Monday, January 19, 2009

Between Sewing Machine Tune Ups

By David Trumble

How often do you change the oil in your car? Every three months whether it needs it or not? Every three thousand miles?

Your sewing machine is smaller than a car, and it tends to pretty much stay in the same place instead of rolling down the highway. Yet it requires much of the same kind of care you would give your luxury car.

How often does your sewing machine need an oil change? If you are an average user or if you only use the sewing machine occasionally, have it professionally serviced once a year. You may decide to do your own sewing machine service after completing a comprehensive sewing machine repair course. If you use your sewing machine more heavily, have it serviced more often. Instead of calling it an oil change we call it a standard or full service on a sewing machine.

Embroidery machines should be serviced at least once a year or every one million stitches.

Think about how you sew. Do you sew on linty fabrics or use linty threads? Do you clean out your bobbin area frequently? Remember, the more abuse a machine takes, the more often you will need to service it.

So how much does a standard sewing machine tune up cost? It depends on where you live. In some areas of the country you will pay as much as $150.00 for a standard tune up. In other areas you might find it as low as $79.95. The average across the United States is about $99.00 for non computerized sewing machines. If you need repair or parts, plan to pay even more. Over the years that gets expensive. If you need service two or three times a year the costs pile up.

What if you could save as much as $1,000 on your sewing machine even after you buy it? Over a ten or twelve year period, you will need at least a dozen sewing machine tune ups. If the average cost is only $99, you can save $1,000 by simply learning to do your own sewing machine services. It makes a great hobby too, or even a good part time business. All you have to do is learn to do your own sewing machine tune ups. Short of that, you need to at least be able to maintain your machine between tune up.

You might really enjoy a sewing machine repair course. However, there are some things you can do right now to reduce your service costs. By properly maintaining your machine between tune ups, you can enjoy longer periods between shop visits and much less frustration.

Step one: Change your needle frequently. Change it every other project or every three to four sewing hours. The cost of needle is minor. Dont you deserve to sew with a new needle and save the headaches?

Step two: Use only quality threads. Avoid linty cotton covered polyester threads, hand quilting threads, and old threads. Use long fiber or long staple 100% polyester, cotton, or silk threads.

Step three: Keep your sewing machine away from direct sunlight, high moisture area, highly variable temperatures, and dust. Keep your sewing machine clean, dry, and protected from extreme temperatures. Frequently clean the surfaces of the sewing machine with moist cloth only.

Fourth, clean out the bobbin area every two to three hours of sewing. Dirt, grit, lint, and grime collect inside the bobbin area creating potential for big problems. If you are sewing with linty threads or fabrics, clean out the bobbin area even more often. Keep it clean. Take out your bobbin and carrier as needed. Then you can use a vacuum cleaner with special attachments, a can of compressed air (do not tilt when using), or an air compressor remove the lint. Use a small brush to loosen any debris.

Fifth, before you put your bobbin and bobbin area back together, put one drop of pure clean sewing machine oil on the little groove the hook moves in. Remember, do just one drop every two to three sewing hours after you clean out the bobbin area. Reassemble the bobbin are and prepare to sew again.

Sixth, clean out the needle bar area. On some machines you will need to remove a cover or open a door. Frequently, threads will get wrapped around the levers in this area and cause problems. Using tweezers you can usually remove them without too much trouble. Like your bobbin area, you can blow it out and brush away any debris.

Step Seven: While the needle bar area is exposed, place one drop of pure clean sewing machine oil everywhere that metal parts touch. Rotate the hand wheel forward to spread the oil over the various parts.

Now with this seven step home service, you have protected your sewing machine, maintained it in peak condition, prolonged the life or your machine, and saved a bundle on repairs. Check out a good repair course to learn even more about sewing machine repair.

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