To oil or not to oil...... that is the question! :)

[wendy w.]

B580 gives a message when need to oil.
some times i put a drop of oil - when i feel/ear the sounds is different.

[Norma H.]

So does the B830, but my dealer said: don't wait for that or you will be a very unhappy sewer and I must say: My Rosie is a very thirsty lady

[E.M. T.]

Same orders given for my 820...every bobbin refill....

[E.M. T.]

My Viking says in the manual not to oil--it is all enclosed.
My Kenmore I oil, but I will say I bought my daughter a machine and had to take it immediately to the "dr" because it wouldn't work--they said it sat too long without being used and the oil had done something so it didn't work--run those machines ladies and gents.
The Bernina I use lets you know when to oil. You have to take out the bobbin and put a drop of oil there. I think Rob Appell needs to get on here and show us on some different machines, exactly where we need to oil.

[Susan B.]

I do need a little vacuum to supplement my wisking with a brush every bobbin change.
.

I got a set of those. They don't work worth a hoot. Pipe cleaners do for me.

[Nancy R.]

I have a couple of Bernina's and I oil and brush out the inside after every bobbin. (But if I'm switching bobbin threads a lot and am only doing a little sewing on each, I just oil every once in a while.) I use a make-up brush to brush out the lint. Since I've never used make-up, I had to get my sister to help me find where to get one of those! But now that I have it, it works really well for me.

Nancy

[Hannelore N.]

Bobbin race? What's a 'bobbin race'??...... Mmmmhhh..... let's see..... right! I get it....... Yes, that's the thingy that I oil quite regularly (after I have helped Keith's Mum to chase him around the kitchen table :P )

[Margo C.]

OK...my bad! I looked in the manual for my newest machine and was surprised that I couldn't find any photos of where to oil the machine! :shock:

I found this in the manual for my 20+ year old Bernina, and the part is called the HOOK RACE, not the bobbin race. ops:

So...the bobbin goes into the bobbin case; the bobbin case goes into the hook; the hook goes into the hook race; oil goes at the bottom of the HOOK RACE.
(I labeled with the red text and arrows)

Hope that makes it more clear for machines with this type of bobbin.

If you click on the photo twice you can see the detail better.

[Margo C.]

Thanks Margo--that is where I have been putting the oil.

[Hannelore N.]

I must have been trained by Keith's Mum. I just oil everything that's metal and looks like it might move. Thanks for the picture, Margo. This technical stuff is almost as bad a free motion quilting.

[Hannelore N.]

I oil and brush out machines pretty regularly. I use a large gauge (sp?) syringe needle to do the oiling. Very cheap at the pharmacy. I have one machine that the manual said not to oil. It started clunking. No place around here to get it serviced so I took a deep breath and started taking out screws. Discovery: I shouldn't be takin' stuff apart. :? I got it back together and out of a gozillion screws only had one left over. It still sews, but still clunks. Gotta find someplace to have it checked!

[Hannelore N.]

Haven't ever oiled mine....my dealer didn't mention yes or no, and oil wasn't one of the add-ons he suggested, so maybe mine is no-oil machine (it is a Janome). I do use the little brush and de-fluff the bobbin area and the area where the thread thingy is (ummm, you know, the bit that raises and lowers as the needle raises and lowers???); my machine is open on the side up there, so I defluff that area often. Not every bobbin change, but before & after I start quilting each new thing, or more often as needed.

I'm going to ask the dealer though when I'm there in August. I do change needles whenever I switch from piecing to quilting and back to piecing. You guys taught me that, and it works well

Also figured out -- I had better make a cover for my machine, ASAP, or quit setting it on the floor where dog hair can get into it. Eek!!!! Had a major "de-fluff" session yesterday......think it's all clear now. Oops.

[Kathryn S.]

Heather, does yours have a little wick thingy underneath the bobbin case? the first time I saw that I thought it was lint but it is an actual wick meant to be an oil reservoir. That's where I put the drop of oil. If it doesn't have the wick, then I don't know if it should be oiled.

My Janome dealer is very good and his tech is also very good. If you tell me which Janome you have, I can ask him if and where to oil, and let you know!

Kathy

[Kathryn S.]

Heather, does yours have a little wick thingy underneath the bobbin case? the first time I saw that I thought it was lint but it is an actual wick meant to be an oil reservoir. That's where I put the drop of oil. If it doesn't have the wick, then I don't know if it should be oiled.

My Janome dealer is very good and his tech is also very good. If you tell me which Janome you have, I can ask him if and where to oil, and let you know!

Kathy

thanks, Kathy!

I have never seen any kind of wick down there; mine has a top/drop-in bobbin, not a front/side load bobbin, if that matters. It's the Janome Magnolia (7318 I think). My dealer when I bought it didn't mention anything, so I think it's not needed....I'll be there in the next month or so, though, and can ask.

[Kathryn S.]

Okay, for me I have a Husky qulter. Never oil it because it gets taken care of when I send her in to the spa about once a year. I also have an ABM Innova long arm. I don't have to oil her ever since i got the pro tension disc. Now the only oil I use is when I change the hopping foot. before I had to add oil to the pad with the tension disc every so often. I absolutely love my Roxy and she loves me.