ArchaicArcane

LOL! I see that look all the time! It seems to go either way - over oiled (oil dripping down the needlebar, etc) OR "What? I have to oil it?!!? Do I look like a mechanic?"

In defense of the "I don't need no stinkin' oil" camp - if the manuals were just better written....
"Your machine only needs a drop of oil at the hook" or "Your machine does not require oil" is very misleading.

Some "newer" machines are set up with a sort of oil permeated bushing in some spots but those fail, get "used up", etc. The other spots still require oil.There's still metal to metal contact that we need to reduce friction in.

What the instructions SHOULD say is: "Your machine requires regular service wherein the technician will (among other things) oil the areas that you can't see that still need friction reduction for longer life of your machine! In the interim, you don't need to oil it yourself"

I still take issue with the no oil thing in general though because it seems like the only time some people clean lint out is when they oil that hook.

Alternatively some people just wait until they take it in for service and the dust bunnies magically disappear... and they wonder why I always have lint floating around in my bangs and eyelashes that waves at them when I answer the door when they come pick their machine up...

miriam

Tammi - you said it well. It isn't rocket science to put a drop of oil on something that moves. It isn't that hard to clean out lint.

miriam

It must be about that time again.

jbj137

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Very cute tutorial.

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I'm done with my FW.

2 more to go.

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Tink's Mom

Does it count that I did it in my Juki this morning? Will do a couple of others tonight...

Caroline S

Yes, Miriam. It is that time again. It really irks me that the "modern" machines, like my Elna 7300, costs so dang much to be serviced. I think I am going to bite the bullet instead of spending $130 plus and self teach myself how to clean the Elna. It should not be that much different than taking the case off my PC to clean it. Or, the big question, IS it different?

miriam

Even the modern machines some times have manuals. Some times the manuals tell how to clean out the bobbin lint. I totally freaked out one of my friends the time I took her fancy new Bernina apart and cleaned impacted lint out of it - when I didn't get it back together right away she turned pale and nearly fainted until I studied it a minute - it wasn't all that hard - they all only go back one way and work. She was very happy after that. Your manual is your friend.

If it saves you that much money you might find a $50 - $150 vintage machine and do your straight sewing on one of them.

Caroline S

LOL, Miriam. At last count I have well over one hundred vintage machines. But I do use my Elna a lot. I guess it is on to a new sewing machine cleaning adventure.

barny

Oh, I so enjoy reading all of your adventures in cleaning and etc. Barny

ArchaicArcane

Wow. $130. I'm totally undercharging. The newer machines are more like taking the case off your laptop. Most PCs don't have cables to disconnect from panels before you can remove them completely, or circuit boards attached to external panels, etc. The last laptop I took apart required you to undo a cable, open it a little further, then disconnect another cable or 2, then open it a little further... some of the sewing machines are the same.

The newer machines are also a little more modular than the older ones. The Brother machines that I'm now "certified" on, for instance have 2 part "crank shafts" and optical shutters, etc. The whole hook / feed dog mechanism comes out as a module, then there are all the sensors and pulse motors.

If you're careful, and pay full attention to what you're doing, you will probably be fine. They're not so different when itcomes to the cleaning part. Make sure when you oil though that you don't get too enthusiastic, because oil is not good for the circuit boards or sensors.