Cleaning a Dirty Machine

[Aven]

I stumbled across an Adler 205-370 that's been sitting out in a storage shed for that past several years.  Its been being baked by the summer heat of New Mexico and is covered with fine dirt.  How do I start cleaning this poor thing?  What should I use to clean it and/or what should I avoid using?  I have downloaded all of the manuals that I could find.  Thank you Uwe!

Any guidance you can offer will be most welcome.

[kgg]

I used a spray bottle of good auto de-greaser in combination with diesel fuel to get rid of the gunk in a Pfaff with good results. I used a couple of old toothbrushes to scrub those hard to reach dirty spots. Then basically gave it a good flushing / bath with regular sewing machine oil before doing a full oiling. Did most of the cleaning outside because of the diesel fuel. I have found diesel fuel when let to sit for a day to be a good fluid for freeing up seized parts.

kgg

[Aven]

Lucky for me the previous owner of our new place left a half full container of diesel.  Now I know what to do with it.  Thanks kkg.

Edited December 12, 2020 by Aven

[DonInReno]

I use wd40 to clean and regular sewing machine oil for lubrication.   I’ve cleaned really greasy machines that I intended to refinish with cheap carburetor cleaner, which is mostly acetone and will bubble paint, but it dries quick and doesn’t leave a smell.

Many people use nothing other than sewing machine oil - bought by the quart or gallon it’s not all that expensive.

Toothbrush-size brushes in nylon for painted surfaces, brass for most metal, and stainless steel for rust.  Qtips reach little spots, and forceps holding paper towels or cloth scraps reach larger hidden areas well.

Having said that, most industrials don’t need a deep cleaning - simply wipe off what you can with a rag and over oil it a bit and anything that needs to get flushed out of moving parts will.  

[Constabulary]

I put the machine outdoors in a rectangular 90 Liter mortar bucket and use one of these spray guns

https://www.ebay.de/itm/133551313467

and different brushes with different solvents (often paint thinner) or sometime with just a washing soda solution.

 

Edited December 13, 2020 by Constabulary

[Aven]

I'll give the oi bath treatment a go first and then move on to the harder stuff if need be. It would be nice if it's just a wipe down and oil job.  I like the idea of using a big tub to clean it in.  Next time I go to town I'll swing by Lowe's and check them out. 

Thanks guys for sharing.  I can't tell you how excited I am to get this one up and running. 

[toxo]

10 hours ago, Constabulary said:

I put the machine outdoors in a rectangular 90 Liter mortar bucket and use one of these spray guns

https://www.ebay.de/itm/133551313467

and different brushes with different solvents (often paint thinner) or sometime with just a washing soda solution.

 

Link comes back to LW Folker. Can't even copy the iem number.

[Aven]

https://www.ebay.de/itm/133551313467

[toxo]

2 minutes ago, Aven said:

https://www.ebay.de/itm/133551313467

Thanks Aven. Why didn't the same link work on Comstabularys post?

[Aven]

There are two parts to creating a link with the forum software.  One part is the text that shows up in the thread, which can be anything, and the other is the url.  If just the text portion is filled in the link doesn't go anywhere.