I think Billy is one, that has cleaned them up and repainted them . When you repaint them , why do you pick a different color than the original? I admit they look very pretty. And if I have a featherweight that is black and in good shape , no scratches; would you suggest having it repainted to my favorite color ( purple). ? or just leave it alone?
Thanks for your opinions. Elaine

I'm no professional, but I'd leave it alone.

If it is good shape I wouldn't touch it!!! People only paint the ones that need help.(rusty, chipped, bad scratches)

I've seen painted Featherweights at the quilt shows. Any color you wanted. The machine is first put in excellent working condition and then painted. The man that does this has an excellent reputation. I'll try and find his website. If you have the Featherweight for the collector's value then keep it the original paint job. Featherweights aren't that valuable, about $400 for mint condition so if you want a purple one go for it!

And check out this site; they are so beautiful and SO expensive. www.deskdave.com.

Those prices are steep but the colors are worth it. The paint has to be baked on and applied perfectly and from what I was told is very time consuming. I saw some of his machines in person and they are stunning and high quality workmanship.

If it is in good cosmetic condition I would leave it alone. I have a 1956 Featherweight in pretty good condition, but I am looking for a cheap and battered Featherweight to have restored and painted candy apple red! Since it is so expensive to have them repainted, I am waiting for that perfect machine at a very very low price.

Soooo pretty!

Redpurse Lady:
I just had to show you my red Featherweight. Enjoy!


:oops: I wish I had dusted it!

Oh I wish I had that one!
I love red.
Beautiful!
Lucky you

I do like the red - it would certainly get my attention.

Being married to a museum archivist, I'm a bit of a purist. I'd leave it the original color. Although Featherweights aren't currently that valuable, any time you refinish an original or antique object, you are destroying its value.

Actually, this Featherweight would bring upwards of $750.00. I don't believe that destroyed the value of a machine I bought for $200.00!

I would leave it alone

OOHHH! IT IS BEAUTIFUL!! Did you buy it that way or did you have it redone? If so, who did it? My 1956 machine cost me $250 on Ebay about 10 years ago. I don't want to spend that much plus the paint job on another one. I guess the right machine will show up when it is time for me to have another one.

Thanks for the picture - I love it!

me too

My thoughts exactly

I agree, if it's in good shape leave it, but if its scratched and all......personalize it. :-D

OH! She's BEAUTIFUL!!!

I keep going by the local thrift stores, yard sales, estate sales...hoping to find a Featherweight at a reasonable price. .

My husband and I refurbish. We only paint those that are really, really damaged. I have one right now that is painted with purple to green car paint that was frozen up. He cleaned it up and it sews wonderfully. We think it might have been in a flood or left in a cellar some place. Anyway, Purplel Majesty has a new life. Otherwise, we keep them black as original. He is trying a new process of powder paint to make them look like original. We have one that he intends to do that with but he hasn't had time as yet. So, my advise, unless it is truly an ugly duckling, leave it alone. That is part of its wonderfulness.

I have seen repainted ones on Ebay and love the colors. If you have one in good shape I wouldn't paint it. Like someone else said, I think the ones they paint are ones in poor condition. My Featherweight is in great condition and wouldn't think of painting it.

IMHO refurbishing and painting an old machine (FW or other) should be done only to those machines that are so cosmetically challenged as to be useless. As I may have said before, I think it is unwise to repaint a FW in the original japanned black because someone, somewhere, sometime will try to pass it off as a "mint" or "pristine" condition FW.

Rather far away from you, but Johnny at the Pickle Dish Antiques & Sewing Emporium in Anthony, Florida repairs and reconditions old machines, including the cabinets. He specializes in Featherweights. You can contact him at 352-867-8035 or [email protected]. I've seen some of his work and it is beautiful.

Thanks for all your opinions. I guess I will leave it "just plain black". I am planning on teaching my 4 year old GS on it this summer. Elaine

That is the reason I change the colors up when I repaint them. Also you are spot on about when to repaint of not.

There are some machines out there that I dont care how bad they look you should never even think about refinishing. But the common ones like my Singer 27 and the FW's if it is cosmetically challenged then its ok to paint.

I also always check the serial numbers and the amount of machines on the run before I repaint. If the serial is close to the start or finish of the run or the machine was a super short run I will not refinish it.

