How To Maintain Your Sewing Machine, Tips
Sewing machines, like cars or any other mechanical, device require maintenance to keep it in good working order. All sliding and rotating parts
require lubrication or they will wear and seize up. A dry machine runs rough and sounds clunky
Every time the needle passes through the material a tiny hole is punched which causes a bit of fuzz to gather in that area, add dust and animal hair
and all this drags down the machine. If the sewing machine does seize up, it will require a complete disassembly and clean up, a very expensive
procedure. It may be too late for the motor; if it is worked too hard, a burn-out may result. If the machine appears to be working very hard, and
just doesn't have the speed it used too, then it is time to do the maintenance. If you have the maintenance manual, then follow the guide line. Use
a clear, odorless oil and have plenty of rags, to wipe up excess oil and clean off dirt and grime. Sewing machines need too be cleaned and oiled
about every 20 hours of use. Do not oil any plastic part.
Cleaning
Compressed air works great for blowing away dust and grime. You can buy cans of compressed air, but a better solution is to buy a small electric
compressor. Both Can. Tire and Wal-Mart have these for around ninety dollars and the compressor comes with an air blowing attachment devise,
They also work great for blowing the dust off the coils of refrigerators. And in the shop they are without equal.
Oiling
This next section is for you who don't have a repair manual for your sewing machine. These tips will cover all sewing machines. First UNPLUG the
power cord and remove the machine from cabinet, to work on. Place machine on an old towel. You will need a small screw driver and a pair of
tweezers (too remove thread and small bits of cloth). With a solution of Mr. Clean or comparable solution, wipe down the case with a DAMP rag.
Wrap the damp rag around the screw to get into tight areas and gently wipe them clean. Remove bottom panel, side panels and what ever panel is made to come off for maintenance. Remove the needle plate above the bobbin cage. Put all the screws into a dish or container, so they won't get lost. Notice each size and length of screw as you remove them. Use a small paint brush to dust out all the dust balls and pieces of thread, especially around the bobbin device. A make-up brush even works better. Use a vacuum cleaner where you are able.
Tool Tip
Remember left is loose, right is tighten. Choose a screw driver where the blade is as wide as the screw head and thick as the slot of the screw
head; this allows the greatest torque without stripping the head of the screw. If a screw is seized and you can't remove it, try putting a drop off oil near the base of the head, place the screwdriver blade into the slot of the screw and tap on top of the screwdriver with a hammer a few times; the vibration may cause the screw to loosen. When you attempt to remove the screw apply the greatest pressure on the head of the screw, not on the twist.
Next comes the oiling and re-assembly. Do not oil the tension discs, hand wheel release, belts, rubber rings or plastic parts on any machine, Work in one area at a time. To see which mechanical piece slides or revolves, turn the main crankcase slowly by hand. Put a couple of drops of oil on each
contacting, sliding, metal to metal, moving piece of machinery. Rotate the crankcase a couple of times by hand and then wipe off any excess oil. Do
this for all moving parts. The motor will also require a couple drops of oil on its shaft, on each end of the motor. 1-2 drops only, as over oiling the electric motor can ruin it. Do not get any oil on the drive belt. On most sewing machines, you will see two or three small holes across the top of the
machine; these will accept oil and guide the oil to the main crankshaft. Place two drops in each hole. Wait a few seconds to let the oil seep in, then
wipe away the excess oil. Clean any rubber driving ring or wheel with alcohol. Reassemble all the panels, place thread and bobbin into place, then
turn the crankshaft a couple of revolutions by hand, before plugging in the power cord. Take a piece of cloth and test sewing, this will also absorb
any excess oil that you may have missed. You can be proud of yourself, you not only saved your machine from damage; you saved yourself money
besides.
If you sew infrequently, run the machine for a few minutes every 2 to 3 months. This will keep the machine parts lubricated properly. As the machine sits, the oil drops to the lower points, due to gravity.
Thread Tension Adjustments
If the thread loops appear on the backside of the fabric, the tension is too loose; if the fabric puckers on the front side the tension is too tight.
High numbers on the needle tension mechanism increase the tension, low numbers decrease tension. To check the tension of the thread
Tension Checking Tip
To check the tension of the thread, use different colors of thread on the top and in the bobbin. A perfect stitch the thread will lock in the center of the material (midway between two layers of cloth)>
Bobbin Thread Tension Adjustments
Upper and lower thread tension must be balanced. At mid setting of the dial thread tension usually a setting of five, should be the same tension of the lower bobbin thread tension. You can adjust the bobbin thread tension with the tension adjusting screw on the bobbin assembly; this is done in very small increments. To adjust rotate the screw which is near the center of the spring, not the end screw. Or try this; place a full bobbin spool
into the bobbin case. Hold it suspended by the thread. The bobbin mechanism should drop two to four inches. If it drops farther than this, the thread is too loose. If it drops less than this, it is too tight. To adjust the tension turn the adjustment screw on the bobbin case in tiny increments
and retest. Turn clockwise to tighten and anti-clockwise to reduce tension.
Frequent Thread Breakage
Check needle for scratches, rust, burrs and rust. Check the metal plate below the needle; it may have scratches and rough spots from needle
strikes. File or sand away the rough spots, or replace the plate. Match the needle size, type and thread weight to the fabric you are using. The
needle usually causes the most problems, also check for a bent needle. A popping noise can be heard as the needle penetrates the fabric, if it is
dull. If the thread breaks repeatedly, it may indicate that the thread is too old. Use the same thread in the bobbin that you are sewing with for better results. A rule for installing needles is the flat side always faces away from the bobbin area.
Thread Bunching Up
If the thread is bunching up and making a mess, check that the bobbin inner thread doesn't have a short bit of thread reaching to the outer layer
that the sewing machine hook is trying to pick up along with the outer layer thread. When winding the bobbin watch for this, don't allow a the beginning end to rise up to the top of the winding thread.
The next think that can cause a problem is the slack removing spring, located just behind the thread tension device. Check to make sure it is threaded properly through the spring. Check to make sure that the spring device is not bent and moves up and down freely as the thread is fed to the needle.
Dust And Lint Tip
Most sewing machine problems can be traced to poor maintenance. Dust, lint, grit, and animal hair can find their way into your sewing machine and
cause all sorts of problems; cover it when not in use. You can purchase a ready-made plastic cover from stores that sell sewing machines, or just use some old material and make one.
Needle Tips
A good guide to changing the needle is every four hours of sewing time. In use the needle passes up and down tough the fabric thousands of times per minute, and this causes the needle to eventually become dull, which can cause skipped stitches, broken or looped threads, runs and pulls
in the fabric; dulled needles can even damage your machine. Get into the habit of removing and throwing away a dulled needle, so you don't accidentally reuse it again.
Match The Needle To The Material
If you match the needle to the material. your machine will sew more smoothly. Using the wrong needle causes the needle to force the thread through the material which can cause broken or sheared threads.
Fine materials; use a size 70/10 needle.
Drive Belt Tension
The belt tension between the hand wheel and the motor should be just tight enough to prevent slippage. Most belts can be adjusted by positioning
the motor. Slide the motor either back to tighten or forward to loosen, but keep the pulleys aligned to prevent vibration. Keep the pulleys and belt
dry. Do not put oil on either of these!
