This is just my own opinion ....
... The only items (machine or cabinet) I would not dare to refinish are pieces that are very rare (meaning less than 100 survived) or have historical value. A Featherweight table is neither. If the item is going to live in my house and be displayed in my house, I want it to look pretty. Almost all of my cabinets are going to undergo a degree of restoration/refinishing (stripping varnish on wood, replacing veneers, sand blasting irons and re-painting, re-plating metals, replacing screws, re-upholstering stool bench seat).
I do not own any machine or cabinet that cannot be found within 6 months (or less) of searching. Singer FW tables ... I think there are 4-5 on E-Bay as we speak.
Edited to add ... the other factor is that you say that it's current condition renders it useless as a sewing table. To me, an item that cannot function in it's intended form has no value.
So if it were me and I wanted a FW with a table that I could use ... I would do the necessary repairwok to the table.
Last edited by DogHouseMom; 04-03-2013 at 12:35 PM.