Originally Posted by
BoJangles
Donna, that clear coat is called the 'japan' finish.
Actually, the japan finish is the black underneath (contains asphaltum). I actually found a recipe for re-japanning old tools! (Note: this is just FYI, NOT recommending trying this on sewing machines.)
http://www.woodcentral.com/cgi-bin/r...cles_117.shtml
pat