The Story of a Craigslist Find
This first post is about the prep and shopping list. There are more posts for the details (decals, hardware, restoring Black-Side hardware) in subsequent posts.
You know, sometimes something is “so far gone” that you have nothing to lose by stripping it down and starting over. Such was the situation for this red oak bentwood case that came with a Centennial Singer 128 Black-Side with a “Godzilla”, or Crinkle finish, that I purchased for $60. The machine itself was in amazing, near mint condition.
Singer Centennial 128 "Godzilla"
A Craigslist Find
This machine was in pristine condition, but the case had taken a beatings over the decades. This is a three part series on the restoration of this bentwood case.
The case had clearly taken the abuse to protect this machine over a span of decades. The man I bought it from said that it was purchased at an estate sale. It was in a corner in the garage, the family didn’t remember what kind of machine it was, only that it “doesn’t work”. The key had long since been lost, and no one could even recall what it looked like. It was a mystery box, so they decided to find a screwdriver to unlock it. To their dismay, it was an “ugly” one. LOL
The man bought it anyway, sensing it was “special” and needed a good home. When I contacted him, he didn’t have photos, he just said that it was “kind of ugly, with a centennial badge and wood case”. Naturally interested, I went to meet him. The case was now held to the machine with twine. He couldn’t figure how to lock it again. I unknotted the twine and found a NEAR MINT black-side 128 inside! A 3/4 size shuttle machine, with no traces of use what-so-ever! I had never seen anything so well preserved!
I took it home and found that the needle was in backwards, the tension tightened all the way down, and the shuttle also overly tightened. The screws had no signs of the machine ever being serviced. There was no lint or oil build up. It was immaculate … BUT THE CASE … that was another story. I wanted a beautiful, immaculate case for this immaculate machine.
Shopping and Supplies
I could not find a bentwood case restoration tutorial anywhere on the Internet … so I would have to add one of my own to the community. I researched the reproduction decals, finishes, lacquers, lacquer compatibility, and stared at stain samples for hours. I figured out what I had on hand, and came up with a shopping list for Home Depot.
To Buy ...
- Citri-Strip, an environmentally friendly finish stripper
- 2 cans of Deft clear lacquer
- Wooster “Shortcut” : A 2″ angled mulit-purpose brush with great control qualities
- MinWax stain. 8 oz. each of Sedona Red and English Chestnut
- “Metallic Rust” spray paint by Rust-o-leum, for the handle
- “Satin Clear” Coat spray paint by Rust-o-leum, also for the handle
- A 4-oz sample of pre-mixed dove grey indoor/outdoor paint (clearance area), for the interior
- Paint mixing sticks
- Felt replacement feet (specialty woodcraft store)
- Reproduction decals from Keeler Sales, (link)
To Find ...
- flat-head and Philips screwdrivers
- adjustable mini-crescent wrench
- gloves
- Denatured Alcohol
- 1″ sponge brushes
- paint thinner
- Old t-shirts for rags
- Water supply (hose)
- 400 grit sandpaper
- Elmer’s wood glue
- Plastic C-clamps
- Small plastic cups (like the kind you get a craft beer festivals 😉 )
- Ziploc bags
- Cardboard or plastic tarps
Getting Started
The real secret to this project is patience. You must be willing to let everything dry/cure in stages. Sanding is not optional. You must frequently sand and then re-wipe the surfaces between coats/treatments.
- The first step is to remove all the hardware from the case. Most of the hardware on this case is Black-Side, like the machine, and would also need restoral (more about that in a later post). Use the screwdrivers and carefully remove ALL hardware, placing all the small pieces in a plastic bag for later. Depending on how badly damaged the hardware is, you may need to use a small amount of penetrating oil to free up screws or nuts that have rusted.
- Wipe down the surface of any dirt, grime or other contaminates as well as you can. You can use water and dish soap for this step. Try not to get the wood too wet as it can cause the glue to loosen or wood grain to raise. Let dry.
The "Before" Picture
The "Before" Picture
Case before stripping the finish. Shown in photo, “CitriStrip” Finish Stripper and Gloves.
