On a machine 65 years old I had to deal with rust, old paint, and damage. The bare metal parts like way tubes, the axles for the casters, and the hinges had to be derusted and protected against rusting again. Here's what I did.
For painted parts, if it is a relatively flat panel like the legs of the frame, old paint can be removed with a wire wheel. I used a stiff wheel for the cast parts but a softer, brass wheel for the sheet metal. Be careful on sheet metal parts. It is really easy to scratch the surface which then must be filled. I used a glazing compound you get at auto parts stores, a very fine and fluid compound the spreads on easily, fills minor surface defects and sands smooth. In order to get a professional finish, the fill-and-sand process will probably need to be repeated several times. I found more scratches after the first coat of paint which meant redoing the affected area.
Cast parts like the headstock and some frame pieces have deep curves and recesses. A wire wheel mounted in a drill will remove paint from some areas but others are too deep to reach. If you have a sandblast cabinet, you could remove paint there but I didn't have one. I don't like harsh chemical strippers so I used Citri-Strip which can be found at Lowe's, Home Depot, and places like them. It is slow but it doesn't dry out so I left it on overnight. The paint came right off. Wash the parts thoroughly and let them dry.
Bare metal parts like axles and fasteners can be derusted with a wire wheel, which I did use for many parts. But for the smaller pieces, I used white vinegar. I put them in a plastic bin and poured in enough vinegar to cover them all. Plan to leave it overnight.
Once you remove them from the vinegar bath, you'll probably need to remove the residue with a wire brush. Then, rinse in clear water, dry them, and immediately coat them with wax. I use Johnsons Wax. I live in southwest Florida. For most of the year, it is humid. For several months it is very humid. I made the mistake of not coating with wax immediately and left the parts over the weekend. By Monday, they had begun to rust again.
If you use Rust-oleum's Hammered paints, it is self-priming. I found it easier and faster to paint most of the parts by suspending them from a wire. That way I could paint all surfaces at one time. I had to be careful to not paint when the humidity was above the paint manufacturer's recommended level. Let them dry according to the instructions on the can. The end result can be seen below.
For painted parts, if it is a relatively flat panel like the legs of the frame, old paint can be removed with a wire wheel. I used a stiff wheel for the cast parts but a softer, brass wheel for the sheet metal. Be careful on sheet metal parts. It is really easy to scratch the surface which then must be filled. I used a glazing compound you get at auto parts stores, a very fine and fluid compound the spreads on easily, fills minor surface defects and sands smooth. In order to get a professional finish, the fill-and-sand process will probably need to be repeated several times. I found more scratches after the first coat of paint which meant redoing the affected area.
Bare metal parts like axles and fasteners can be derusted with a wire wheel, which I did use for many parts. But for the smaller pieces, I used white vinegar. I put them in a plastic bin and poured in enough vinegar to cover them all. Plan to leave it overnight.
Once you remove them from the vinegar bath, you'll probably need to remove the residue with a wire brush. Then, rinse in clear water, dry them, and immediately coat them with wax. I use Johnsons Wax. I live in southwest Florida. For most of the year, it is humid. For several months it is very humid. I made the mistake of not coating with wax immediately and left the parts over the weekend. By Monday, they had begun to rust again.
If you use Rust-oleum's Hammered paints, it is self-priming. I found it easier and faster to paint most of the parts by suspending them from a wire. That way I could paint all surfaces at one time. I had to be careful to not paint when the humidity was above the paint manufacturer's recommended level. Let them dry according to the instructions on the can. The end result can be seen below.
