I Got My Featherweight
 

My Featherweight arrived yesterday. She looks pretty good and runs very quiet. I need to clean her up a bit. I was wondering what I should use to do that. Also, the case smells so bad I cant stand it in my house. Its in the garage right now. The machine smells too but not as much. Has anyone had any luck getting rid of the smell? Tell me what to do. Im naming her Lydia after my Grandmother. She was a tiny little French woman who loved to sew.

Have six of the little cuties myself. Only luck I have had with cases is to leave them air a long time, then I put the packs I have saved form pill bottles ect. in to keep moisture down. I clean mine with sewing machine oil. Enjoy they are great machines.

Hi Maureen, congratulations on your new FW. You will find lots of ideas for getting rid of the smell on this board. You might want to try doing a search. I had the same problem with mine and finally tried putting charcoal in the case after many other things. I think that may have done it, as it is now sitting in my living room and I don't smell it each time I walk by LOL. The machine itself did not smell bad, but I know I saw info on here about getting rid of that odor also. I won't try to repeat the info. Something about a drip pad. BTW, my maternal grandmother's name was also Lydia. Beautiful name I think. She was a hand quilter. Passed away when I was 13, still have the quilt she made me, but it is nearly in shreds. I am 63 now, but not quite in shreds! Good luck!

There is a vintage sewing machine and a featherweight site on QB. There is alot of information. I air the boxes out in the sun, wipe them down with lysol sprayed on a cloth. Do not spray right inside the box, makes a mess. Also, there is a distinct engine oil smell to most of these beauties. I spray pledge on a cloth and buff them up to a nice shine. I also store the machines with the boxes opened a bit. I put a febrez closet sheet in each of them. I hope you and Lydia enjoy many hours of enjoyment. Take her to sewing classes, she will love the outing.

You may have been told this already, but Billy has a tutorial on cleaning ventage machines in the Vintage Machine threads, or it have been moved to the tute section. Billy is Lostn51 and does many restorations. The thread I read was called "Cleaning Your Vintage Machine Part II". Good Luck

As to the case:

I was told to try Irish Spring soap ... just cut some slivers and leave in the case for a while. Unfortunately the scent of that irritates me too. I might have a friend do it for me ... one day ... but will put the slivers in an old portion of panty/knee high hose.

Febreeze didn't do the job. It is still in my garage.

ali

I have 3 myself. I didn't realize there was a site on this board dedicated to Featherweights. I got all my information several years ago from another group called Featherweights I think. They said the smell from the case came from the type of glue that holds the fabric to the box. It molds or something. There were a lot of recommendations on there too, same as I was reading on here--soap, charcoal, lots of lot sunshine, etc. One recommended suspending a low watt light bulb in the case for days, not sure of the specifics now. Thanks goodness my cases did not smell that bad. Love my Featherweights, though. I am getting ready to put my Singer 401 up, use the 500 Rocketeer for a while, then switch to a Featherweight. I go back and forth between them because I love using all of them so much!

Joyce

Hi there. I found this link on an older thread about FW and the case smelling. Might help a bit.

http://sheila-gaquin.suite101.com/re...21-case-a45870

baking soda will draw the odors out.

Would you happen to have a picture of your new featherweight. I just love looking at vintage sewing machines.