In classes related to Featherweight maintenance, I can count on the fact that I am not going to get out the door without touching on the subject of how the owners can clean their machines. “Getting them to look like new in five minutes or less would be nice”.
There are degrees of cleaning and there are degrees of urgency for a “Saturday night bath” with your machine. It will take a little more than five minutes to get your machine back to “like-new” condition though. A rule of thumb I employ is that some things residing on your machine’s paint respond to soap and water and other deposits need a solvent of some sort. Start with the gentlest approach; soap and water. Nothing harsher than you would use on your face. Dry the machine and then spray a fine mist of WD-40 (as a mild solvent) over the entire exterior of the machine. Do not oil the machine using WD-40 (EVER!) but you can use WD-40 to clean the machines’ exterior while grinning. I used the word “solvent” but don’t substitute some other rude solvent instead of WD-40. (Alcohol, acetone, lacquer thinner and stuff like that are not to be used!) Leave the WD-40 on the machine for ten minutes and then vigorously rub the machine down with a soft terry-cloth rag. Let the machine dry for awhile and apply wax. You’ll know you might be a red-neck if WD-40 is considered a great after shave, like I do.
If you want more of a shine, we have some work to do. First, evaluate the condition of the paint on your machine. If the decals are worn there is something I would like to elaborate on. The paint finish on a black machine is in multiple layers. The base layer (the black) is baked enamel over the aluminum castings on our Featherweight. Enamel paint was sprayed on and the machine was put into what is basically a continuous conveyer belt pizza oven to bake the enamel finish hard. Then the decals were applied, although they were called “transfers” in 1933, and the machine went back to the paint booth to have a “clear coat” of shellac sprayed over everything. If your decals are showing wear the shellac over the decals was compromised first. This is why I recommend you use a wax containing Carnauba wax as it leaves a film over the decals that will protect them from additional wear if waxed every six months.
If you want to ramp things up a bit, use a “fine” (grade) polishing compound that can be found in automotive parts shops. I use a cream based polishing compound by Turtle-wax, but there are others. A rule of thumb thing is in order again. As you use polishing compound, if you cannot easily see the color of the compound while you rub, you are doing the work and not the compound. Begin with a three inch by three inch square of terry-cloth that is damp. The moisture keeps the terry-cloth from soaking up handfuls of polishing compound. With a cream type of compound, put a US quarter sized blob of compound on the base of the machine and lay your rag centered on it. Work in circles for a full two minutes in an area about 3 inches by 3 inches and then wipe the work area clean with a paper towel. Buff the area a while with the towel. Looking better? Does it need more of the same? A 3 X 3 work area must be worked in a firm circular motion for about five minutes (typically) to get a great a shine on. Move on to the next 3 X 3 area of the machine. The polishing compound does not remove scratches.
To polish the arm of a Featherweight I put a quarter sized puddle of compound on the base, again, and work on the arm from that surface. Dip in and polish. The polishing compound can be applied to the rag to use and Q-tips will clean out the oil holes.
If the decals on your black machine are compromised; rub vigorously up to the edge of the decals (in circles) but not over the decals. I find it easier to polish a machine with compromised decals on its base by reaching through and under the arm of the machine to the far side of the machine and rubbing parallel to the edge of the decals. When done polishing feel free to wax over the decals.
The white (pale celery) Featherweights are painted with baked enamel, but they do not sport a coat of clear shellac as there are no decals to protect. You can do fantastic things removing scuff marks and crud from a white (green) Featherweight using acetone, and I promise acetone will not damage the paint on the body of the white machine. EXCEPT it will instantly trash the black lettering on the lampshade and to the left of where the electrical cord enters the machine’s base. Work up to this lettering by making yourself a finger puppet from terry-cloth over a vinyl gloved finger to be used while working details with acetone. Again, do not wipe over the black lettering. Q-tips are your friend. Oh! The motor of the white (whatever) machine is painted with a different paint that does not like acetone either. That really does leave a lot that can be cleaned using acetone on your white (pale green) machine, especially the brown scum line at the bottom of the arm where it mates with the base.
OH, yeah. Put out your cigar and work in a well ventilated area when using acetone.
