Readers, I hope you're not disappointed but I will not be disrobing today. I will, however, be finishing my featherweight table, otherwise known as Miracle on 24th St.
Yesterday, with the encouragement and guidance of so many readers, I stripped off the old varnish with the aid of various grades of sandpaper -- no chemical strippers needed. I sanded and sanded and sanded and finally got that old finish off. And not just the finish: chunky paint splatters, pieces of mid century masking tape, and one rusty thumbtack. I don't know what this table was used for, but it was a lot more than sewing!
I even discovered the old Singer stamp:
Today the table is (almost) ready to be painted with multiple coats of Minwax water-based Polycrylic. I opted for the satin finish as I'm not a big fan of glossy furniture. I've decided to leave the table unstained (sides included), which looks more modern and less like something you'd use on poker night. I'm excited about finishing this!
Before:
After:
Big difference, no?
I realized as I was doing this that my Pfaff table could also use work (though I've been thinking about scrapping that machine -- space, you know) as well as my treadle table, but one thing at a time, right?
Since many of you were no doubt expecting some real stripping, here's Pepper Powell, aka, The Hot and Spicy Redhead. Cute outfit, Pepper!
Happy Thursday, everybody -- two more days till 2012!
Ready, Set, Strip! (...fifteen years of ballet for THIS?)
You tease! Had me all excited and stuff.
ReplyDeleteOops. I hit publish instead of preview. I meant to add that I can't wait to see the table when it's done.
ReplyDeleteIt looks good, Peter! I can't wait to see the finished result. ;) And you could always send the Pfaff to me... I'm a fan because they're workhorses! (Though, considering that we're about to start moving....)
ReplyDeleteThe table is looking gorgeous! yeah and for a millisecond when i read the blog post title you had me going LOL
ReplyDeleteGood sewing news over this side of the world too...i went and saw a 1948 Singer 201 treadle that was advertised locally today...i bought it. She's lovely and by the time i'd owned her for an hour i could keep a decent treadle rhythm going :) She's a one owner machine; needs a clean up but is lovely all the same.
Wow -- I thought the table was cool before you did anything to it. Now I'm nearly as excited as you are! It's liked you pulled Cinderella up out of the ashes, dusted her off and now you're transforming her into a princess for the ball... It also makes me think, if you stumbled on this table accidentally, without even looking, then how many other treasures must be sent to the landfills every single day? I get that one man's trash is another's treasure, but that's why we have venues like Craig's List and eBay. Every time something is rescued and repurposed like this, it's like an ecological fairy tale come true. :-)
ReplyDeleteLookin' good! Been back to the pile yet?
ReplyDeleteDid you sand off the stamp info? For history's sake I would think about penciling it onto the wrong side of the table.
Very impressive, especially how quickly it is happening! Last time any furniture refinishing happened in this household the breakfast table may have been sitting on the balcony in various stages of undress for, oh, all of last summer...
ReplyDeleteGood job. Multitalented you!
ReplyDeleteBut please don't use those kind of titles any more. Nearly didn't get through the censorship.... ;)
great job
ReplyDeleteSuch a big difference!!! If the original owners saw it now I bet they would have wished they had given it a second thought before dumping it!
ReplyDeletePeter, I just saw a Featherweight table sell for $355 on eBay. There were 47 bids on the table that started at $12.99. So you got an amazing deal to find yours the way you did. I am most impressed with your hard work. The one that sold on eBay had the wooden insert that your table appears to lack. Your table is going to be a prettier table when you are done with it, though. The one that sold had water stains on it.
ReplyDeleteThe table looks great-- good job!
ReplyDeleteThe table is fantastic! I'm impressed. If you rub beeswax over the top of the acrylic sealer with a very, very fine steel wool (from a french polisher) you get a really soft glowing finish that is durable and stain resistant. Shame about the red hot stripper, though. She can't even move very well. Imagine what she'd think of the strippers you see today.
ReplyDeleteHow many $2 bills would today's strippers garner if they recreated that routine?
ReplyDeleteOf course, if Dr. Lorna were to do a tribute dance with the original projected behind her - why, there's half of a new show right there!
The table looks like it'll be great when finished. I told you it wouldn't be to hard!
ReplyDeleteThat beautiful young stripper made me wish I'd done something like that when my body was young and in shape. She did so move well, Carol! I thought she looked like an Amazon!
Who knew, the best things in life ARE free! Table looks great. What a fantastic find, I am jealous.
ReplyDeleteIt's looking wonderful. Although I own several vintage Singers, they aren't console machines, and I didn't know about these tables. I'm trying to imagine sewing with so many square feet available to support and facilitate the process. Looks like heaven, in my imagination, at least. Can't wait to see the finished table!
ReplyDeleteThe Pfaff is a beauty but with a space issue I think the Featherwight and the new table would win out if I had to make the same decision. What you have now is basically the same set up an industrial: a large work area and a machine flush with the surface. It makes sewing so much easier.
ReplyDeleteHi Peter...
ReplyDeleteJust to let you know what you've found....I went in my favorite sewing/vacuum shop here (in No. California) to get my Kirby repaired, and what did I see for sale? A beautiful featherweight and your table! The featherweight was $350...and the table was $400!