Originally Posted by kwendt
mpeters.... lol! love your post. The old, cast iron Singer type machines (and I believe all the other old vintage/antiques out there) do need oil and sometimes grease. Just in case someone hasn't mentioned the basics yet:
First off, if no one's yet told you... always use 'sewing machine oil' in the spots, holes, felts, etc. of your antique machines and only where the manual tells you to. Not all 'holes' are oil holes. Use some common sense too.... lol... it's unlikely that you're going to want to put oil into the motor! It will smoke up a storm!
Also, it's a good idea to put a drop where there are moving metal parts sliding on moving metal parts. You'll see those 'Carter liver pill' oil ports/arrows in the manual - notice that many times the oil points are underneath, and inside the side (behind the faceplate) and in the back underneath the metal plates. So get a screw driver and unscrew the plates and oil it in there too. That's why there are readily removable plates there... so users can access the inner workings to clean out fuzz and oil.
These old machines are not 'self-lubing' so to speak. But they're not really hard to take care of either. One drop and one drop only, in each oil spot... on a maintained machine is good. If you're refurbishing a machine or it's sat for 20 years... it'll need cleaning, and a lot of oil to get it to work. But it will work after you're done with it!
If you sew a lot, constantly, then you might need to oil it every 6 months or so. If you're an occasional sewer, then 1/year or so. After using the machine for a while, you get a 'feel' for when the machine is going to be 'thirsty'. Some people say they can 'hear' their machine metal parts starting to rub more, or that they can 'feel' it needing oil.
Some of the early electrified Singers (and potentially some of the similar, non-singer machines) also had 'grease tubes' for the early motors. The manual will show you where/if you have them. Use Tri-flow or Singer sewing machine grease/lub only. Do not use appliance grease, white lithium grease, automotive grease, etc. Many of those have additives that won't help your machine. If you have a specific question about all that, check with others on the site, like Billy, Glenn, or ???
And lastly.... if anyone else comes along and gives you more advice... go with them! <grin> I'm still new to antique machines, but have progressed a LONG way with the help of this board and this topic/thread.
Have fun with your machine, take a bit of reasonable care... and it will outlast you... and your children.
Actually, I'm scared to death about the grease stuff. I've read about it here and the sewing machine guy doesn't think she needs it. I don't quilt every day. I bought her for the large throat plate to accommodate larger quilts. It was after I bought her that I found out the 15-91's FMQ better. I might have to add to my collection, but it'll be a while. She weighs a ton, so I can't heft her to the table every time I want to piece. Since I'm not quilting a quilt every day, or every weekend for that matter, maybe once a year will be good. I'll end up taking her back to the classic singer guy I got her from. He has some beautiful machines.
Whenever I see a machine on here and want to see it sized up compared to other ones I just pop in his store and see if he has one. I did tell him to contact me if he comes across a 15-91.
I think I'm going to have to go up there, with the machine, and have him show me the places that I need to take apart to de-lint. He made sure to tell me the little piece of red lint near the bobbin isn't lint at all but the oil wick and not to try and remove it.
I wish I could figure out some of these attachments. I really think they are for clothes making more than anything else. I don't sew, but would like to make pillow cases and stuff like that. Perhaps those projects will give me a reason to play with some of the attachments she came with.