Originally Posted by
margaret53
I have a Red Eye. My father bought it for me at an auction sale about 50 years ago. I learned to sew on it--dresses and Barbie clothes. It has always been inside but now the presser foot won't move up and down and the needle won't go up and down. It looks like it is bound up somewhere. Where would I find out what needs oiled, cleaned, etc? I sure would like to make a quilt with it. Thanks for any help you can give me.
First remove the needle plate and the slide plate. Remove the bobbin carrier if it's one that comes out easily. CLEAN all the lint and debris out of that area. Clean it sanitary then oil it good. Lint and debris in this area can and will jam a machine up tight.
Pull the face plate off and clean that area too. Then oil EVERYTHING. Lint, debris, thread wrapped around the moving parts, and old solidified oil will stop up the machine.
From there move to the right putting oil in every hole you see. Don't spare it, the machines froze up so it needs it.
As you are pouring the oil in keep trying to move the hand wheel.
When you get to the hand wheel, remove it. Take the tiny screw out of the big knob in the center of the wheel, then unscrew the knob and remove it. Make a reference mark where the screw was when the knob is tight, and once the knob is off memorize the position of the clutch washer.
Once the hand wheel is off, clean the shaft and inside of the wheel thoroughly. The oil in there will gum up.
Then oil it really good and put it back together.
Flip the machine back on it's hinges and clean everything you see. Especially the area around the bobbin drive.
Then oil everything that moves or looks like it should move.
That is how you do it.
Go to Singer and download an owners manual if you don't have one, and by all means use sewing machine oil only to lube it with. You can use kerosene to free it up if you want, but a good cleaning and oil bath should do it.
Joe