Try changing the felt drip pad at the bottom of the FW's metal casing. It's there to absorb oil droplets. Supposedly the old oil on the felt pad can eventually become rancid. I don't know if that's true, but it'd cost so little to put in a new pad; you can order one for $5.95 from April1930s.com. Or just remove the metal plate from the bottom of your FW and use the existing felt pad for a template to cut a new drip pad.

The smelly glue has been said to come from the old horse glue used to construct the FW cases. Again, that's just what I've read; don't know from personal experience.

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From what I've read, the smell comes from the oil that drips from the machine onto the inside of the case. Be sure you have replaced the felt bottom that is on the underside of your Featherweight. You can order these. I washed the inside of my case very well with a household cleaner, then put charcoal in it and closed it for a couple of days. Then sat it outside for a couple of sunny days. Most of the odor went away.

I keep a bar of irish spring in mine all the time.

Thanks so much to all of you for your tips in making that musty odor go away! I appreciate your help! I plan to try all the tips. Right now I have soap chips and fabric softener sheets in the case with it closed. I will be trying the vanilla next and the charcoal tip. You all have been a great help!

Good morning~

Some great tips here, though must of the unpleasant smell in my case has dissipated now after several years. :)

I had not heard that rancid oil from the machine can be a cause. My understanding from the FW Yahoo Group is that it's usually the glue used to adhere the fabric lining to the walls of the case. In any event, I have GOT to remember charcoal for situations like this. Last time, I used a bunch of saved silicon packets and found a little relief with that.

~April

try foot odor control it works great just close box and let set and just leave it in change about every six moths it just takes a half at a time

My featherweight came with the worst musty smell you can imagine. I took a paper bag cut the top off filled it with charcoal, not the kind with lighter fluid in it, enough that I could stick it down inside the case between the machine and wall of the case ,stuck in two sheets of bounce dryer sheets and closed it up. The smell is almost gone. I have changed the charcoal and dryer sheets a couple of times but when not in use I just put the charcoal and dryer sheets back in an leave it until the next time I use my featherweight. My DDIL use this method when she had a musty smelling her basement so it was worth a try, I had already tried fabreeze, outside in the sunshine, washing with just about anything I could think of that wouldn't hurt the finish. Worked for me hope it works for you.

Some have suggested on other sites that the odor comes from the felt inside on the bottom being caused my the old oil.

One more thing that has worked to eliminate odors for me is to sprinkle dry (unused) coffee grounds in and close it up.

I thank it is the old grease that they used in the motor. I have three of those FW and ever case smelled when I got it and I put a bowl of coffee grounds, maybe 4 tablespoons each time in the closed case. Changed 2or3 times in 2 weeks and odor was gone. I new this because I had been on vacation one time and ref. went out smelled terible had it fixed under warranty and like to have not found anything to get rid of the odor but coffee grounds new out of can worked.