>>> Quandary:- should I remove this paint or might it be original? If not >>> original should I leave it as part of the bobbins' history? ..."
I think first you need to make a decision. Are these bobbins an investment in antiques? Are they works of art to be kept/returned to original artists' concept? Will they be going to a museum? Will they be family heirlooms, kept with provenance so your decendents will know their history? Or are they lovely/interesting tools that you bought because you want to work/play with them? If they are artworks or investment, they should be treated differently than if they were bought for your own enjoyment. People have been responding to this option. However, not all antiques are headed to a museum or to posterity. There is no requirement that you treat them as art or investment if you spent the money to have something you can enjoy. If they are for your enjoyment and are not headed for "immortality", you have the right to alter them to better suit you. Robin P. Los Angeles, California, USA [email protected] ---- Adele Shaak <[email protected]> wrote: ============= I don't think you're doing anything wrong by trying to make the bobbin look better to you, whether the paint is original or not - after all your opinion and your efforts to correct the situation are also part of the bobbin's history. >From your description I'm thinking it could really look horrible, like heavy >enamel house paint on a delicate piece of filigree jewelry. If it does look >bad to you, you could wear it down. The whole point of the groove is to make >wearing down the paint difficult, so I'd use a piece of string or heavy thread >- whatever is slightly rough and just about the same thickness as the groove >that the paint is in, and rub that along the groove to get right inside it and >wear away the paint naturally. I wouldn't obsess about getting all the new >paint off, and I wouldn't obsess about retaining all of the old paint (if >there is any). But I think you could bring it back so it doesn't look too bad. >Dental floss might also work. I wouldn't try to remove the paint with any chemical or liquid removers, because probably your half-melted paint would then get all over the rest of the bobbin and make it look worse. Adele North Vancouver, BC (west coast of Canada) - To unsubscribe send email to [email protected] containing the line: unsubscribe lace [email protected]. For help, write to [email protected]. Photo site: http://community.webshots.com/user/arachne2003 - To unsubscribe send email to [email protected] containing the line: unsubscribe lace [email protected]. For help, write to [email protected]. Photo site: http://community.webshots.com/user/arachne2003
