Maintain Your

Sewing Machine
A little TLC keeps equipment running smoothly for years
BY BERNIE TOBISCH

I
’ve learned over my years as a sewing machine repair
Front-loading bobbin system
technician that many sewers have a personal relationship
with their machine. Like the one they have with family or
friends, this one also requires care from time to time. In addi-
tion to routine professional maintenance, there are some easy
ways to care for your machine at home. With a small amount
of effort, you’ll reap rewards, with better results, less friction
(literally), and more happy years together.
Sewing machines, like people, have personalities. One model
may form a stitch in a slightly different way from another. This
means you may be dealing with quirks that are unique to your
machine. I am going to point out some of these individualities.
Machines can be categorized into two bobbin system types:
horizontal/drop-in or vertical, which is usually front-loading.
Both can then be subdivided into rotary and oscillating. In the Drop-in bobbin system
photos that follow, you should be able to identify your sewing
system, or one similar to it.
A key aspect of keeping your machine in good running order
is ensuring the bobbin area is lint-free and properly lubricated.
Most home sewers can take care of this basic maintenance
themselves, once they have become familiar with how their
machine works. I’ll show you how to access, clean, and oil dif-
ferent bobbin systems, and how to polish away burrs that may
break thread and cause uneven tension.
Knowing how to perform these simple tasks can improve your
sewing and your enjoyment in using your machine.

Bernie Tobisch is the author of You and Your Sewing Machine

(C&T Publishing, 2018), and has been a sewing machine techni- Whether your machine has a front-loading or drop-in bobbin system,
cian for more than 40 years. EasyPrecisionPiecing.com you can care for the mechanism with periodic thorough cleaning.

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 Access the bobbin area
To reach the bobbin and feed-dog areas below the presser foot, you need to
remove the needle plate and, on some machines, the bobbin case and hook.

e
NEEDLE PLATE
There are many needle plate designs; if yours isn’t shown, look at the user
manual for your machine. If your machine requires a screwdriver for removing
the needle plate, the tool should be included with the accessories. Once you
have removed the needle plate, it is easy to access the feed dogs, bobbin case,
and hook.

Gently pry up the front edge and lift to remove.

Screw

Remove the screw(s) and lift the plate.

Lower the feed dogs to prevent damaging the springs on the

bottom of the plate. Then lift the front edge and slide the
plate toward the back.

Press on the marked corner and lift. Pop the front edge up with a screwdriver.

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 BOBBIN CASE AND HOOK
Once the needle plate is off, remove the bobbin case. You’ll then remove the hook, if possible. The hook is the metal part that revolves
around the bobbin case. It picks the thread up from the back of the needle and pulls it over the top of the bobbin to interlock with the
bobbin thread, thus forming a stitch.

Drop-in bobbins Vertical oscillating-hook bobbins

With this system, you can take out the bobbin case for For these machines, first take out the bobbin case. Next,
cleaning, but you can’t remove the hook itself. remove the race cover, then extract the hook.

Remove the bobbin case by simply lifting it out.

Retainer

To access this oscillating hook, push the silver tab to the left.

In some drop-in bobbin machines, you must lift the retainer, then
remove the bobbin case.

Vertical floating hook

To remove a vertical floating hook, take out the screws that hold
the cover in place, then lift off the cover and remove the hook.

Remove screws.

Retaining levers

Shift the black levers to the side.

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 Clean, oil, and polish
There are three major irritants that can hinder a good relationship with your sewing machine: accumulated lint, friction between moving
parts, and rough spots along the thread’s path. Clear these away with regular cleaning, lubrication, and a bit of polishing.

REMOVE LINT
Lint can be harmful to your machine
and your sewn projects, in a number Feed dogs
of ways. The correct cleaning method
keeps your machine stitching properly.

Lint near the bobbin: The top thread

may pick up lint on its way around
the bobbin case to form a stitch. This Lint may
form a felt-
results in the little dark tufts you like buildup
sometimes see in the bobbin stitching. between the
If that tuft of lint has absorbed oil feed dogs.
and gets picked up by the top thread, Pick it out
with a fine
it releases the oil into your fabric,
screwdriver,
staining it. tweezers,
or other
Buildup between the feed dogs: Lint narrow tool.
can accumulate between the feed
dogs to the point where the fabric is no
longer fed evenly or at all. It prevents
the dogs from rising high enough
above the needle plate to effectively
Small vacuum tips
grab and transport the fabric. This
might show up as a variation in stitch
Look for small vacuum attach-
length or an unwillingness to stitch ments that afford better access
across intersecting seams. to the machine. Be sure to set
aside any loose parts such as
Correct removal method: The right way screws or springs.
to clean away lint is to gently brush it
out with the brush provided in your
accessory kit. A small, clean paintbrush
works well as an alternative. There are
small vacuum attachments available
that are also helpful.

