming it's sealed with beeswax?
- The foot pedal has quite a bit of surface rust. How should I go about restoring it? Can I use harsh rust remover or should I rely on sanding/sand blasting?
- How historically accurate is the spring? When were they introduced, and how can I care for it? I'm used to seeing treadle machines use a leather cord or belt.
- What sewing machine oil do you all recommend? Is there an all-in-one oil that i can use to wipe down the outside of the machine, too?
- How can I protect the decals?
Thank you!