C&P guillotine restoration questions…
Hello All,
I’m new to the discussion boards here, my name is Nicole and I could use some advice on cleaning and restoring a C&P guillotine i just recently aquired. I’ve already started the restoration process but i’m unsure if my methods are the best way of doing so.
First i started out using an SOS pad and water until i got scolded on doing such thing because water is bad thing to use. I feel stuck if i can’t use water and soap to get the surface grime off…this cutter has basically been sitting in a basement for a number of years and has layers of oily grime and surface rust on it.
My father suggested i use some navel jelly on the surface rust, which works but you have to use water to clean it off.
so along with the navel jelly, which i mainly have been using on the bed (it got hit the worst with rust) i’ve been using a semi abrassive steel brush (electric) which works great but i don’t know how to tell when i’m done because every layer i get through and then whipe down, a grimey rusty coating is still whipped off, i can see the metal of the bed and brass inlay of the ruler but it seems that i just can’t desolve whatever is making the surface still dirty. I’m worried about the bed itself getting clean enough to not mark up paper. Is there any specific cleaning product i’m supposed to be using? or am i grinding too much metal off?
please help, i’d like to get this thing running asap.
N Lecht
Water and soap is ALWAYS fine. Super Green cleaner of any other grease cutting cleaner is good. You have to make sure to get it as dry as possible and then spray on liberal coats of a thin oil like WD 40.
In regards to the bed, you have to clean it to where you feel comfortable with the appearance and then wax it with car wax. The wax will protect the exposed metal from rusting and make a smoother, slicker easier to use work surface. This assures a clean surface that will minimize soiling the paper. It is always good idea to have a waste sheet on the bottom of yor lift of paper when cutting.
Good LUCK!