This is a 1940's model 66 with the Wrinkle (AKA Godzilla or Crinkle) finish .Apparently they are quite rare. Given that my customer only paid $20 for the machine, I would suspect that she is one happy sewing machine owner.
She asked me to get it going for her which I was happy to do,until I started to clean the exterior. After a lot of research on how to clean the machine, and the finish, I determined that it was not a shellac finish, but most likely an enamel finish, that had been treated after painting by heating it briefly, to make the top layer of the paint dry faster than the bottom layer. I ended up with a toothbrush and dish soap, scrubbing one little are at a time, then wiping off the the dirty water and repeating the process, for 3 or 4 hours, till I got the whole machine, presentable.
My research on this finish also told me that Singer had made various models with this finish, intermittently between 1941 and 1953. The general consensus is that it was put on for cosmetic reasons. But I don't think so. I sat there and scrubbed that machine with a tooth brush for 3 hours and left nary a mark on it. It's a very durable finish. I suspect that more likely, it just wasn't popular enough, to warrant putting it on all machines. I think that I know why too.
I noticed that while the foot controller had a Wrinkle finish on it, the balance wheel cover, the wheel, light and motor were regular shiny black finish.That is the way these machines were shipped from the factory.They don't look right with the rest of the head. I think they cheaped out on these parts. The end result is machine that isn't entirely appealing in terms of looks, due to the inconsistencies in the finishes. It's a subtle effect and it may have been just enough to turn customers off of the Wrinkle finish even though was superior to all the others.
That said, it's still a 66 and it will retain it's good looks for a lot longer than the other sewing machines of the period.
