I know I have most of you fooled into thinking I am a writer. I really am not. I'm just an old guy who loves Featherweights. When I began writing my manual The Featherweight 221 and I, I just wanted to write what I would have loved to have in a book/manual like it, when I first lusted for a Featherweight; a book that went beyond telling me that I was looking at a sewing machine. As I learned about my Featherweight, I wrote, and it has been a wonderful experience, if for no other reason than I have met some of the most wonderful people.

There are things I am learning along the way though, both with Featherweights and writing. For example, don't use the word "it" unless it (oops!) is clear what "it" is.

One thing I stumbled upon that shouldn't have taken much thought, if I had thought for a moment, was that a paint color called "Lamp Black" by General Motors does not necessarily mean that they will call it (oops) that forever, or even a week longer just because I wrote a book. At the time I was writing my manual, I was talking about what I had in my hot little fist at the moment and never thought that the color would go away. (For you artists: I know pure black is not a color but the complete absence of color, which doesn't change the fact that you cannot go into a GM dealer and buy "Lamp Black" by color, or lack there of). How does a blog become so complex?

I got myself an email from someone who is touching up their black Featherweight, and she had walked into a GM dealer to get Lamp Black and walked out with egg on her face instead. Sorry, Mary. She did walk out with a tube of complete-absence-of-color touch-up paint that GM identifies as 1052807 Code 41 WA8555, which will work fine.

A person does not have to buy GM paint only, for that matter. Ford's complete-lack-of-color touch-up paint that looks just like Toyota's will do just fine. All you need to do is get basic BLACK and avoid name variants on the theme, such as, Mid-night-Shadows-on-the-Serengeti's-Rose-Sand-Dune-Lacking-Any-Color-Black.

I hope this helps those of you who are looking for paint to find it. (Oops again.)

Source: Dave's Blog