Sewing Machines Repair

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A squeaky door hinge can be annoying, but these devices are easy to maintain and usually provide trouble-free service. Hinges open and close doors of all kinds, shapes, and sizes and are used on everything from jewelry boxes to barn doors. Hinges are an assembly of two opposing mounting plates joined together by a single hinge pin.

Hinges are manufactured with joining barrels and holes drilled through them for attaching to the door jamb and the door. The hinge pin fits into the barrels, connecting the two sections together. Once joined together, the hinges have enough space between each barrel to allow the door to open smoothly. Doors of different sizes and shapes need different numbers and sizes of door hinges.

Hinges are the joining units that attach the door to the door jamb. For the door to open and close smoothly, it’s important that the door’s hinges be set squarely into the door jamb.

Next, tackling a squeaky door hinge problem is a matter of cleaning and lubricating the hinge. If you want the hinge to quit squeaking, you should clean it and add a touch of lubricating oil.

Withdrawing the hing pin is easy. Just tap out the pin from below. Use a small hammer and screwdriver to do the job. After a few good taps, the hinge pin should work loose from the hinge’s barrels. Penetrating oil is a good way to loosen a stuck or binding pin, just don’t use too much of it. Because it is partly a solvent, penetrating oils are useful for dissolving rust and grimy buildup.

Once the pin is removed, you should clean it with soap and water. If you learn that the pin is really gummed-up, give it a mild scrubbing with an abrasive cleaning pad. Replace the hinge pin if it shows any damage or signs of wear such as a groove.

Once cleaned, the pin can be lubricated with a light coat of machine oil. Optionally, sewing machine oil will work as well. Hinges are light mechanisms that don’t require a heavy oil or grease meant for automotive use.

A hygienic swab will work well for extracting dirt and grime from inside the hinge’s barrels. There should be enough oil on the hinge pin to do a satisfactory job of lubrication. You don’t need to add any more oil to the hinge after you re-install the door. Use your oil sparingly. There’s no need to over-lubricate the hinges, as they will work just fine with just a small amount of lubricant.

Return the door to its hinges and replace the hinge pins. Then check the mounting screws for tightness. Be careful to tighten the fixing screws, using a properly sized screwdriver. Be careful not to strip the door or door jamb’s fixing holes of their threads. If the screw won’t tighten down, you will have to improvement the door.

Now swing the door open and closed several times to spread the lubricant inside the hinge’s barrel. If properly finished, the door should not make any further squeaking noises and it should open and close smoothly. There you have it.

This is one of the easiest Do-It-Yourself service jobs. Door hinges are simple devices that just need an occasional cleaning and lubrication to provide decades of silent service. There are more articles like this one waiting for you at PracticalRepairs.com

Repair & Maintenance of the Bernina 830 Record Sewing Machine
By Steve Ward

#9 MOST COMMON PROBLEM:
OILING

There is a great deal of confusion as to whether, where, what with, and how much to oil Bernina machines. Your owner’s manual is indispensable in this regard. It not only tells you where and how much to oil, but also which oil to use.

First, a word about the oil itself. The safest oil to use is that which came with the machine, or that which can be purchased from a dealer. Bernina oil should say “Bernina” on the tube. If you have any doubts, for instance if you have purchased a used machine and the oil is suspect, it’s probably a good idea to throw that oil out and get some more. Bernina oil is very light in viscosity, and is almost clear.
The area that is most critical to oil is between the shuttle and the shuttle race. (See owners manual) Oil this about every second time the machine is used for any length of time. Just a half drop will do.
Over-oiling just makes a mess. It’s also a good idea to oil the pin on the shuttle that the bobbin case fits over, and a little on the bobbin case latch.

Having said the above about the type of oil, I will say that I personally have used Singer brand oil (found at any Wal-mart) with good results. “Three-in-One” oil or any kind of motor or vegetable oil should NOT be used on sewing machines at all. I have seen machines virtually ruined with the wrong kind of oil.

#3 MOST COMMON PROBLEM:
BURRED OR BLUNTED SHUTTLE POINT

A “burred” or blunted shuttle pont produces a variety of symptoms. There may be occasional or irregular skipping of some of the stitches. Or, the thread may periodically shred or even break. Sometimes there will be small loops of thread on the underside of the fabric.

The “shuttle point” refers to the area on the shuttle pictured below that is directly behind the needle. It is literally sharply pointed in order to pick up the thread loop as the shuttle passes behind the needle. Because of the close tolerances of the Bernina, or due to using “knit” needles like the Singer Yellow Band, or excessive pulling on the fabric as you sew, sometimes the sharp point becomes burred, blunted or even bent. This causes the thread to hang on the shuttle rather than passing smoothly around it. The problem can sometimes be detected with the naked eye, but a surer method is to stroke the shuttle point top, bottom, and sides with your finger. Any burr or roughness will quickly be detected.

If a rough spot is detected, usually it can be smoothed, saving the considerable expense of a new shuttle. I use a Dremel tool with a rubber wheel but extreme care must be taken to not blunt the shuttle point or change the basic shape. A safer method is to use 600 grit or finer sandpaper, rubbing lightly in the same direction of the shuttle point.

For more technical tips see my FAQ and repair blog http://sewingmachinerepair.blogspot.com or go to our website http://www.vintagesingersewing.com

From the booklet; Bernina 830, Top Ten Problems and How To Solve Them. Steve Ward, author. http://www.vintagesingersewing.com

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