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Article: Restore Along Part 19: Getting Ready For The First Coat Of Primer!

Restore Along Part 19: Getting Ready For The First Coat Of Primer!

cosmetic

Welcome back to our Restore Along with Julia and Tulip! If you need a quick refresher, here's the link to last week's installment.

Previous Post: Restore Along Part 18: Time For Surgery

Julia wants Tulip to shine when the restoration is complete, so before she tackles painting Tulip, she is going to practice her painting technique on Jill, the machine gifted to her specifically for this purpose from a fellow Featherweight enthusiast.

Before Julia paints Jill, she must sand every surface of the machine that needs a new coat. Today's work is all about preparing for the task of sanding. It is precise work and will make for good practice in its own right.

First, Julia drops Jill's thread uptake lever down so it won't get in the way. To do this, she removes a screw and uses a silicone plug she borrows from Tech Support's shop. The plug fills the hole and deeps it clear of paint. Julia tapes and fills other gaps around the machine as well.

 

Singer Featherweight stripped down

 

Jill is missing a few parts. To be able to practice painting on a complete machine, Julia borrows the drip pan and pitted throat plate from yet another member of her collection. This machine is a 1953 partial Featherweight Julia has named "Q," having been a "ResQ" from eBay.

 

Singer Featherweight restoration

 

Along with several other parts, Q's previous owner parted out the motor, so Julia has installed a hand crank from The Featherweight Shop!

Next, Julia uses two screws from buttonhole feed dog cover plates to fill in the bed accessory holes. There is a little angled edge inside the holes with a Japanned finish that Julia will have to sand down, so these screws are the perfect fit to fill in and protect the rest of these holes during painting and sanding.

 

Singer Featherweight feed dog cover plates

Tape and plugs aren't enough to cover up some of Jill's parts. Areas like the tension area, the unpainted area where the presser foot bar handle rides, and the bushings on the ends of the machine that don't have a finish on them are too hard to mask off entirely with tape. Julia uses a paint masking pen and paint masking liquid to deal with these areas.

 

masking liquid for Featherweight

 

In addition to the pen and masking liquid, Julia gets creative to help finish covering and protecting Jill's unfinished surface. Q-Tips, cardboard, blue shop towels, paper, and toothpicks help Julia finish the job.

 

Underside of Featherweight prepped for paint

 

Preparing for paint

 

Jill is ready to be sanded.

 

Ready to sand a Singer Featherweight

 

Julia makes progress on sanding Jill's bed and the front below the bed before calling it a day.

 Next Post Here

Sanding the base of Singer Featherweight

 

Soon it will be time for that first coat of primer. See you next week!