1940 15-91 Full Restoration
#11
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Join Date: Mar 2018
Posts: 11
Today, I finished the glass beading of the casting and tonight I got some of the small parts in the vibrating polisher. I will post a picture tomorrow of the naked casting after it is thoroughly washed and given an alcohol rinse. I have some casting marks that need to be filled so I am going to get some filler to prep the surface before painting. I choose to not blast all of the linkages and shafts at this point. They will not be seen so I have them soaking in WD-40. I will give them a good scrub with a brass wire brush before reinstalling. Any visible parts will be polished with either a buffer or the dremel. I need to pick up some etching primer and masking tape.
#12
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Join Date: Sep 2015
Posts: 1,963
I keep the original finish when it's as nice as on yours. Dull and dirty shellac cleans and polishes up very nicely. There's plenty of very worn machine worthy of a full refinishing. You have to post a picture, your project makes me very interested :- )
The presser bar, needle bar, and the rods under the machine polish up like new by hand. With a product like Quick-Glo on a cloths, it's done in literally two minutes and machines cannot get it any better or quicker. I haven't tried it on the rougher castings yet, but I guess it works there too.
The presser bar, needle bar, and the rods under the machine polish up like new by hand. With a product like Quick-Glo on a cloths, it's done in literally two minutes and machines cannot get it any better or quicker. I haven't tried it on the rougher castings yet, but I guess it works there too.
#13
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Join Date: Feb 2018
Posts: 90
There is a great book out there on the Featherweight " The Featherweight 221 and I " by David McCallum.
It has a section that covers restoration including fixing dents and redoing the finish.
The procedure could probably be used on any machine.
This is one of the best and most complete books on the Featherweight.
It has a section that covers restoration including fixing dents and redoing the finish.
The procedure could probably be used on any machine.
This is one of the best and most complete books on the Featherweight.
#14
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Join Date: Mar 2018
Posts: 11
Fully blasted, washed and degreased. I am sure that I could have buffed and repaired the finish, but it was brittle and flaking. A new paint job will do it some good. It might not be as valuable but it will be functional. Also being fully apart, I can get a good clean and lube on all of the bushings and moving parts when it comes to re-assembly.
Today it is masking the areas that don't get painted.
Today it is masking the areas that don't get painted.
#15
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Join Date: Sep 2015
Posts: 1,963
It looks fine. If you do a very good job it will be just as valuable if not more. A rewired and top condition 15-91 or 201-2 is not that common. If you go for black paint and decals like the original there's always some who prefers that, and there are quite a bit of interst in alternative colors too. Very few of us do this for the machine value. After cleaning and fixiup a machine can often be sold at a higher price, but these machines are worth most to those who use it and appreciate it. At least they keep their value.
#16
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Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Walland TN
Posts: 390
I have a Pfaff 30 that had compete flaking of the paint on the head and a good amount on the bed. No way to salvage the paint job. Can you please describe what setup is needed to do a glass bed job on the casting?
#17
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Join Date: Mar 2018
Posts: 11
It looks fine. If you do a very good job it will be just as valuable if not more. A rewired and top condition 15-91 or 201-2 is not that common. If you go for black paint and decals like the original there's always some who prefers that, and there are quite a bit of interst in alternative colors too. Very few of us do this for the machine value. After cleaning and fixiup a machine can often be sold at a higher price, but these machines are worth most to those who use it and appreciate it. At least they keep their value.
I definitely plan to keep it and not sell it. I will most likely go black as the original, but white with black decals would be pretty wild to change it up. Maybe even some exotic car color with metal flake. I am also thinking about having stencils made for the decals and painting them on. I have a buddy that does vinyl decals. It would be much easier to airbrush than to work with those fragile decals and alignment.
To blast it I just used an off the shelf sandblasting box with fine glass beads. The finish is very tough and it took some time to cut through. I would advise to use the fine grit to keep the finish smooth. A brass wire wheel will do the same thing if you don't have access to a blasting setup.
Last edited by ngen33r; 03-22-2018 at 05:18 PM.
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