The cleaning of a 1948 featherweight
#31
I loved reading your mom's story and looking at the pics. My FW is from 1948 too, but I have no idea of the history. I connect it with my mother too because she bought it for me as a present several years ago, and she was born in 1948. It's one of the machines I wouldn't ever want to part with. Let your mom know how much we've enjoyed her machine!
#32
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#33
Miriam - Thank you for sharing this article. I have owned FWs most of my life and never cease to be amazed by these little machines. My DH cleaned up a machine that had been through a hurricane and it works! Amazing. It was frozen when I got it. We painted it with car paint that turns from green to purple as the light hits it. I call it Purple Majesty. Singer really knew what they were doing with those little machines, didn't they?!
#34
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I mentioned the manual I printed out for mom in large print
http://www.singerco.com/accessories/instruction-manuals
Where they want a number it would be 221
You can print out the free manual or order mom was very happy with hers.
http://www.singerco.com/accessories/instruction-manuals
Where they want a number it would be 221
You can print out the free manual or order mom was very happy with hers.
#35
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Congrats on the great pics and description of the work you did. Your mother sounds like someone I would like to know (and the two of you, too.) This little FW sure took a licking and kept on ticking. With this kind of care, it's likely your granddaughters and great granddaughters will be using the same machine!
#36
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Miriam I loved this posting! My mom stopped sewing when I was in grammer school (so about 50+ years ago) and she didn't keep any of her older sewing machines. Pity. In the 1960s she started buying plastic throw away machines that only lasted a few years, and never kept any of those either. Anyway, I got my 1956 FW last year and spent some time cleaning it up, although it wasn't as dirty as your mom's. Mine also has a lot of battle scars, and some that look inflicted by a naughty child, as in bad words scratched into the paint! :-( I'll probably cover those up. Thanks for the post. It was so fun to read.
#38
Miriam, this was truly wonderful! I am still waiting for spring to tackle my mom's FW. She's a 1949. Love the pics and bookmarked it for future reference! I can't wait to clean mom's! I will take pictures all through it so I don't lose any parts. I flipped mom's machine over and the bottom didn't look anything like what you posted....then I took the circle deal off and that bottom plate thing...then it looked the same. Man...cleaning a FW for dummies!
#39
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HM maybe I didn't show enough details. Some wise person said to use tape to keep things (like screws) you take off together. I say don't take off much - clean it and put it back together ASAP. Then go do another section - put it all back, go do another section - keep it simple. We cleaned with non pumas goop - we were in the house at her good antique walnut table. Mom said there were things we took apart that she had never taken apart - Folks this machine has been run HARD since 1948 and it is still ticking - well, it could use a bobbin winder... BIL could stand to paint it... nah - I like the merit badges.
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01-05-2012 02:48 AM