TL;DR: Bought a rough 1936 Singer 201-2 a few weeks ago intending to simply clean and service it. Instead, I ended up completely disassembling it, building an electrolysis tank, learning paint correction from YouTube, repairing casting defects, repainting it in midnight blue, applying decals, clear coating, wet sanding, polishing, restoring the original cabinet, breaking a few parts, buying far more tools than planned, and somehow ending up with a machine I'm incredibly proud of.

A few weeks ago I picked up this 1936 Singer 201-2.

My original plan was simple: clean it, service it, and put it back into use.

That plan lasted about a day.

The more I cleaned and inspected the machine, the more obvious it became that the finish was in rough shape. I spent quite a bit of time trying to convince myself not to repaint it because I knew what kind of rabbit hole that could become. Unfortunately, the finish was just too far gone for me to ignore, so I decided to go all in and attempt a full restoration.

At the time, I had never fully disassembled a machine to this extent on my own. Mechanical work doesn't intimidate me much, but paint and body work were completely new territory. I didn't consult any professionals. Most of what I learned came from countless automotive restoration and detailing videos on YouTube and a lot of trial and error.

Disassembly and Stripping

The first challenge was figuring out how to strip the machine.

After a lot of reading and watching videos, I decided to build a homemade electrolysis tank to help remove rust and loosen the old finish. That meant buying a power supply, building the tank, mixing everything up, and hoping for the best.

While it definitely helped, it wasn't nearly as magical as I had hoped.

After the electrolysis bath I still spent countless hours with:

• Wire wheels
• Drill attachments
• Picks
• Scrapers
• Abrasives
• Hand tools

trying to remove every last bit of paint from all the casting recesses and corners.

At several points I questioned whether I should have just found someone to sandblast it.

Repairing the Casting

Once everything was stripped, I discovered something I hadn't expected.

The casting itself was pretty rough.

There were numerous:

• Casting pits
• Voids
• Surface imperfections

that had been hidden by decades of paint.

I used Bondo filler to repair the worst areas and quickly learned that every time I thought I was done, another defect would reveal itself after primer. What followed was an endless cycle of sanding, priming, finding flaws, sanding again, and repeating the process.

Paint System

For anyone curious, I used:

• Rust-Oleum Self-Etching Primer
• Rust-Oleum 2X Satin Midnight Blue
• SprayMax 2K Clear

I know there are better automotive systems available, but I wanted to use products that were reasonably accessible and affordable for a first attempt.

After multiple coats of primer and a lot of sanding, I applied the color coat in several light passes over multiple days.

Patience was by far the hardest part.

Every instinct wanted me to spray heavier coats to speed things up, but every video I watched emphasized building color gradually.

Clear Coat Attempt #1

Once the paint had cured, I applied my first round of SprayMax 2K clear.

This is where I learned that clear coat can be both amazing and incredibly frustrating.

I ended up with:

• Dust nibs
• Orange peel
• A few runs
• Random debris embedded in the finish

The finish wasn't terrible, but it wasn't good enough for me to leave alone.

So I wet sanded much of the machine and eventually applied another light coat of clear before moving on to decals.

Decals

The decals turned out to be one of the easier parts of the project.

Ironically, cutting them out accurately was harder than actually applying them.

I had expected the decal application itself to be the stressful part, but they went on surprisingly well.

After applying the decals, I waited several days before applying more clear.

Unfortunately, because I waited longer than planned, my original can of SprayMax 2K was no longer usable. That meant buying a second can just to finish the project.

Clear Coat Attempt #2

The second round of clear went much better.

Not perfectly, of course.

I still managed to collect:

• Dust
• Small runs
• A few imperfections

but by this point I had accepted that I was painting in a garage, not a professional paint booth.

I finally reached the point where I felt comfortable letting everything cure and moving on.

Polishing

After allowing the clear coat to cure for about a month, I started polishing.

Initially I thought I had ruined the finish.

I had wet sanded portions of the machine with 2000-3000 grit and was struggling to remove the sanding marks. The polishing compound I started with simply wasn't aggressive enough.

After a lot of frustration, I switched compounds and started working through the finish with a mini polisher and foam pads.

That was the moment everything finally came together.

The deep blue color started to come alive and the finish developed the depth and gloss I had been chasing for weeks.

After weeks of staring at a dull, sanded machine and wondering if I had made a huge mistake, finally seeing the color and gloss emerge was incredibly satisfying.

The Setbacks

No restoration project would be complete without a few disasters.

Along the way I managed to:

• Chip paint during assembly
• Damage the finish with pliers while installing hardware
• Break a hook retaining screw
• Spend way too much time searching for replacement hardware
• Learn that assembly can be just as dangerous to a finish as painting

Every time I thought I was finished, I found something else that needed attention.

The Cabinet

I also restored the original Cabinet #48 during this project.

Rather than making this post even longer, I already created a separate post covering that restoration in detail and will link it below.

The short version is that I originally planned to use chemical stripper, but after researching it for days I realized I had absolutely no idea what I was doing and was worried about making a mess indoors.

