klgreene

I just got a new to me Singer 99 1956 machine. I got a new belt, new bobbin rubber, and a spool pin. Other than needing these, she is a pretty baby. She does need a very good cleaning. So my question is, Is Singer Oil really any better than any other Oil for machines? I can take her apart and oil all 99 million places, but would it be better to take her to a service center? We don't have a Singer Service Center in our town, but do have one in the town I plan on moving to in about 2 months, so should I go ahead and clean her, or wait and take her to a service center. She sews great so there are no problems other than she's dirty and needs a little shot of oil everywhere. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.

SteveH

I'd say read and research here and do it yourself.

You save money AND learn way more about how your "baby" works!

barri1

I have two singer 99's, and both are great... I would definitely attempt to clean her.. She's not that complex, and very forgiving..

barny

I would do it myself. I do, do it myself. I oil every moving part, except gears, and if they are metal, they get lubricant. Try it. you'll like it.LOL

Rodney

Save your money, clean and oil it yourself. You can download a free manual if you don't have one from Singerco.com under the Resources button. It will show you all the oiling points. Your first cleaning can take a couple hours if it's really dirty and you're really thorough. After that routine cleaning and oiling only takes a few minutes. Read the sticky on cleaning these old machines and watch Muv's videos. It's well worth the time. Singer oil is good. So are other brands of sewing machine oil. A favorite here is a synthetic light oil called TriFlow. Most oils not made specifically for sewing machines are too heavy and will gum up your machine.
Congrats on your 99! I have a real weakness for them.
Rodney

Msjazzbo

I just received my birthday present a few weeks early. It is a Singer Vintage Sewing Machine Model 15-90. Even the wooden case is beautiful! I have tried to upload a photo but I am doing something wrong and it doesn't work.
Marilynn

purplefiend

I would do it myself, some sewing repair techs have no idea how to service our old machines. I got to see one such mess that someone had "fixed" a featherweight. I was at the Texas TOGA this month, several of us were very puzzled at his handiwork.

Sewnoma

99's are great little machines and pretty straightforward in design, I vote for doing it yourself, too. I'm not particularly experienced (yet!) but a gummed-up 99 was one of my very first sewing machine "repairs" and the feeling of accomplishment when she went from completely frozen to sewing like a champ was wonderful!

If you're worried about something you're taking apart, just have your camera nearby and take pictures as you take each piece off. That way you'll have a roadmap to putting it back together. And if you get stuck, this forum is super helpful. Lots of 99's in the world so probably at least half of us have one or two, if not more!

On recommendation of this board, I've started using Tri-Flow oil and grease and the machines seem to really love it. I can't say how it will hold up over a decade or so yet but I'll let you know when I get there. LOL

klgreene

Thank you everyone for your responses. Couldn't see to read your responses, had my eyes dilated. But I can see perfect now, and appreciate all your reply's. I do believe I will do it myself. I did download the manual so I know exactly where to give this baby a shot of oil. And When I do I plan on taking my time and really making her whirl.

NopahDesertRat

One of my first clean up was a 1928 99. So dirty, rusty and stuck I thought well I can't hurt it. So with triflow and sewing machine oil and a lot of work. He sews just fine. I call him Little Giant because despite being so small and pin scared neglected he still sews and has obviously done lots of work.
So go for it. The biggest problem I had with it was removing the bobbin holder, which was crammed full of felt like lint and dirt. The manual helped me a lot and so did this board. Thanks everyone.