Sewing machine maintenance

[stevebo]

I have a question, I bought a new sewing machine about a year ago. (a babylock design pro----great machine for 195 dollers!) I ve used it alot, and now my wife wants to get into sewing. (purses, not hammocks!) I have oiled the machine a couple of times, but it probably needs a good cleaning and servicing. Heres my question, it costs 80 dollers to have the machine serviced by the dealer. Am i wasting my money, or is this a good idea? It works great, but is making a few strange noises when I sew heavy material. Do you guys get your machines serviced every year? Just wondering............................

[Ramblinrev]

Personally I do not think it is a waste of money unless you are competent and capable of doing the work on you own. I would liken it to a full preventative maintenance service on your car. Would you pay a garage mechanic to go over your car with a fine tooth comb? If yes, then I would say you would be well served to do the same with your machine. I assume the babylock is a four thread serger. These are fairly complicated machines even if it is only a three thread. I would encourage you to spend the money if you value the machine.

[gargoyle]

Pull it apart yourself and clean all the fluffies out of it, a pipe cleaner works great to get in behind all the tight spaces. walmart has a couple different brushes, but a pack of pipe cleaners.....= cheap. If its still sewing straight its good to go. Clunking sounds usually mean a bent needle. Replace it anyway if its been on the machine awhile, they get dull and cause all kinds of havoc. Heavier material requires a different needle, ball point, I just picked some up last week and man, what a difference. They sell 'em at any sewing center and at wally's. Sewing centers are a major rip-off, most of the maintainence you can do yourself. Its pretty straightforward stuff. There are a couple of good books out there that explain how and why the machines run.http://sewmachinerepair.com/ Scroll way down towards the bottom.

For the little money you'll spend on one of these books, you'll be way ahead vs. one trip to the sewing center.

A couple of things that make life alot easier.
1. Good thread, theres a reason its on sale, its junk, and it will clog snag and break, pay a little more, you'll be glad you did. If it looks all fuzzy then thats going to build up inside your machine.
2. Good needles. get the right needle for what you are sewing. There are several different styles and sizes. Look at your owners manual to see which size or style it takes. Most machines are universal. But there is an exception to every rule. And the needles go in just one certain way, check your manual on installation.
3. Take your time...being in a hurry will frustrate you and the machine.
4. ALWAYS, ALWAYS. STOP YOUR MACHINE AT THE TOP. The timing can get screwed up. That litlle arm that jumps up and down should be at the top when you stop. It rhymes, so its easy to remember. Turn it by hand if its down, the needle will follow and go up to, thus releasing the material.
5. Make adjustment to stitches, i.e. zig-zag, straight, in the up needle position. This allows the machine to adjust the next time it strokes.
6. Rotate the machine by hand always from the top down towards you. They like to work in one direction, just like your car motor.

If you want to get a different machine, e-bay and craigslist are the way to go. Most machines are the same internally, and with a little research, you can fix it yourself. I did and saved me a trip to the the fix-it store and a bunch o' $$$.

[Ramblinrev]

If the babylock is a serger it's a whole different beastie.

obviously a difference of opinion here.

I stand corrected.... it is not a serger...
sorry avbout the assumption. You know what they say.

Major concern with a machine that new is the use of computerized circuitry. That can be a problem for self repair.

[Ramblinrev]

I stand corrected... it is not a serger.... I apologize for the assumption. You know what they say....

Be very aware of any electronics in the machine. They can be very difficult to work on.

[gargoyle]

I second that ,ramblinrev, if its one of them thar new fangled computerized, thready, thing-a-ma-bobs, you might be better going professional with it. dern techno things scare me.

[Ramblinrev]

the biggest concern that I have in looking at the picture is it has something like 24 built in stitches including a one touch button hole. But no real mechanical means on controlling the stitches. That screams electronics to me. Before I tore it apart myself I'd rather have a mechanic look at it and then give me some tips on what I can and can not do/ should and should not do. The maintenance guides that come iwht the machines are usually garbage. But a good mechanic can help you learn way beyond the normal stuff.

[nacra533]

I move back and forth between my wife's Babylock and my sail and canvas sewing machine. When sewing thicker stuff like webbing on her Babylock, the machine makes a slight "banging" or "bumping" noise, especially when stitches start getting dense like in a bar tack. I think this is a function of lots of plastic parts.

I am perfectly comfortable adjusting/tuning my heavier duty machine and it came with instructions on how to adjust everything and tune it, just like a professional would. I am not comfortable doing very much "cover off" work on her machine other than a basic cleaning.

Like others have suggested, change needle and re-thread, cutting out any thread that has been through the machine. Changing needles often, helps reduce many problems. If a needle gets bent and hits the shuttle, it may knock the machine out of time. Needles come in a pack of 10, so you should be changing them frequently. For example, if I am hemming 4 sides of a hammock, I will probably change the needle before starting another project. If I have more work to do in the same sitting, I may keep going with the same needle.

As far as professional repair, I have had several experiences. On my wife's embroidery machine, the "pro" at one dealer did not fix the problem, so we carried it to another dealer and it sewed better than new. It was worth the money to not have to fight the machine all the time.

[canoebie]

Just gotta say that there is no way beyond simple cleaning that I would attempt to do any major maintenance on my wife's Viking/Husquevarna. She paid more than 20 times what I paid for my first car for that machine. It is nearly all electronic. (Yes, that is commentary on my first car as well)

I also want to second the good thread and changing of needles. I am learning the importance of both, and using the correct needle for the materials. Another of many reasons I am married to my wonderful wife. She educates the hell out of me in the sewing room. Oh, and the bathroom, the kitchen, . . . oh well, at least I am trainable.

[gargoyle]

Yeah, I wasn't suggesting to do a major rebuild on your gear machine, just simple maintanence. Pull off the stitch plate (steel plate under the needle and foot). And clean in there. I had a whole bunch of fuzz built up from years of abuse before I learned. My fabric was not getting advanced properly and would bogg down the machine. Never would have figured it out till I got online and looked up sewing machines and how-to stuff. And do what your comfortable with, skill levels vary as far as being mechanically inclined.
Like any other piece of equipment, take care of it, and it will take care of you.
And I'm not saying I have tons of experience here, I DON'T, I just learn stuff as I go and like to pass it along. My machine frustrated the begeezus out of me, and I'm not synical enough to watch others suffer.