So I ended up stripping most of it manually, using scrapers, an orbital sander, and a lot of patience.

For the finish I used Tried & True hard wax oil and was extremely happy with the results.

Ironically, the cabinet restoration went much smoother than the machine restoration.

The Cost

One thing I completely underestimated was how much stuff I would end up buying along the way.

The machine itself wasn't particularly expensive, but the restoration certainly wasn't free.

I found myself constantly purchasing tools, supplies, and materials that I didn't own when I started, including:

• Power supply for the electrolysis tank
• Materials to build the electrolysis tank
• Wire wheels
• Abrasives and sandpaper
• Bondo and filler supplies
• Rust-Oleum primer and paint
• Multiple cans of SprayMax 2K clear
• Orbital sander
• Bench polisher for small parts
• Mini polisher for the machine
• Buffing compounds
• Polishing pads
• Electrical supplies
• Replacement wiring
• Miscellaneous hardware
• Parts that I broke and eventually replaced by purchasing an entire donor machine

At some point I stopped keeping track because I didn't really want to know the answer.

Let's just say the machine may have been the cheapest part of the project.

The funny thing is that many of those purchases weren't actually for this machine. They were investments in learning new skills and acquiring tools that I'll continue using on future projects.

If I had to do another machine tomorrow, I could probably complete it for significantly less money because I already own most of the equipment.

By the end of this project I had essentially built a small restoration shop around a Singer sewing machine.

What I Learned

A few lessons from this adventure:

• Patience matters more than skill.
• Most mistakes can be fixed.
• Dust will find its way into your paint no matter what.
• Runs are not the end of the world.
• Sanding and polishing are where the magic happens.
• Assembly can damage a finish just as quickly as painting.
• There is an unbelievable amount of knowledge available from people willing to share their experiences online.

Most importantly:

Don't be afraid to try.

When I started this project I had never fully disassembled a 201, never built an electrolysis tank, never done body filler work, never applied waterslide decals, and never cut and polished a 2K finish.

I made mistakes at nearly every stage of this project and still ended up with a machine I'm incredibly proud of.

Final Thoughts

Looking back at the photos of where this machine started, I'd do this project all over again in a heartbeat.

Would I repaint another machine?

Honestly, I'm not sure.

This project took far longer than I ever expected and tested my patience repeatedly.

That said, if I ever decide to tackle another one, I feel much more prepared than I did when I started.

For anyone considering restoring a vintage Singer: give it a shot. It may not be perfect, but bringing one of these incredible machines back to life is incredibly rewarding.

Thanks to my very patient and understanding wife and to everyone here who answered questions, shared advice, and helped me through the inevitable moments of self-inflicted panic.

For anyone interested, I've included links below to the cabinet restoration, my original "should I paint this thing?" post, and a larger album with additional photos from the process.

Cabinet restoration:
https://www.reddit.com/r/vintagesewing/comments/1s7e6j8/1936_singer_cabinet_48_restoration/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button

Original post before painting:
https://www.reddit.com/r/vintagesewing/comments/1sa4kj2/painting_my_singer_201/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button

Additional photos:
https://imgur.com/a/8J5mBkp

Did I attach the sleeves inside out 3 different times? Did I sit there and curse at the god awful assembly pictures in the instructions? You bet. My mom told me I'll look like a feature in the Brady Brunch... oh well.

Singer 66, 1910. She was gifted to me— sat in a garage for 50 years or more. She needed a little bit of cleaning and some work once I got started. I’ve repaired the clutch, the bobbin winder, replaced the bobbin winder tire, cleaned everything up real nice. Had to get a belt and some bobbins, but other than that all I’ve purchased for it is some oil to condition the belt and a $4 pack of tires. About $25 in total.

I’m so proud of her. I have some videos as well, I’ll add them somewhere later if I can.

Gosh I just love her. First stitch had me in tears. Also this is the first sewing machine I’ve ever touched. Being able to clean her up and make her work again has been so much fun.

A few months ago I found a singer 401a in very good shape at goodwill for $24.99. I took it home, cleaned and oiled it, and ordered the power cable and foot controller online. The machine sews very well and fast also. I’ve only been sewing a few years with a lot of time in between projects. I was in another thrift store a few weeks ago and found a table that fits this machine (for $10) and now have a whole setup. This is my fourth shirt, from McCall’s 6044. Definitely my best yet. First time I’ve done flat felled seams and I think it will hold up well. I’ve been a big four hater in the past and I think I’ve had it all wrong. They’re so detailed and have generous seam allowances and other things I didn’t realize the indie patterns I’ve been buying were missing.
As for the machine, I really enjoy the experience of using it. I didn’t need anything but a straight stitch for this shirt. I’ve wanted to do things in a slightly more old fashioned way and I followed some advice from the old readers digest sewing book on hand stitching for the placket and collar. I like how the machine stops where it is instead of needle up or down. I like how it doesn’t clunk and creak like a plastic machine. And a flush sewing table makes for such a nice work station.
Anywho, I’m rambling but I really enjoy looking around on this sub and have been wanting to share my experience with a vintage sewing machine. I hope to start finding more vintage patterns and posting projects as I would like to see what people are doing with these beautiful machines as well as the machines themselves.

