Huge numbers of sewing machines have been manufactured over the years. The older vintage machines are virtually indestructible, indeed one highly skilled and experienced seamstress told me that she still uses a 1929 treadle machine as her daily workhorse.
Newer machines, especially the very cheap ones, have many more plastic parts and a much shorter life. Nevertheless, the life and effectiveness of any machine can be extended with simple maintenance, and my aim here is to show you how. For demonstration purposes in this Instructable I will use a vintage machine probably dating from the 1950's or 60's because it's easier to show the mechanism, however, all machines work in the same way.
If you can get hold of such a machine, so long as it's complete, you should be able to keep it running indefinitely and certainly much longer than a modern machine. You can find an expanded version of this Instructable, including a description of sewing machine principles and common problems and their solutions in the page on the Restart Project. Many spare parts, particularly for older machines, are readily available on eBay and probably elsewhere. The first thing to do is to remove all dust and fluff, wherever you can find it. Between the feed dogs is a favourite place for it to collect. Remove the needle, the foot and the needle plate to facilitate cleaning. The needle plate is a plate beneath the foot with cut-outs through which the feed dogs protrude, generally secured by one or two screws.
Where the dust and fluff has become matted you can pick it out with a pin or a needle, otherwise use a brush and/or a vacuum cleaner crevice tool. You can use a can of compressed air or simply blow but there is a risk you might just blow the fluff further into the mechanism. Look out for any pieces of broken needle which might have come to rest here and could jam the mechanism. Also, check for and remove any dust, fluff or pieces of broken thread where the thread passes between the discs of the upper tension adjuster, and at any other points in the threading path of the upper thread where it might have collected.
Good quality thread sheds less fluff than cheaper brands and so is advised. Replace the foot. Check the needle before refitting it. Run it between your fingers from the shank down to the tip. Any roughness can be carefully removed with fine emery, but it is better replaced if it has seen more than 6 - 8 hours' service.
Always replace a bent needle as it will cause nothing but trouble. In a vintage machine the bobbin is often accessed by sliding away a plate next to the needle plate, as shown in the first photo. In modern front loading machines a very similar mechanism is accessed from the front of the machine. In modern top loading machines the bobbin is dropped horizontally into a mechanism in front of the needle plate.
Toshiba E-studio 356 User Manual
Many very old (like pre-war) machines have a completely different bobbin fitting into a bullet-shaped shuttle which is thrown through a loop in the upper thread to make each stitch. On a vintage machine as shown, the mechanism is hinged on a wooden base and can be lowered into a horizontal position and rested on a pile of fat books for easy access to the underneath. The remaining photos were taken with it in this position. Remove the bobbin and bobbin case and remove the bobbin from its case. Blow out any dust. The bobbin case fits into a bobbin case holder which rotates as the machine operates.
It should be easily removed, for example by releasing a pair of clips on a retaining ring. The bobbin case holder has a sharp point known as the hook (shown in the last photo), designed to catch the upper thread so as to engage it with the lower thread and make a stitch. Run your finger over this and if it feels rough (probably due to needle strikes) then smooth off any burrs with fine emery. Take care to reassemble it correctly.
In the case of a second hand machine, make sure that all the bobbins that came with it (and any extra ones that you buy) are of the right sort. There are several types, superficially similar, and the wrong ones will cause problems if they work at all. This is easy on a vintage machine. The bottom mechanism is accessed by tipping it on its side as in the previous step, and the top mechanism can generally be accessed by removing a couple of screws retaining the top cover. On a modern plastic machine you will generally have to remove a number of screws, and you may then have to release a series of clips holding 2 halves of the plastic case together.
Probe the crack between them with a thin spatula or blunt scalpel or thin knife in order to determine where the clips are. Take care not to insert it too far or to damage the plastic. Angling the spatula so as to lift one side of the case whilst depressing the other should release a nearby clip.
