pam1966

Seriously, I can only tell you all because you will understand.

A little while ago there was a topic on here about oiling your machine- I think someone didn't know if they were supposed to. Long story short, I decided to look in my machine's manual to see if I had to oil mine. I had always assumed I didn't because I wasn't TOLD when I bought the machine. It's a Babylock Quest Plus.

Guess what? Oh yeah, it needs to be oiled in a little spot on the bobbin case about every 15 hours of use. I've had it since July of last year. Luckily I have some machine oil that came with my Bernina embroidery machine that I got in November.

My sewing "mantra" has been expanded from the basic "measure twice, cut once" to "read and understand your manual".

UglyCook

Oh dear, I have the same machine and had no idea either! Thanks for sharing.

cjomomma

I have had my brother for about 2 years and did not know I was suppose to oil it either. It was running fine so I didn't think about it. So I found my manual which was lost and found out it is suppose to be oiled every hour that I use it. Boy was I surprised it was still running.

JoanneS

I have to laugh, because you gals are NOT the only ones who don't read the manual from cover to cover. We are probably all guilty. It's not our FIRST sewing machine, so we take the lesson or lessons the dealer gives us, or we read what we need to know to get started, and from then on we only look up whatever we need to look up!

Thanks for the reminder!

brushandthimble

pam 1966, good point, I will double check my manuals. Thank you for bring this to our attention.

amma

Thank you for letting us know this... It wouldn't hurt if we all double checked our manuals :D:D:D

lab fairy

I think the maintenace section is the only section I've ever used in my manual.

BellaBoo

Every machine needs at least a drop of oil in the bobbin, even the drop in bobbins, they go at fast speeds to rewind.

littlehud

My Juki needs lots of oil. And I give it to her. I want this baby to last a long time.

fleurdelisquilts.com

My husband is a sewing machine mechanic who worked in the sewing industry for 25 years. Trust me, every machine needs to be cleaned and oiled on a regular basis. A one inch wide, soft, natural bristle paintbrush will do the trick of removing the dust and grime. Start at the top of the bar that holds the needle and work your way down into the area where the bobbin is. Dust every place where the brush will fit--be gentle. Now move the needle bar up and down slowly, oiling any parts that move that you can reach. Run the machine slowly then add a few drops of oil in the bobbin area. You're ready to go as soon as you sew off on a scrap. I like to use a light colored scrap so I can see the oil when I start and make sure all the extra has run out.

You should take it in to have it professionally cleaned and oiled about once every year or so. These guys get really deep into the machine, clean it, oil it, and time it. So, when you get it back, it will run like a dream. Ask your mechanic to show you the best way to clean and oil your particular machine.

One last thing.....listen to your machine. Really! Sew before you clean and oil it, listening to the sounds it makes. Sew again and really listen to how quietly it sews after you clean and oil. The fuzz and dust actually get into the parts and separates them in minute amounts: that's the sound it makes as the parts struggle to turn and work. The oil helps the parts to slide against each other so that they don't get sticky and mucky. Now anytime you hear the sounds, you know you need to clean and oil. BUT it's better not to wait that long...you're machine shouldn't have to cry for help before you give it a bit of attention. I clean and oil my machine EVERY day before leaving the quilt studio. The oil gets to seep into the parts overnight, and I get to begin every day with a machine that sews like a dream.

Yes, Richard does work on my machine, including a good cleaning and oiling yearly. But, I've learned a lot from him and do my part of keeping it clean and oiled, and I NEVER mess with the stuff I don't know. When others do, it aggravates him to no end!