Lacquer Stripper Applied
Lacquer Stripper Applied
Here, I’ve applied the Citristrip in very gererous layer. It should have an even distribution of gel throughout. It will seem a bit “slimy”
The "Magic" Happens
The "Magic" Happens
This is the most rewarding phase, although bit alarming at first. It’s bittersweet to see those old decals sliding down the wood. This will happen very quickly
- So, here’s the “scary” step, you’re going to strip that old finish naked! This is the point of no return. The stripper will take paint, lacquer, stain and decals off. This is a serious commitment! Put on some gloves and place your project on a tarp (optional really, but you don’t want to deal with dirt and other debris if you don’t have to. I put my project on the dirt, and it really wasn’t a big deal because the next step is rinsing). Generously coat all surfaces, lifting and manipulating to get into the tighter areas, then let the project sit the recommended time (about 30 mins). You should see the old finish starting to “melt” and run down the sides.
- Rinse the stripper off with a hose or in the shower. Do this briefly and sponge down until the stripper is gone. Try not to let the water penetrate too deeply and wipe down excess as quickly as you can. If there is still residual finish, repeat step 3.
Stripper Rinsed
Stripper Rinsed
With the finish stripped off, you can get a better idea of the natural wood. This appears to be Red Oak, which is most obvious by the graining of the wood.
Dried Overnight
Dried Overnight
Dried overnight, this wood looks a bit ashy and boring. We get to fix that today.
Custom Stain Mix
Custom Stain Mix
The night before, I played with the stains and decided that I liked a mix of Sedona Red and English Chestnut, in a ratio of 2:1
- Let dry overnight. You want the wood grain to be even in its ability to absorb stain.
- HINT: Now is a good time to play with your stain mix. I took my two colors and mixed them in different parts in a Ziploc bag (placed inside a measuring cup), and swatched them at different times, wiping off with a rag every few minutes. I settled on two parts Sedona red to one part English Chestnut, for the standard 30 mins. Once I was happy with my color, I mixed enough for the entire case and set aside. Use paint thinner to clean up your brush.
- If you need to do repairs to the wood, now is the time.
- I had a small wooden support piece that had become separated, I used Elmer’s wood glue and allowed it a few minutes to dry.
- Similarly, if you are going to do a veneer repair, patch, or fill, do it at this step and allow to fully dry before proceeding
Wood Glue Repair
Wood Glue Repair
This little piece was already separated from the base when I received the machine. A very simple fix with layer of Elmer’s Wood Glue and light pressure applied
Toothpick for Tight Areas
Toothpick for Tight Areas
If the veneer starts to separate, that is not a hard fix. You just need a toothpick to get the glue between the layers, and some applied pressure.
C-Clamp for Pressure
C-Clamp for Pressure
In order to keep the veneer pressed to the base, I had to apply pressure until the glue had dried. Here I’m using something heavy and true (a Mac monitor stand) to apply the pressure, which I’ve secured with some woodworking C-clamps.
Prepping and Applying Stain
- Now that the base is stripped and repaired, you need to prep it for the stain. It’s best to do the staining outside (oil based stain like MinWax is smelly) on a sunny, but not hot or humid day (to ensure proper and even penetration).
- Start by thoroughly sanding all surfaces to receive stain.
- Now generously apply denatured alcohol to a lint-less t-shirt rag and evenly wipe all wood surface. You should see the wet part quickly evaporate. Once it’s sanded and clean, now is the time to stain!
- This part isn’t that hard at all, assuming you didn’t skip any steps and that you can work quickly.
- Place you project on a raised surface (I used the base from another machine that is also a future project) and make sure you’re not in an area where dust or pet hair is prone to blow (I have curious “helper” cats).
- Using the stain brush, quickly and evenly apply the stain in strokes all over the surface (painting in the direction of the grain).
- Allow to penetrate the amount of time that your swatching indicates.
- Now wipe off the excess and allow to dry, or repeat if desired.
