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Resurrecting the old Singer 66

Remember the cast off and rusted out Singer 66 machine that my hubs salvaged from the trash last summer?

Rusty Singer 66
 
Well, I didn't quite finish resurrecting her last year - the temperatures started falling before I completed her new coat of paint. But - this past weekend the temperatures finally broke (Spring is here!), and I dug this project out of storage.
 
 
 
All the parts are painted a pretty cherry red, including the new hand-crank attachment that will transform this into a people-powered machine. She will travel with me to crafting and sewing events where there is no electricity!
 
Now for my favorite part, painting this lady with some new designs. Since my other Singer 66 has Red Eye decals, I'm thinking this will be my inspiration. I have everything I need to start painting, except maybe the time. You know how it goes, this is one of those projects where it is better to have a block of time where you won't be interrupted to work on - so as soon as I find some of that precious everyone-leave-me-alone time, you'll see some results!
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Christina said…
So gorgeous! And I love the idea of a hand crank machine, though a little confused about how easy it is to use and manipulate fabric at the same time.
April 2, 2013 at 1:26 AM
CrazyCatLady said…
Sweet machine! I'm curious as to what you use to paint the machine - also you must have to sand it down pretty good before painting too? Oh yeah, and cover up all the moving parts? Sure is worth it though :)
April 2, 2013 at 7:28 AM
Erika Mulvenna said…
Thanks Christina! It's not as hard as you would think to sew with a hand-crank, but of course simple projects are easier to control with one hand. This one will have a geared crank, so for every one turn of the crank the machine will make about three stitches. You can really get up some speed with this one!
April 2, 2013 at 8:17 AM
Erika Mulvenna said…
Hi CrazyCatLady! I'm not savvy enough to know how to totally disassemble the machine, so I just take off as much as I can, mask the other stuff (making sure to also protect all the little holes), and it usually works out pretty well. The last machine I customized was stripped completely down to bare metal, but on this one I just sanded enough to rough up the surface and remove the rust, and I gave it a really good base primer coat. I am using spray paint made for metal, and an auto clear top coat. Maybe one day I'll figure out how to completely strip the machine to really give it a good paint job!
April 2, 2013 at 8:22 AM
Missy Shay said…
What kind of paint do you use?
missysaprons@gmail.com
July 29, 2013 at 9:29 PM
Erika Mulvenna said…
Hey there Missy - I used spray paint made for use on metal, just the regular stuff that you can buy at the hardware stuff. After I was all finished with the paint I used a clear coat finish. Are you planning on painting a machine? I have to admit, it's pretty cool to have your own custom colored machine!
July 29, 2013 at 9:38 PM
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