Sewing machine repair schools ?
 

DH would really like to learn how to fix my many vintage sewing machines as well as do minor things on my good Bernina. He has tinkered around some but we are wondering if anyone knows of a repair school in the Midwest where he could take classes. I tried emailing one school in Missouri but got no reply. I think there is one in upper Indiana run by the Mennonites, we need electricity for our machines. It's just a hobby but I think a good school would help him a great deal.

For Vintage machines, the best school is reading online and taking them apart. Now, if you want to make a trip to South Dakota, my husband could spend a day showing him the basics.

now, if you want to learn New machines, there usually are seminars put on by the Mfg that you can take (usually not cheap) to learn the specifics of their machines.

Ray White has been doing this for years. I can't vouch for him because I've never taken his class, but I'd like to. It looks like he's scheduled to be in the Midwest in 2016.
http://www.whitesewingcenter.com/repairclass.php

Maybe others here can comment on the quality of his training.

x2 on Ray's classes. I got to sit in on one of his classes while waiting to pick up an OLD machine from him to do some parts fabrication. Really nice guy and a MASSIVE amount of knowledge.

x2 on what Cathy said as well.

Get a cheap old clunker (that you will not care about) and do a complete take apart and rebuild. you'll know plenty by the time you are done.

Also, when working on a machine, ask yourself "what does THIS do, how does/should it work?" Rather than just "does this work?" the difference is pretty amazing as to what you begin to understand.

I'm with Steve in that trades school classes are great, online is a wealth of (mostly) free information, but lessons from an experinced sewing machine guy is best.

I tried to find a sewing machine guy in my area years ago so I could at least fix the 'bobbon snot' issue I was having with my former plastic machine, but found most are quite busy and a little crumugiony so my requests for lessons where politely but off-handedly dismissed. With the good things our fellows here have said about him, if Ray White will be in your area soon go for it :)

the issue is what they get paid for...

Ray is paid to teach how
OSMG's are paid to do the repairs (teaching you would therefore NOT be in their own best interests)

+1 to Steve's comment. Often they'll collect the minimum service charge (at my local shop it's $85) for a thread jam, needle in backwards, throat plate improperly installed (301 or Featherweight) or other minor issue that takes no more than a few minutes to resolve. In fact, I imagine that makes up a significant chunk of their revenue.

Bernina does NOT allow anyone to tinker with their machines, they will void your warranty. So be careful.

What Steve said.

As to the minimum charge for a 15 minute repair, they have to get the machine out. Set it up. Diagnose the problem and then repair it. Then they have to make sure it's working correctly. In addition, the cost of repair has to cover their overhead, i.e. rent, salaries, utilities, bookkeeping, taxes and everything you pay when you run a business. You are also paying for their expertise and knowledge (which is valuable) I figure if it was so easy, I'd do it myself.

And I completely understand why they don't want to teach the customer. They need to make a living and I don't resent them for the lack of sharing. It could also have just been the repair guys in my area because several posts on the board have stated many technicians are willing to teach their customer's some basics. I understand how the American system works but I could not afford $85 every few months on a machine that wasn't heavily used.

On the other hand if I could have fixed the bobbin snot problem myself and only taken the machine in for a yearly tune up, I wouldn't have gotten into antique sewing machines which I can service myself and they'd be getting at least $85 a year for the tune ups.

Of course, then I wouldn't be here chatting with you fine people ;P

I tinkered with every machine I have ever owned for years including some industrial machines with the exception of plastic machines and even then most of the time it is a user problem. Then since I'm in Indianapolis where we have no basements and garbage rationing, and machines are readily available, I found derelect machines and made them work. Along the way I did take Ray White's classes. The beginner class was a nice review and the advanced class was kind of ADHD for me. He is knowledgeable. There will always be a lot more to learn - at least for me there is. There is a list of resources in the "sticky notes" you can learn a lot from that. If you are wanting to learn to work on high end plastic wonders you will have to go to the specific school to work on specific machines. It would be a good idea to work on something real basic before you attempt that though. I have learned a lot disassembling an old parts machine or two, too. It is fun to figure out what something does and how it does it. Then why doesn't work like I think it should. There are people here on QB all the time that attempt to fix something and get themselves in a fix. I think it helps to be somewhat mechanical thinker to begin with. Do a little home work or spend the time and money on the classes somewhere before you start something. A lot of time there is good info in the owners manual. A lot of the repairs I see are user errors. Know how to trouble shoot. Tammi has spent hours making videos and they are very well done - check them out. If it just a hobby it could be cheaper to pay to repair or replace the Bernina than to pay for classes.

