We are repainting machines using automotive paint and painting them in an auto shop paint bay. If you use spray paint you are going to get streaks and uneven finishes, and it won't be durable to withstand use. It's a tedious process but the outcome is well worth it to do it right.

I have a tan 301 that I have wanted to make a soft pink, from the day it came home with me.......so, you think automotive paint is the best thing to use? and do you need to clear-coat it with some kind of acrylic or something? and where do you get Singer decals from?

Yes you will definitely need a clear coat. The automotive paint when used properly will give the smooth glassy finish without seeing streaks, bubbles, or imperfections in the paint coverage. It is also much more durable so you can use the machine without damaging the paint like you would if you just spray painted it. There's also the prep work involved in getting it ready for paint. We are making the waterslide decals ourselves.

Featherweights don't seem to be that rare. I see them for sale frequently. I currently have 3 black ones and one white. And I have an old 15-99. All are in reasonable condition, not great. I would love to paint one or two of my black FWs. I just don't know what colors I would choose!
I also have a 301, a Rocketeer, a couple of Red Eyes, an unknown Singer, a Brother Project Runway machine, A Pfaff 2134 and a Janome 6500.
I need to get rid of some..

I've got a few I'm repainting for myself. I have a WW that had zero of its original decals remaining and it was in good working shape but pitiful to look at. I'm doing it in a white pearlcoat and putting my logo on the arm with some little ladybugs buzzing around on the bed. I've also got a 27 that was awful I'm repaing in a sunshine yellow, and I'm not sure yet what decals I'm going to put on it. I mentioned Joe's suggestion of an OD Green "tactical" look on a machine to my hubby and now he wants me to do that to my industrial singer, and I have a belvedere Adler that is vintage and two tone I think I will do in a midnight blue and silver, and I'll probably make some air force decals for it, as it is intended for mainly use doing uniforms. I've still got a 301 and a couple of 99s and 66s that we are pondering painting possibilities on.

So glad I saw this! I want to work up the nerve to paint a machine or two! All my current vintage machines are in excellent condition, however, but every time I see a "dog" machine when I'm out and about I think about buying it and stripping it down to paint it. I'm just so scared I'll mess it up. I would love to have a fire engine red machine as well as a pretty pastel pink machine with "diamonds" on it! And then maybe a sunshine yellow one...and a turquoise one. Oh, lawsy, where would I put them? My little 10x11 sewing room is overflowing with the 25 machines I currently have! All but one is a vintage machine, and my modern machine is the cheap Brother XL-5130 I bought from Walmart about 8 years ago! (but it sews just fine for banging around at quilting project days!)

I would love to have one of my black ones painted - and both of them are in decent shape - it just would be more fun to use if it wasn't black - but what color to choose - a soft pink, a vibrant purple, sun yellow, sky blue, or even a pearly white - so many choices, so few machines!

I agree with SewpahDewpah. Why not give a tired and worn out machine new life? I think your FWs are way cool! Besides, if Singer were still making FWs, they might just sell them in different colors.

YES! I do heart repaints, for a damaged machine. I use auto paints too, with an airbrush. I don't have a big booth, however. Just a little one. What takes the time with these is the prep work. I strip down to bare metal and remove most of the 'workings'.

After reading ALL of the posts, I do agree that tutorials on making decals and doing the repaints would be nice. What is one (or more, LOL) project to add to the bucket list? My bucket ran over a long time ago. What a mess:rolleyes:.