Yeah, the grease thing confuses me too. Ask 10 people, you'll get 12 answers. Now here's something I can throw into the pot. Most of my Brother machines have a gear inside close to the hand wheel. Since they're metal gears you'd think they need greased, right? Nope. One of the oil holes on the top of the machine is directly over that gear. I can't see putting grease on it when it's just gonna get washed away if you oil it according to the manual. The only place these machines are supposed to be greased is the gear box with the hook drive gear.

Cari

If you have a manual always defer to it for maintenance instructions. If it contains any.
Our Bernina 930 Record owners manual has no maintenance instructions at all. I do have a lubrication manual though and will defer to that when next I take the top off. However right now I disremember what it says about greasing the gears and I can't find it.

Joe

Most disappointing to me are the beautiful machines with plastic/nylon innards. Here are two of mine:

[ATTACH=CONFIG]489315[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]489316[/ATTACH]

The Kennie is a Gritzner-Kayser from Germany and has a plastic cam stack for your sewing and repairing pleasure. (Actually, once the stack is cracked, the machine is toast.) The Belvedere-Adler is Japanese and has a nice, big ol' fat plastic gear controlling the stitch width. I've read that such gears should be greased but never oiled with acidic oils as they will break down the plastic surface.

I found this in a recently purchased cabinet:

[ATTACH=CONFIG]489317[/ATTACH]

Well, shoot! I didn't know the Lady Kenmore had a plastic cam stack. It's on my wish list and I've wanted one for a while. Now I'll have to rethink that. A nylon gear is one thing, but a camstack is another. Like you said, it's toast if the camstack goes:< If you have a minute, I'd love to see a photo of that camstack.

Here's a shot of the stack (perpendicular to the front of the machine):

[ATTACH=CONFIG]489332[/ATTACH]

I like the horizontal 'music box' orientation of the stack and there doesn't seem to be a problem with it but the machine needs a thorough rebuild, something I've not had time to do.

I wonder if each stitch is a separate disc. It looks like it ? The cracked stacks I've had issues with have been one piece, large, molded plastic tubes.

Yes, each stitch is a separate disc. The discs can crack individually or together.

[QUOTE=KenmoreRulesAll;6862403]Most disappointing to me are the beautiful machines with plastic/nylon innards.


In some cases I've read that people have repaired their plastic/nylon gears/camstacks with super glue. This is an area that I foresee in the future someone will start making replacements with a 3D printer. It's already been discussed at some length on the vintage Necchi Yahoo group as there are two Necchis that are infamous for a plastic part. The Lydias camstack and the Supernovas worm gear.

Cari

If it were a machine I really enjoyed using, I would do anything to repair it (replacement parts, super glue, duct tape, etc.). To make vintage parts with 3D would be extremely helpful. I have a BF Supernova and I'm going to take a look for its worm gear. Hope for the best!

The BF won't have the plastic gear since it's a straight stitch machine. It's for stitch width I believe. Could be wrong. But in any case it's just some of the zigzag BU Supernovas.

Cari