Thanks everyone for the suggestions. DH loves to tinker and can get things working that others have thrown away. His greatest joy is buying a vacuum cleaner (or anything) that is messed up and fixing it to work better than new. I know Ray White is the guy I was trying to contact so I will work on that now for classes in the spring. He would just love learning from an expert. I have many machines that need tweaking and I guess I will have to give him one to work on (play with). I love the old machines but I am not mechanically inclined at all. Thanks for the help.

Good luck. If he does take the class from Ray, do you think you could have him give us his opinion here? It would be nice to hear from someone who's done it.

I like this thought! Even just a few insights on older White machines would be a delight!

http://www.whitesewingcenter.com/repairclass.php
You may not have yet gotten a reply from Ray, because he is on the road and/or teaching a class at his shop. He only does email when home and will not disrupt his class to take a cell call. As a matter of fact, cells generally do not work at his home/shop.
See his website comment on contacting him...bottom..

My husband and I have taken both Basic and Advanced Class. Roger had taken mini advanced classes as well, while I was visiting with a special collector and shopping. We hope to take advanced class again, as it is actually working on machines you bring as Ray circulates and, a needed, explains the problem and how to fix it.

Ray will be curtailing his travelling. He will teach in Shipshewana Indiana and at his shop in Belleville Missouri. Yes, the classes are expensive, but his knowledge AND friendship are invaluable.

Well, I guess I'm glad I'm a N(ew)SMG(al) - I try to teach people but many just don't want to know. Some will say so, some will just "check out" mentally when I try to show them how to avoid a repair bill in the future. I've actually watched their eyes go glassy! *sigh*

As I mentioned that in another recent thread, I'd just be thrilled if people would complete the maintenance that's detailed in the manual! Lint under the throat plate is one of the top reasons for a machine to go in for repairs, yet the last 2 people I talked to didn't think they'd ever taken their throat plates off to clean lint out. A periodic wipe down wouldn't hurt either. I'm choosing to believe that last one was chocolate smears...

As for my videos, I've made a few OSMGs mad with those...

Ew. Ew. Ew. Ew.

I hope it was chocolate too.

Well, I sure didn't lick it to find out! ;)

I'm always stunned by what people will leave on machines. A machine that's on warranty that comes in with dried coffee all over the bed. Uhh... you know if there's something shorted below there, that's not helping with the warranty claim, right?

Anything that I own that goes in for warranty or maintenance goes in immaculate. ;)

I had one out of the trash that was covered in leaves and smelled like some of it was dog poo... well at least I thought it was dog poo..... it was a 401G though...
You are so right... usually I see lint, broken needles, backward needles, tension that is maladjusted, sprung tension springs, dried up oil... etc. You do have to know what to look for though. And I have seen people's eyes glass over at the thought of sewing anything let alone maintaining...
I just repaired the bobbin area in an Elna - somebody put it together wrong. It sews beautifully now. Miss L sewed her first quilt for her baby sister's doll today on that Elna. I fear I have spoiled her for life. She was used to old Singers. That Elna can go so slow it seems like one stitch at a time. She was thrilled. What I wonder is why somebody took the bobbin area apart in the first place?
As some know, I take care of my parents these days. I taught Dad to use the blender so he can make his own smoothie when he gets up in the morning. We had success for the first month or so. Then yesterday he used the blender, made a smoothie, turned it to take it off the unit and the top came off but not the bottom... Yup a mess. He did it again today only I just watched him clean it up... I tried not to laugh or swear... He knew how to use it. He just had a user problem. He's ready to quit... Maybe that is how it goes with sewing machines. People learn how, get familiar, get comfortable and forget what they know to do? One little glitch and they are through.