Methods to avoid: Compressed air

pushes lint deeper into the machine,
where it gets stuck in gears and other
mechanisms. I have replaced many
gears damaged in this way. Cleaning
the hook area with pipe cleaners has
risks, as well. I caution you to be careful
not to poke into areas you can’t see.
Modern machines have springs in
the feed mechanism, as well as in the
automatic thread cutters. You can
easily dislodge these springs. I can tell
you from personal experience, that
it’s no fun finding and repositioning
them. You may not even know it has
happened until the machine has a
strange knock or the cutter no longer
works properly. The cleaned machine shows no traces of lint buildup.

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 REDUCE FRICTION
Friction between parts in the machine’s mechanisms can cause wear and, eventually, damage. Oil is your defense.

When to lubricate: How often and where you should oil the machine depends on a number of variables: the type of bobbin system, the
fabric and thread you use, and how many stitches have been sewn since the last oiling. Some machines have stitch counters that remind
you to add oil after a certain number of stitches.
I find that common sense, and your ears, are your best guide in determining when to apply oil. You can hear when the machine sounds
different, and you may pick up a little rattle in the bobbin area.
Drop-in bobbin machines with plastic bobbin cases require little lubrication in the area you have cleaned. Machines with metal bobbin
cases, whether drop-in or vertical, require regular oiling to prevent wear. Don’t ignore this step: The long life and functionality of your
machine depends on it.

The right oil: Some sewing machines require a specific oil type. This oil is usually supplied with the machine, and when you run out, it’s
important to replace it with the same kind. I recommend purchasing the correct oil from a dealer who sells your machine brand.

How to apply oil: Your machine’s manual tells you the key places to oil. Use only a drop, or the oil may transfer to your fabric. Immediately
after oiling, stitch on scrap fabric for a bit to get rid of any excess oil. There are many variations on where to oil. The examples shown give a
general idea of common oiling points.

OIL SYRINGE
Oil here.

Vertical rotary
hook: Oil the
spot where the Horizontal metal rotary hook
outer moving
portion of the
hook assembly
Oil here.
passes the
Oil here.
inner station-
ary basket.

Horizontal metal oscillating hook

OIL SYRINGE

Vertical oscil-
lating hook: Photos: Bernie Tobisch, courtesy of C&T Publishing.

Remove the
hook, then oil
the race or the
edge of the
hook. Once the
hook is back in
Oil here.
place, you can
Oil here.
access its edge
by removing
the needle Horizontal rotary, with plastic bobbin case: Some
plate and of these machines have a wick in the center of the
looking under hook. You’ll see it when you’ve removed the bobbin
the feed dogs. case. Don’t remove this, thinking it’s lint buildup.
The wick must be lubricated to prevent the hook
from eventually seizing.

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 BUFF AWAY BURRS
Rough spots on the sewing hook, bobbin case, or needle plate can occur when the needle has come in contact with one of these areas.
Needle deflection may be caused by pulling the fabric forward or holding it back when you’re stitching, or by the drag of heavy fabric.
Burrs lead to shredded and broken thread, loops on the back of the fabric, thread nests in the bobbin case, and uneven tension. You can
easily remove burrs with #400 wet and dry sandpaper. This grade polishes the rough area without scratching the component.
Nick
Sewing hook Bobbin case
Run your fingernail toward the tip on the angled side of the hook If a deflected needle makes contact
to find the burr, then polish with sandpaper. The images show with the bobbin case, it leaves a scratch
common configurations where burrs may occur. or even a hole. The upper thread can
catch on this irregular spot.
Polish here.
BOBBIN
CASE

Polish out minor

nicks, or replace if
too damaged.

Threads catch on rough spots.

Polish here.

Feel for rough spots, Needle plate

then polish in the The needle plate, as well as the presser foot, can have many
areas indicated. rough spots around the opening. These are more than just
cosmetic damage. They can catch the thread as it moves, causing
thread breakage and what appear to be tension problems. Polish
Polish here. the burrs and nicks carefully. If you can’t remove them with
sandpaper, it’s best to replace the needle plate.

Needle deflection
created a nick
on the needle
slot’s edge.
Polish along the
entire edge.

Nick

Polish here.

Fine sandpaper
removes the nicks
Photos: Bernie Tobisch, courtesy of C&T Publishing.

and other scratches.

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