Insert an old credit card, plastic prying tool, guitar plectrum or anything similar in the gap so created to prevent the clip re-engaging while you probe for the next one. Stubborn refusal of the case to come apart often means there's one more screw, possibly hidden under a label or a rubber foot. Having gained access to the top and bottom mechanisms, gently turn the hand wheel to see which bits move. Anything that moves needs oiling on its bearings, joints or sliding surfaces, except for nylon gears, wheels or cams - these are generally greased for life. Use only sewing machine oil. Never use bicycle oil, or motor oil, or grease, or olive oil, or Vaseline, or anything else. None of these are sewing machine friendly. Download nada dering sms hp blackberry.
Apply no more than a drop of oil to each bearing or connection. Wipe away any excess before it has a chance to drip. In the case of a vintage machine that has been out of use for a long time, the mechanism may be very stiff or have seized up completely. Oil it thoroughly (but wiping away any excess) and leave it for a while for the oil to penetrate.
Repeat as necessary until it operates smoothly. It's important to check the bobbin tension as you will get poor results and possibly broken or snagging thread if it's wrong.
Fit a bobbin of thread to the bobbin case and thread it under the tension spring. Suspend it by the thread. The tension is correct if it is just sufficient to support the weight of the bobbin and case. Shaking it gently should unwind just a little more thread.
Adjust with the screw in the tension spring. If you have any difficulty, make sure there isn't any fluff or pieces of broken thread under the tension spring. Examine the bobbin winder.
This often engages with the hand wheel by means of a wheel with a rubber tyre. If the tyre is worn or cracked or perished, replace it. Spares are generally easy to obtain. Try winding a bobbin. The thread tension should be sufficient to produce a neat and tight (but not excessively tight) pile. Badly wound bobbins can cause trouble.
(I don't have any pictures of a bobbin winder as it's missing on my machine. I wind my bobbins on a piece of dowel fitted to the chuck of an electric drill.). Before touching any of the electrics, double check that your machine isn't still plugged in.
Smooth operation of the foot pedal is essential otherwise it will be very hard to sew successfully. It may simply need lubricating. On older machines it will contain a rheostat, which is a variable resistance wired in series with the motor. Newer machines will more likely have an electronic speed control similar to a dimmer switch.
You will need to examine the foot pedal to determine how to disassemble it. Do not use sewing machine oil, but rather any light lubricating oil, or grease on sliding parts, and keep oil and grease away from all electrical contacts. Also, check the motor belt tension. You should be able to adjust it by loosening the screws or nuts on its bracket. If the motor is sparking excessively or doesn't appear to be working well, check out the page on the Restart Project wiki.
Replacing the brushes or cleaning the commutator might be necessary. If the motor bearings seem to need lubrication you should use grease specially intended for electric motors, preferably as recommended by the manufacturer.
A replacement bulb is easily fitted on older machines but may be wired-in and not so easily changed on newer ones. Consider replacing a filament bulb with a more modern LED equivalent, which will run much cooler. However, if the bulb needs to shine mainly downwards but the LEDs in a LED bulb appear to face sideways it may be less suitable. Take the old one with you to make sure you get a new one with the same sort of base. If you are getting unexplained broken threads, it could be that the timing needs adjustment. This is beyond what can be covered in an Instructable at this level and may be best left to a professional with the appropriate service manual, but it's not too difficult to see whether this is indeed the problem. You need to be able to see the needle and the hook at the point where the hook catches the top thread.
In the photo, I've turned my machine on its side so I can see the underneath, and I've removed the bobbin and and the plate which holds the bobbin carrier in place. I had to hold it to stop it dropping out as I turned the handwheel. With the needle threaded, turn the handwheel until the hook passes the needle, whilst holding the free end of the thread taught, but without pulling on it. The photo shows the thread having been securely caught after the handwheel has been turned a little further.
The tip of the hook should pass the needle just after it has reached its lowest point. Typically, the needle should have risen 3/16 of an inch (1/10 of an inch, or 2.5mm). At this point, the rising needle causes the thread to go slack and form a loop which is caught by the hook. Turning the handwheel still further, you should see the thread drawn around the bobbin (if you have it in place) so as to make a stitch.
