ScubaK

How hard is it to clean up rust on an old feather weight.
There is some on the screws that hold the motor to the machine
Not severe rust. Not sure if it has rust inside.
Will be going back to look at it again and perhaps give a go to sew on.
All the finish/ decals look good.
Can someone give me some advice on what to look for to determine if it all can be cleaned up.
Thanks,
Kirsten

Candace

Most machines can be saved. However it' s up to you what the value of your time and efforts are. If it's a decent price with rust issues, the parts alone may be worth the purchase price. But, if you're going to have to spend 5-20 hours of work getting it to run properly and purchasing parts, then it may not be such a great plan.

SteveH

another point would be that if you ENJOY cleaning old rusty machines, and you take pride it showing something that you fixed, then go for it. if that has no appeal to you, then buy one someone else already did.

KenmoreRulesAll

From the description, the rust sounds very minor. Rusty screws can be replaced very easily (usually) or treated with an anti-oxidant. Evaporust is a great product and is inexpensive. So is apple cider vinegar.

Financially, Featherweights are almost always worth putting in the time/effort/materials to restore. They command high prices and are considered the non plus ultra by many sewers.

If a machine runs well despite a little surface rust, it's not an issue and I wouldn't let it deter you. (Sewing on the machine is a good idea, especially if you're planning to spend over $100 on any machine.) If the rust is more substantial and indicates the machine was stored in a moist and/or unheated environment, I'd be wary. No matter what it is, Featherweight or no, another will come your way that's in better condition unless it's exceedingly rare.

ArchaicArcane

No one here mentioned also:
The featherweight body is aluminum. It won't rust. At worst it will be small very replaceable screws, etc.