Scuff Sand
Scuff Sand
Before applying stain, and between coats, a light scuff sanding is recommended. Use 400 grit sandpaper in the direction of the grain, wiping off the dust with a generous amount of denatured alcohol and a lintless rag (t-shirts work best)
Apply Stain
Apply Stain
Using a high quality stain brush (I used the “Shortcut” by Wooster), generously and evenly apply stain all-over
Wipe Excess Stain
Wipe Excess Stain
Assuming you took the time to test the stain and time the penetration which gives you the color of your preference, after waiting the desired time use a lintless rag (again, t-shirt is best) and remove the stain that did not absorb.
- NOTE: Before the next step, I allowed my project to dry overnight. The following are the steps for clearcoat and prepping for decals and the remaining details.
- Now that the stain has fully dried, once again you are going to lightly “scuff sand” the finish. Make sure to sand in the direction of the wood grain. Sanding opposite of the grain will mark and show.
- Repeating the steps above, wipe the surface with denatured alcohol
- This is the part where you start applying clear coat layers. I used Deft spray lacquer because it is known to have a vintage mixture and is commonly used on music instruments which need to stand the test of time. It is an “ultra-clear” lacquer. If you want a lacquer with a yellow/antique patina, then you may want to go with the brush on (and tint it with a water based tint), or use a different brand. You should be careful about the mixing of shellac/lacquer with certain oil or water-based stains. Please do research before deviating from this tutorial.
- Apply the clear coat evenly in small layers over the piece. This lacquer goes on in very light coats. Do not overspray because you will risk running.
- On a sunny day, you can wait a few minutes before applying the next coat. You may scuff-sand between the layers to get the piece shiny and even. I moved to a finer 1500 grit after applying the decal. I went about 3 light layers between sanding/alcohol.
- After about 3 layers, you are ready to apply decals. Tutorial and fine details are in the next post!
Scuff Sand (Again)
Scuff Sand (Again)
The gloss lacquer needs to grip the wood, so another round of scuff-sanding the stained wood. Use 400 grit sandpaper in the direction of the grain, wiping off the dust with a generous amount of denatured alcohol and a lintless rag (t-shirts work best)
Clear Lacquer Applied
Clear Lacquer Applied
After a few repeated rounds of scuff-sanding and applying lacquer, enough of a base has been applied and it’s now time to apply the decals.
Mixing Stains
Mixing Stains
As you can see by comparing these stain chips to the stained case, it’s often necessary to mix multiple colors to get the depth, richness and saturation of the desired color.
Sandra Keller
January 2, 2019 4:59 pmI am getting ready to do the same process you described so well. however i have a dent in my case and i dont want to fill it with putty. yours looks like it had a fracture in the wood in some of the photos. how did you repair that?
My machine is also a godzilla by the way! Thanks for any help you can give me.
Krystin
January 4, 2019 12:54 amHi Sandra – mine had a fairly severe fracture, but I didn’t attempt to repair it at all. I just stained over it. It’s visible, but I like it because it gives it some character. If I were you, I would stay away from putty. It will not take stain evenly. You can try to get the wood wet and see if you can get the sent to expand out, otherwise, your only other option is to sand out as best as possible and accept its war wounds.
The Godzilla machines are so beautiful in all their rugged glory 🙂
Peter Landis
January 22, 2020 8:34 pmIs there another post where you apply decals?
Krystin
June 18, 2020 12:26 amI just found the photos yesterday! I will write a post soon!
Dan
May 4, 2020 3:28 amAs someone who restores Singers professionally, I would offer a couple of suggestions to this process. First, these cases are not “Red Oak,” they are American Walnut (or in the case of Machines and cases made un Great Britain – English Walnut). And most of the original finishes were shellac and not lacquer. Those original finishes are so dry and hard at this point that they sand off VERY easily with some 150 grit sandpaper. That spares you the handling of caustic strippers and possibly bleaching or worse separating that veneer. Lastly, no “stain” is necessary. The walnut will take on a dark patina under just about any new finish. If you want a deeper color, I recommend WATCO Danish oil finish and you can very the depth of the color by using any hue from “natural” through “Dark Walnut.” If you do use the oil finish, let it dry for 72 hours before putting on your new decal. Then for protection you can spray over a poly or acrylic topcoat that can be flat, semi-gloss, or glossy – which ever you prefer. Have fun.