If having come this far you've got the bug, and if the alternative is to scrap the machine, by all means search online for your make and model of machine with the key words 'timing adjustment' appended, and you should at least be able to see what is involved in adjusting the timing. You need to ensure both that the lowest point of the needle brings the eye to the right level beneath the hook, and also that the hook passes the needle after it has risen by the prescribed amount. These settings and how to adjust them should be given in the machine's service manual, if you can get hold of it. Not quite sure what this metal plate is. Is it part of the bobbin case, or the plate the foot presses down on? Could be that you haven't reassembled it quite right, or you have the needle incorrectly fitted.
Or you might have put the timing out. Try looking at a selection of YouTube videos about threading and adjusting the timing and you may be able to see what's wrong. If not, post a photo of it as the needle is on the point of striking the plate, and it may be clearer. A picture is worth 1,000 words! Hi, thanks for the great instruction! Very happy to stumble upon it, since I just bought the exact same machine as shown above (except mine is called Combi and more roundish, but the rest the same). Do you have any idea what the brand is?
Because I couldn't find anything on google. And that might help with finding an instruction manual on it. I'm currently servicing it and with your instructions do the rest as well. Things are going better (it was sewing very slowly on high speed) and after cleaning the lower bits it's running already much faster and smoother. And on top of the motor casing there was a plastic screw with a spring in it.
Do you have an idea if tightening this might have amped up the motor or something? I'm sorry, I've only just seen your question. No, I'm afraid I don't know what brand it is and I've never found anything online about my specific machine either.
Mine was rebranded by a sewing machine shop in the small town where I live. Is there a second plastic screw with a spring directly opposite it on the other side of the motor, both of them at the same end of the motor as the wires? These hold the carbon brushes in place which carry the electric current to the rotor.
They're not adjustments and should simply be tightened sufficiently not to work loose. The brushes eventually wear down and can be replaced, if you can find the exact same sort. Take a look at he page on the Restart Wiki. I think the more appropriate thing to have said about timing would be at least how to check and see if it's off, and if so, refer to service person or more in depth instruction. Checking it is simplicity itself as it's an industry standard applying to just about every machine ever made. When turning the machine by hand, when the needle reaches the bottom of its downward travel look for the hook to be engaging it when it has come back up 3/32 of an inch.
This is the magic place where the hook grabs the thread from the needle and throws it over the bobbin case. If you can't verify the timing is correct, there's very little point in servicing or otherwise tinkering with a machine.
Most newer machines have a breakaway arm on the mechanism that in the event of a jam, separates the upper from the lower ends of the machine to prevent damage. I worked as an industrial sewing machine mechanic almost 25 years ago and that's about all I remember. Great article, I just didn't feel it went far enough with explanation of the timing.
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. 8 Answers SOURCE: Bobbin Tension Adjustment: 1.
Do you have a genuine Bernina bobbin casing and not an Oriental copy? If yes, proceed as follows: 2. To set the bobbin tension, wind a genuine Bernina bobbin with Metrosene thread, type 1161 white thread as your 'gaging thread'. Load the bobbin case so that the bobbin turns CW. Attach the bobbin case to the hook body from the machine.
Wind a couple of revolutions of thread around your index finger with the assembled bobbin case and hook body dangling about 6' to 12' below your finger. Gently and rapidly move your finger back and forth in a 'sideways' motion about 1/4' to create a gentle vibration on the bobbin assembly. (Do not shake the bobbin assembly up and down). When the tension is right, the bobbin assembly should fall slowly and as you stop the movement, the assembly should stop.
The adjustment is found on the small screw, holding the flat tension spring against the bobbin case. If the tension is too tight, one must loosen the screw (past) the desired location and always make the adjustment by tightening to the correct position. There are other checks for tension imbalance and associated problems on the bobbin case that I won't go into here. For further information I can help you later on. Top Tension Adjustment: 1. The top tension rarely changes and can be depended on throughout the life of that machine providing that tension assembly is maintained occasionally.
