Care and Feeding of a Sewing machine

[scafleet]

Hand-sewing has its uses. I try to avoid them. The good news is that the older, cheaper machines are actually the better ones to buy. The bad news is: they do not take care of themselves. If you want to live well with your new best friend (or old best friend), here's some tips I've learned the hard way.....

1.) Service the machine. It's a lot cheaper to shell out $40 to a mechanic who specializes in machines then it is to pay the therapy bills after yards of failed projects.

2.) Oil the machine. Everyone likes a nice, oiled rub-down. Your machine asks for only a few drops in key areas. Your manual says where. The company you got the machine from has the manual. Sewing machine mechanics can show you, too.

3.) Thread: you get what you pay for. Buy the 1000 yards for $1 thread at Wally World, it'll break when you least want it to. Buy the expensive thread at Jo-Ann's, it will last till the end of time. Buy something in the middle of the range, it will behave as one expects thread to.

4.) Change your needle!!! Yes, needles break. Yes, they're pretty easy to replace. Try to do so after every three projects or so (after every project if you have a cheaper needle dealer then I do).

5.) Cover the machine when you're not using it, and store it someplace where it won't get frightened or hurt. If you're planning to deep-fry snickers bars while shooting corn liquor with 400 of your closest circus acrobat friends: put the machine where even you will forget about it. If it has a permanent home and you're not that interesting of a person: put a dust cover (or sheet from Goodwill) over it, to keep the motor running smoothly.

[Remki]

Great advice, Scafleet! I have an old machine myself (solid metal! Best kind there is, works great, and only $25 dollars at the Salvation Army) and I know from learning the hard way too just how much you have to be careful with your precious machine. Another tip:

6.) Use an small old paintbrush (a good clean one that doesn't shed, mind you) to clean out the collective dust near, next to, on top of, and in the bobbin area often. More often than you oil it! You can do this to the inside of the machine too, but always be cautious for shedding bristles (shredding bristles= bad bad bad!).

7.) If your machine tends to bounce as some lighter ones will, it would be a good idea to get some textured "sticky" fabric to put under it, like an old kids placemat made out of foamrubber. This can help reduce the amount of bouncing and/or how far it starts bouncing away from you. I had a machine that would bounce sometimes a foot from its original starting position, until I got me lovely solid metal one at the thrift store :D

[coconut_sowhat]

Thanks for these tips! my mom gave me her 30 something year old machine (and its still pretty much perfect). I love it with all my iddy widdy heart, but i had no idea how i was supposed to protect it from wear and my sister :rolleyes:.

[Spongeluv11]

Great advice! My mom's letting me use a sewing machine she bought from Sears in the 70's. I like it better than my two year old one.