Old 05-06-2011, 01:10 PM
  #15395  
miriam
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Join Date: Mar 2011
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Originally Posted by Miz Johnny
Don't worry about every 4 hours, but do oil your vintage machine frequently during periods of heavy us. Metal on metal is NOT a happy sound!

As for your modern machine, it depends on what it is. For instance, Vikings have a sealed system and are not meant to be oiled.


Originally Posted by mpeters1200
I think it's so much fun navigating the fun site with all the questions about the machine. At some point, I'll answer them all correctly and it'll tell me that I own a 66, in the meantime, I am getting a great education on the different parts of the different model machines.

A quick question about maintenance. It wasn't until the last year that I started oiling my regular machine. I took it in for her oil change every year and apart from brushing out gunk periodically, she sat without me having to do anything from maintenance to maintenance. I was telling one of my quilting buddies this once and I was in concern for her health as her face turned bright red and her eyeballs went all cockeyed. She absolutely insisted I was
"killing" my machine. Of course, my machine didn't have a name or gender then, she was just a machine. SO... she showed me the odd spot back behind the bobbin casing I needed to put one drop of oil every or every other bobbin change and brush frequently. Ok...I brush out the lint at every bobbin change, but I'm probably oiling at every 3rd or 4th. I'm still not noticing a big difference.

So...fast forward to the vintage machine. I have 2 full pages in my owners manual with 24 odd places of interest for oil. REALLY!?!?! I have to oil this every 4 hours? How am I supposed to keep track of the hours? So, I went to my singer guy and asked. He insists that she doesn't need anything except once a year. What do you all do?

I don't want to break or otherwise hurt the machine or her production by either oiling/cleaning too much or too little or in the wrong places. There's more arrows on my manual than Carter has liver pills. I just have no idea what I should be doing with her.

Any help is appreciated.
The manuals are suggesting oiling every 4 hours of 'sewing' time - that is a little hard to estimate. I just figure oil every few times I use it. OR if you can't remember the last time you oiled it maybe it is time... BUT make sure you oil with sewing machine oil. Other oils turn to gum when they get old. It can be very hard to clean up after a gummed up sewing machine.
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