This can be done by blowing out the tension disks with the presser bar lever in the up position. One can also drag or pull a piece of sized percale or muslin through the disks with the presser bar lever in a down position.
Perhaps both methods can be employed. Load the top of the machine with Metrosene 1161 thread in a dissimilar color. I prefer to use a pastel color so as not to create an optical illusion of imbalanced tension. Sew a satin stitch (.25 on the Nova 900) in sized cotton muslin with a thin piece of paper between two plys of fabric. The width should not exceed 4.5mm (standard width on the 900 Nova), however the newer machines have wider stitch widths so one must adjust as specified. The result will be a slight amount of top thread in symmetric lines on both the right and left sides of the satin stitch.
Typically, the top tension will not need adjusting. If the Nova 900 needs adjustment, please ask for additional help. Posted on Nov 28, 2008. 2 Answers SOURCE: If you go to this link, it shows for the 117.591 model, but it is threaded the same exact way as the 117.959, that will thread the machine and bobbin, I have used this to thread my machine which is the 117.959, and it sewed perfectly until I started messing with the tension, I still haven't figured that part out yet, but I will and when I do, I will let you know. You should be able to thread the bobbin correctly with the manual, if you are pulling the bobbin through the hole the needle is going down in, your bobbin is threaded correctly, if the problem is like mine, your not making stitches, the problem is with the tension. I hope I have helped and if not, sorry. Posted on Sep 24, 2009.
All Sergers are usually set up so that the 'normal' thread tension is 5 on all the dials, however you then adjust these slightly to achieve the stitch format you you want. Stitch length (dial on the side) is usually around 2.5. If your machine has differential feed, then start with this on zero. Overlocks are different to sewing machines, the stitch forms differently depending on the fabric weight and where the blade is cutting so you usually do a little test on scraps and finesse by adjusting the looper thread tensions so the stitch forms evenly on both sides. If its tunnelling, ie pulling the fabric in, then release the two loopers or move the blade to the left to trim closer, or do a little of both.
Mar 18, 2017. Could be threaded wrong. Could be tension too tight.
Could be a bad needle. Could be bad thread (avoid old thread or bargain bin thread). The fabric, needle, and thread may not be compatible, ie the thread is too large for the needle's eye, could be incorrect thread for the fabric, the fabric may be too coarse and is wearing the thread and causing it to break. There could be a burr or nick somewhere that is catching the thread. The thread could be hanging up somewhere in the thread path on the way from the spool to the needle causing it to break when it reaches the needle.
Jul 12, 2016. Factory standard tension for upper thread is the midway point between the high and low number. However, that tension dial is meant to be used for tweaking tension.
Generally, tweaking is required whenever the type of fabric, needle, or thread are changed, ie thicker fabric like denim should have a different upper tension setting than fine chiffon. To be successful with tension settings, one must become comfortable adjusting the upper tension. NOTE: Accurate tension is achieved when the upper thread and bobbin thread meet in the middle of the fabric. Jan 20, 2016. Adjust the bobbin tension tighter.
Finesse Sewing Machine Model 834
The tension you are trying for is to be equal to the top tension. The top tension should start at about four. When you are threading the top do it with the pressure foot up. As you are threading the top give little tugs to check for snags. When you thread the tension control make sure it goes through the tension disc. After you have threaded (except needle) lower the pressure foot. Give a tug to see if the thread will move without excessive resistance.
Thread the needle and try sewing. Feb 28, 2015. Well, you can try to set up your thread accurately followed this fig.bobbins se up of thread.the thread should be clockwise rotation coming out to bobbins casing,insert thread on slot to acquired bobbins tension.after setting up you insert your bobbins on shuttle casing.next set up your upper thread tension.on fig is just a sample. Follow the red thread set, try this on single straight sewing with dial stich set up to # 8 range to #17,Dial tension to # 3. Use cotton/polyester foe sample sewing.
Try on hand maual sewing first several time before applying foot pedal to avoid needle breakage, Mar 17, 2009.
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