I always use automotive finishes on the machines I refinish and always do them in a Base/Clear coat and some times do a Pearl mid coat if thats what the customer wants.

But I never bake anything I paint, baking is for cakes not paint jobs! :mrgreen: :mrgreen:

Billy

www.deskdave.com. Tried the site listed and got all this info about being nonexisted...Is there some thing else to the address that is missing? Thanks
The page you tried to access does not exist on this server. This page may not exist due to the following reasons:

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I have two featherweights and purple being my favorite color I would never paint my black machines that color. To each his own.

I just went there, the addy worked just fine. Probably just a fluke, try again...some amazing sights there.

Oh LORD! I had no idea you could get old machines painted! For years I collected old machines and I have to say I was given some REALLY bad siezed up machines, which i couldn't do anything with..... wish I had known!

One of the machines I still have IS a featherweight!! Its in fabulous condition, was given to me by my sisters ex husband! It was his Grandma's and he wanted it 'kept by someone who cared' (which is why I still have it!!!) I have carried it around with me from house to house and county or country, and it wasn't until the internet really took off that I realised it was a featherweight and what that meant!

It has a little plaque on the back saying it was converted to British Electricity in 1947 (or 50 something - can't remember!) I always thought that made it a little special (don't know if it does!) Would you believe I have never sewn on it!

One day I will get her out and give her a go - if they are as good as you all say - might be a great first machine for my daughter? (and I wont have to fight her for one of my Berninas!!!)

By the Way - guess what colour I would paint a machine?

(I loved the red too)

If you paint something it loses value, I would not paint if it were mine. Penny

Not necessarily, look at this COMMON Singer 27. I paid $15 for it and its treadle, it was functioning but looked rough as a corn cob.

After the repaint I have been offer $100 just for the machine head!

I still have the treadle (its in my studio as the main power source) and the cabinet was restored and is in my attic waiting on a set of irons.

But BEFORE you do a repaint find out about all you can about the machine its rarity and so forth.

Billy

I think they are beautiful. they look like new retro. I like the one it showed. tommye

Beautiful! A joy to see a machine with a new lease of life...

I have heard from a few antic dealers, who have said it may be ugly, but if you change it, it will lose value because it is no longer the origanel. like I sad if it were mine I would not do these based on the experts of antic dealers. Penny

Wow, some fantastic machines (Billy you are a legend!). I love antiques and have been a collector of various things for some years. Yes if you mess about with the finish on a valuable piece, it can mean a drop in value, or indeed polish it to death, in the case of some metal objects. But, as mentioned earlier age does not always equate to value, many sewing machines were produced in very large numbers and even when old are quite low in monetary value (but are precious for other reasons). Like old cars, that are not particularly collectable, vintage machines can be customised and given a new finish without compromise...just think of them as the Hot Rods of the sewing and quilting world.

Love that mental image!!! VROOOM!!!

Life's too short.

If it is in need of painting, do it. Most of us are not going to be around to collect the value of what the machine will be worth in another 50 years anyway.

A lot of the younger generation are not at the stage in their life where they give a hoot about the stuff we collect anyway.

Have fun with it and enjoy.

Your refurbished Singer looks beautiful. How or where did you get the Singer emblem? I had inquired of you about an old Damascus for $30 and did acquire it last weekend. I never thought about painting it until this thread showed up today. Cool idea.

Can a novice do this?

As to the main topic of this thread... personally I have purchased 3 machines with the gold pretty much intact and I probably wouldn't redo those. However, this threadle seems to operate well but the markings aren' t anything to be admired. I guess my answer would be that 'it depends on what you acquire as to whether or not to paint. Some of the paint jobs look great. Way out of my price range but they look beautiful!

I had a graphics company and I made up sets of decals for refurbishing sewing machines including the "Singer" decals.

As far as the Damascus is concerned it would have to look really rough to the point of tossing in the trash before I would repaint it. Most every machine I did a repaint on was a complete rusted basket case with the exception to the FW's I did.

I use all automotive paints on all of the repaints I do. The finish is very durable and it will last if taken care of. If you could find a paint company that will mix the paint and put it in a can for you then I say yes its very doable. But if you have to go and buy the materials for the job you might change your mind.

Materials for a FW repaint (just paint) will set you back close to $150.

But heres an example of what I consider a candidate for a repaint.........

Billy

I do love the red but I will keep mine black