CatD

My Elna Supermatic (aka Bob Goblin) has a serious noise issue. This machine is relatively new to me, and I used it for the first time this week to piece a Halloween quilt. (Because, you know... Goblins and Halloween, right? ) I eventually switched to another, though, because of the terrible racket it was making.

I have already replaced the friction wheel with help from the directions and rental tool from Ray White - I did this before ever using the machine, since you could actually feel the flat spot in the wheel when you turned the machine by hand. I *thought* I had oiled everything properly. Is there another cause any of you Elna fans could imagine?

Thanks in advance for any help!

DebbieJJ

I don't have any answers for you, but I just had a big laugh over your remark of Goblins and Halloween! Please show us your quilt when you can.......

CatD

Thanks! This machine got its name from my kids' favorite cartoon show, Wallykazam. There's a character named Bob Goblin, who loves things that are "soooo stinky." Well... this machine came to me very, very stinky! And it's goblin green. Perfect.

Anybody else name their machines? I also have Mustang Sally (highly chromed Morse), Betty (the vintage White), and Princess Peach (pink (?) Remington oxidized to a lovely peach color.)

Mickey2

I like my Elna Supermatic, I have the two tone beige-brown version. Mine was very noisy when I first got it. First round was all about cleaning and oiling, I sort of kept on cleaning and oiling for days. When I replaced the friction wheel it improved a lot (heaps of dust fell down when I lowered the motor). The noise isn't bad at all on slow to medium speed, but it gets louder on top speeds. Mine is very speedy, more so than my modern machines. I went for Finish Line Ceramic Wet lube (it has teflon), I like it, but there's a limit to what teflon can do. I oil every time I use it (which isn't everyday) I pay extra attention to the worm gear behind the Elnagraph, and I unscrew the top lid of the free arm regularly (not every time) to reach all the gears and hinges down there (I don't think I reach them properly from the two holes on top). You have taken the bobbin case appart? As mentioned, it's not very noisy on lower speeds, if it's worth to keep going over oil points everywhere, but for tops speeds it's louder. It's not unreasonably loud when I compare it to other machines, but it has a different sound. I quickly got used to it. I only use top speeds for some zigzagging jobs and a few of the cams. Another favorite of my is a Singer 201, it's in a table and the flat bed makes it very nice for some types of sewing.

Mickey2

I like my Elna Supermatic, I have the two tone beige-brown version. Mine was very noisy when I first got it. First round was all about cleaning and oiling, I sort of kept on cleaning and oiling for days. When I replaced the friction wheel it improved a lot (heaps of dust fell down when I lowered the motor). The noise isn't bad at all on slow to medium speed, but it gets louder on top speeds. Mine is very speedy, more so than my modern machines. I went for Finish Line Ceramic Wet lube (it has teflon), I like it, but there's a limit to what teflon can do. I oil every time I use it (which isn't everyday) I pay extra attention to the worm gear behind the Elnagraph, and I unscrew the top lid of the free arm regularly (not every time) to reach all the gears and hinges down there (I don't think I reach them properly from the two holes on top). You have taken the bobbin case appart? As mentioned, it's not very noisy on lower speeds, it's worth to keep going over oil points everywhere, but for tops speeds it's louder. It's not unreasonably loud when I compare it to other machines, but it has a different sound. I quickly got used to it. I only use top speeds for some zigzagging jobs and a few of the cams. Another favorite of my is a Singer 201, it's in a table and the flat bed makes it very nice for some types of sewing.

CatD

Hi, Mickey2, thanks for the input! !

"I oil every time I use it (which isn't everyday) I pay extra attention to the worm gear behind the Elnagraph."

I re-oiled this morning with the help of the manual, maybe got a couple of points I had missed before. Seemed to help somewhat. I saw that worm gear and considered putting some triflow grease on it - but didn't want to foul anything up! Would you recommend that, though?


"You have taken the bobbin case appart? As mentioned, it's not very noisy on lower speeds, it's worth to keep going over oil points everywhere, but for tops speeds it's louder."

Yes, that'd be exactly how mine runs. Low speeds it has a cute little puppy growl, high speeds it's full on junk yard dog - almost alarming. I have taken the bobbin out and cleaned, but have yet to try to clean behind the hook.

Mickey2

The manual lists the worm gear behind the Elnagraph as an oil point. The only down side to oiling is it needs application more frequently than grease, but since there are several oil points under the lid there anyway it it's not a bother. The noise shouldn't be alarming (well, anything compared to a 201 is noisy, but the Supermatic is twice as fast).

There is a youtube video on how to take out the bobbin case, that's the one I followed. The rest you sort of poke out with scewer or tooth pick, and oil. I took of the part with two screws on the end of the free arm when I did the initial cleaning. There's a few oil points that show a bit more clearly when everything is off. I don't think there's any point to take of the hook unless something is wrong. Since then I have fould more of info on an Elna Yahoogroup, I have lots of the right type bobbins now, and I am looking for a few of the cams, some of the patterns looks very usefull. I have my eye set on a

The Elnagraph turns when the machine stitches, it doesn't disconnect under any setting, and it adds a bit to the noise. I think some of the rumble comes from the hand wheel turning. Mine quieted down a bit after I oiled the axle and brass inners of the hand wheel, though the manual sais nothing about grease or oil there at all. I don't take the hand wheel often at all (for fixing the rubber pulley, I have an aluminium version of it with rubber O-rings. It's a while since I had it up and running, I use it regularly and it behaves very well.

QuiltnLady1

I used to have a Supra. It purred like a kitten with me doing all the maintence. I took it in for service once after 30 years and the service person did something to the Elnagraph and it started making a really bad noise. I oiled it and the noise would get a bit quieter, but it never really went away. I was told the Elnagraph needed to be replaced and in those days I could not find another machine to use for parts. I was very sad to let it go since it sewed everything I could get under the presser foot if I used the right needle -- the folks I bought it from new told me it could do this and it did -- even cardboard with a leather needle.

Mickey2

I just noticed my post got a bit warped for some reason. I was mentioning I had my eye set on a few extras like cams, an attachment with a cutting blade for edging, and just a simple overcast foot. I hope they will line up rigth with needle and feed dogs. If you are up for the job, there are details and help to be found on the Elna Yahoo group for picking appart the Elnagraph. I so hope it's not needed on mine, and to start with I would assume all it needs is oil and a bit of running in. I haven't looged in to Yahoo in ages, but one of the expert repair guys there compares the sound from the Supermatic to a blender, maybe similar, but my blender comes out as the noisier of the two. Once I had assured my self what's normal for a Supermatic to sound like I haven't had any complaints on it.

QuiltnLady1; I think some repair guys too easily dismiss the posibility for repair. I really can't say anything particular for your case of course, but there are only a few parts that tend to need replacment in the Supermatic versions of the Elnagraph. It's often about finding the right repair guy, and maybe tracking down replacement parts ourself.

CatD

Thanks SO much for the information!! Went back in yesterday, put a scant amount of grease on that worm gear, and on the shaft of the hand wheel. Might have helped a bit, but he's still pretty growl-y. But... his top speed is pretty impressive for all that. I hesitate to run him for long with that noise, but maybe it's normal for the machine? Have heard mention before that these guys do tend to run noisy.

I think my take away was: don't fear the lube. (Except on rubber or plastic bits, of course, but that's another issue.)