Picking up thread injector

I just got the call that my sewing machine(i am not ashamed to call it that) is repaired. Now i will have no excuse to get going on the few sewing projects i have left. It cost me $121.44(had to sacrifice getting a ti cup to afford it) and i hope it is now 200%. I need to make the following:
Snake skins for drop cloth tarp
hammock for a friend
darning my worn out jeans
and a bunch of other stuff

Anybody know of a good place for information regarding repairing a sewing machine? I dont want to need to spend another $100+ to get it repaired. I actually have an extra one that i think just needs a good cleaning, degreasing and re oiling.

depends on how new your machine is. Here is a video of a newer machine:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ONcv50OoQYk

older machines have different or no covers but oiling/greasing is about the same. The best thing you can do is search for a service manual. You can also ask around as a lot of folks with older machines also maintain them.

On the subject of thread injectors, is there some particular quality that I should be looking for in one, or are they all more or less the same when it comes to stitching?

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Originally Posted by Gresh

On the subject of thread injectors, is there some particular quality that I should be looking for in one, or are they all more or less the same when it comes to stitching?

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Check my guidelines post in my sig. Others have found it helpful.

Much obliged.

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Originally Posted by ZMad2000

Anybody know of a good place for information regarding repairing a sewing machine? I dont want to need to spend another $100+ to get it repaired.

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If the shop that did the repairs is reputable you should be good for quite a while. Simple maintenance will go a long way to forestall future repairs. Make sure you ask the mechanic what to do and how to do it. Machines have changed so much over the years that there is no one good source for information on all machines. You can purchase reapir manuals for some machines but not others. Electronic machines are a whole different crap shoot. As the decals says on a lot of stuff now... "No consumer serviceable parts inside."

Oiling a machine is not an intuitive process any more. It used to be you could oil just a bout any moving parts. Now, wih the advent of plastics and electronics you need to be very careful what you do. My Viking says no consumer oiling is needed and should be avoided. The critical places are sealed and prelubricated. Always go by the counsel and guidance of a qualified mechanic or you can actually do more harm than good. Never use 3 in 1 oil on a sewing machine. That is a blend of different oils, some of which can be death to sewing machines. Always use a very light weight machine oil... better yet one formulated for sewing machines. Dealersw and good fabric stores would be a good source for that. Sewing machine oil is measured in drops and small drops at that. A pinpoint oiler is one of your best friends.

Removal of plaque and varnish is a delicate process requiring precision equipment. Don't try it with even the finest sand paper. Buffing compound is more properly suited to the job. IMO let the mechanic do the major work and then keep the maintenance up. It seems expensive, but in reality I believe it is money well spent for a quality machine.

Here's the place I use. A generic fix anything.

http://autonopedia.org/crafts_and_te...ne-Repair.html

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Originally Posted by Lost_Biker

Here's the place I use. A generic fix anything.

http://autonopedia.org/crafts_and_te...ne-Repair.html

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Useful reference; I hadn't seen this one before. One omission is that it misses --and this may just be in the US market -- that needle flats can not only face the right and rear, but also, for a couple of lines of Singers of the 1940s and 1950s, they could face the right, too. Lots of those machines, were sold, too, post-war.

I think this rule works: Thread will come through the needle FROM the direction of the last thread guide located near the needle, so the flat will be on the side the thread comes out.