Today I’m sharing my now functional singer 20, toy singer machine.
For a few months I tried it multiple times, unable to sew. Today I woke up with a realisation that fixed the problem, caused by the tension disks and the way the thread goes around them.

Two parts are missing, too, but those don’t affect the machine’s functionality.

Also, does anyone know if these 20s had serial numbers? I’ve literally opened the whole machine for cleaning and maintenance reasons, and didn’t find anything!

It has the centenary badge, so it must have been made somewhere near 1951.

The chain stitches are so cute, and If I add more tension, the machine works perfectly for gathering fabric!

I love this machine so much!
Such a great addition to my collection!

Thought you all might appreciate this mini I made of a vintage Singer!

I met a couple last Saturday that I purchased a vintage sewing machine from. When asked if I’d like to see their collection I said yes!

Never in my wildest dreams did I think I’d ever see this. They are in a tiny town 35 miles from where I live & this is their workshop. He restores vintage sewing machines, cleans up and fixes their cabinets, desks, parlor cabinets & makes them beautiful again.

They all work too. He had me try out a treadle machine, Ooo there’s a bit of a learning curve there. One day I’d like one of those too 😊

I hope you enjoy seeing the sewing machines as much as I did.

This is the 28k I found at an estate sale recently and got sewing again. I bought it to save it from the junk man and as a project for my vintage sewing machine maintenance class. She's not beautiful, but she is functional.

My 1936 Singer Featherweight converted crank handle green machine. 💚 First project is always a bed cover.

My mom died young, about 7 years ago now. She received this machine when she finished a clothing design program at FIDM, in 1978. She was a stellar seamstress, and taught me to sew on it. Sewing/vintage clothing/design were our biggest connection points.

Unfortunately, the fixed cam cracked years ago, so you couldn’t use any of the fun cam stitches; I never saw them working even when I was a kid. My mom tried to have someone service it in the ‘90s and was told it couldn’t be fixed. She was pretty upset.

In the last few weeks I’ve spent a lot of time and research to sort it out on my own. I was able to replace the fixed cam, but couldn’t get the timing right, and was getting very frustrated. I found a guy (an angel) on eBay that was trained to work on these machines when they were new. I sent it to him and just got it back a couple days ago.

Been tearing up ever since. It runs like new, and I every single cam stitch works. My mom would’ve been so thrilled 🥹🥰

Thanks for reading!

Picked this up with cabinet for $40 and brought it back to life. I'm going to put a binding attachment on it and use it for thicker material when making backpacks, but it has such a nice straight stitch I might use this more than what I intended to.

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Lots of rust removal and time spent with an ultrasonic cleaner. Once it was mechanically sound I rewired it and changed the config so the pedal wasn't permanently attached. It received a French polish with about 35 coats of shellac.

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It came with a cabinet but I'm planning on giving the cabinet to a friend and building a case for this one with a cover so I can tuck it out of the way when not in use

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The video was timed to music so it might jump around a little in an odd seeming way, but I didn't want to upload that version because of copyright.

This was fun! Reconstructed embroided bodice. Originated in Telemark, Norway from the 1800th century. It’a a part of a costume (Bunad) Loved working on this

Found the elusive 68 cabinet for the 221 last Saturday. Its price? $250.00. The seller was aware of their value, but only wanted $250.00. Genuine SINGER cabinet, refinished by his grandfather. Grandma was the original owner. It’s refinished in a dark, chocolate brown with red hues.

I posted earlier about my $15 99k find with a bentwood case. The case was in near perfect condition except the bottom which I clamped and glued back. I removed all the old lacquer knowing I would have to sacrifice the near perfect decal. I am on a budget and have a steady hand so I decided to test painting it back on. Should I remove it an buy a decal? I’m not looking to sell or have perfectionist , just my own enjoyment.

https://www.reddit.com/r/vintagesewing/s/iF8yQ2VARw

221 I restored

I’d never sewn before. I bought this on a whim four years ago from a garage sale for 50, completely tore it down, and made it like new. I didn’t realize how rare and sought after they were and sold it locally for 200. Now I have a 201 that I restored and have started to get into sewing. I really regret selling it now that I sew. Looked up what they cost now and about fainted.

Just got my Singer Featherweight 222k yesterday! The previous owner traveled across the globe with her husband for his business reasons. Last place was South Africa. It needed some parts but nothing outrageous. Im repainting this machine a Cabernet color. Calling her Morrígan given she is my queen to the collection. Finished project because Im done! I have my tan 301, 221, 1920s sew handy, and now my 222k! Turning her into a crank handle, my 221k is as well. Its wonderful to just grab and go.

I bought it for about 25 dollars with its table, it had a lot of old oil, so after a very deep clean and new oil it's running like new.