Cat barf isn't much better. I can't even hope it's something else. I have no excuses why those machines haven't been cleaned up.

Cari

*shudder* That one would have stayed in the garbage almost regardless of model. The thing is that if people wanted to learn what I want to teach them, they would know what to look for, and the danger of leaving stuff (broken needles, lint, etc) in there and continuing to sew. I bet the bobbin case was either so linted up that it wouldn't sew anymore or they got something caught down there. Took it apart and then it didn't work anymore.

I think user problems happen at all stages of the learning and using process and for all reasons. It just depends on one's frustration level whether/when they quit. Those are education opportunities though when we see them. And lost opportunities when a tech just takes the machine to the back, turns the dial, sits there for a minute or two then brings it back out.


Oh! That's awful, I agree! One of the cats hairballed on my ironing board. I've steam cleaned it twice. DH said he can't smell it but I can smell pork based home made cat food still and I'm terrified of hitting that with my iron! Rebuilding it this weekend. I just have to remember not to use that side until then.

Keep it up and everyone will be in just the right mood for Thanksgiving dinner.

If my machines have any major problems I will take them to repair gal at the local sewing center. It would have to be real major because my 401 would have to be removed from the cabinet. I looked at a lot of videos on 401 maintenance and it works great. It was also owned by an interior designer who took very good care. It was her major tool for her work.

Although my mom took good care of her machine as far as storing it in the house and keeping the outside immaculately clean and unmarred, she didn't know a thing about maintenance. She once called me at work because her 301A was giving her problems. I did my basic machine-doesn't-stitch-right go to's. I asked her when she had last changed her needle, she couldn't remember. Okay, do that. She doesn't have another needle. Go get one. Then I asked when was the last time she cleaned under the throat plate. Again she couldn't remember. Okay, do that. Walked thru it and hung up. She called me that night to tell me that the machine was working so well now (of course it was. The poor thing was finally clean). Then she told me that under the throat plate there was a "little pad of felt stuff". OMG, I was amazed the poor machine worked at all. After that, I took it in for her and had it professionally cleaned and oiled. I have it now and it's a great little machine. Just needed a little TLC.

I had the same conversation with a client this week!
"Oh! You've been felting!" I told her.
"No, only quilting" she said (looking at me like I might be the wrong technician for her machine...), "This machine doesn't felt."
"Oh yes it does.", said I.
And then showed her. ;) The felt was so compacted it was lifting the throat plate so the dogs couldn't feed the fabric.

This has turned into a great thread. My first vintage (antique) machine got totally taken apart and put back together. I didn't know any better. I was hooked after that because the darn thing sewed when I got done. The only machine I haven't been able to fix is a brunswick treadle. The stitch length seems locked up.

No, a Bernina dealer won't "void the warranty." We get machines in that DH has tried to fix and just made it worse, quite often. We still fix them. You can't go to "Bernina University," unless you're a Bernina dealer or tech. But, you don't learn much from PowerPoint presentations, which is what most of it is. Ideally, you could become apprenticed to an OSMG. I've been doing it for 5 1/2 years, and still learn something new almost every day. The new computer machines are a different challenge than the vintage mechanical machines.

"Bobbin Snot," is a great term! Yes, that's the main thing that needs taken care of in the shop. If someone brings in a plastic Singer, we show them how to clean out their bobbin area, and send them on their way. If we find a simple thing like the needle in backwards, we send it back out without a charge. It's hard to charge someone $70 to clean out their bobbin area. So, you try to educate the customer. But there are some that won't learn -- they'd rather pay you to get your hands dirty.

I'd say about 75% need needle plates and hooks polished. And maybe about 30% have timing issues.

There are so many things that aren't in the service manuals. You've got to have a mind that can figure things out. Or an OSMG on the bench next to you.

Sewing machine repair in a shop is pretty fast paced. There's no time for lookey-loos.

I do go to quilt guilds and teach a hands-on sewing machine maintenance class. It's a lot of fun!

I have a number of old machines have been able to get most working. Would it still be possible to spend a day with your husband learning the basics of sewing machine maintenance and repair?
My wife Rose and I would be excited to make a trip. She is always ready to travel for quilting stuff.

Thanks Dave