Mickey2

Model 15 takes oil only, every where, except for the electrical motor. The motor has two holes on each end, they take grease. The motor has a steel axle that holds some magnetic charging copper parts, and if oil reach them it will be a disaster. The fancy oils with teflon like Triflow (liquid in a bottle) are recommended by experts these days, they make the old machines run even a notch smoother. If you have Finish Line Ceramic Wet Lube it's nice too. Some lean towards the pure basic mineral oil like the original Singer oil, and it still does as god a job as ever.

SusieQOH

Thanks, Mickey2, I'm a little concerned about which to put in what. I did look it up on this part of the board last night. So I can get Triflow for the holes in that motor, right? Thanks for all your help. Dummies like me don't deserve these old beauties

SusieQOH

I just bought some Triflow from Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/TriFlow-Sewin...flow+lubricant

This is for the motor, correct?

Mickey2

The link doesn't load on my side of the web, but if it's in small bottle like this it's not for the motor, but the rest of the machine. These days the experts recommend either vaseline or this grease. It's especially made for the Featherweight enthusiast, but all the old Singer motors take the same type grease.

It's a bit risky, but you can take one (!!!) drop of oil down the grease ports of the motor, it will soften old dried up grease and reach the bearings of the motor axle. It's a small enough amount to stay at the ends of the axle. The best thing is to open the motor, clean it, check carbon brushes (they wear down), and grease the ends of the motor axle. The wicks might still be usable, but sometimes they need to be replaced to work properly.

SusieQOH

Darn, that's the one I bought. I wish they wouldn't call it lubricant. Maybe I'll just buy some Vaseline. Thanks for the heads up. I would have used the wrong thing on that motor.
I can still use what I bought so it's not a waste.

bkay

Those terms are left over from the old Singer days. That's why it's confusing and why those terms are still being used. In the Singer manual, it calls the grease a lubricant. The Singer "lubricant" came in a small tube and looked like vaseline. In the manual, Singer calls the oil an oil. It was a simple, well refined oil. There are many advances in lubricants of all types since the Singer 15 was made. Mine is 68 years old, but many are older than mine.

Tri-Flow is a relatively new product, compared to your sewing machine. It also wasn't made for sewing machines. It's for bicycles. Tri-flow calls their grease a grease (comes in a tube like toothpaste and has a texture like Vaseline) and their oil a lubricant. Their "lubricant" is an oil fortified with some other ingredients, including teflon, so it's really more than an oil.

One way to distinguish it is that a grease won't run. It stays where you put it. An oil will run.

bk

Mickey2

Bkay said it, but I can't resist adding that lubricant as a term includes both liquid and solid (to me at least, and more towards gooey or buttery). I think it did back then too; a general term for the stuff we use to lessen friction and make things run more smoothly. Oil is liquid in various ranges from lighter than water to very thick flowing like motor oil. Grease largely stays were you put it, and needs to be brushed, applied with a finger tip or similar.

Debates on specific oils and greases can get heated, some are very loyal to one brand, but for sewing machines there are very few alternatives to the basic sewing machine oil; they are all generally light oils with few strategically chosen addtives like teflon. Triflow is one of the best, and you will probably notice a slight improvent to the basic oil. You will not regret it.

Cari-in-Oly

One more thing to think about. If your motor has a tiny tube at each end that sticks up, then it takes grease(Vaseline, not a synthetic grease). If it just has a tiny pin head size hole at each end right above center then it takes a drop of oil in that hole. Here in the US it could be either one.

Cari

SusieQOH

Cari, it has 2 holes on either side of the motor.
Thank you all so much for your help

Farmhousesewer

Tri Flow grease is not recommended for motors, but is great on gears. As for oil, I use White Lily.