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Sewing Machine TUNE-UP

Dalis

Dalis

Jose Cuervo is NOT a good friend
Joined
May 6, 2011
Messages
21,594
OK, anyone here does their own? The prices are getting ridiculous. $100 for a tune-up? So this is happening right now.!!!! YIKES!!!!! I really hope I can remember how to put everything back in it’s place!!!!!
NOTE: I should mention I have had this machine for 20 years and I bought it used from a Janome official supplier and I LOVE THIS MACHINE!

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Good luck... let me know how it goes! Mine needs one too and haven't found a place I want to take it to yet. Are you doing it from a youtube video?
 
You need to oil them... which I am not good at doing. If you have an instructions book it should show the spots where you add some oil.
@Dalis looks like you keep your machine free of dust which is good.
 
tkradtke said:
Good luck... let me know how it goes! Mine needs one too and haven't found a place I want to take it to yet. Are you doing it from a youtube video?
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NOPE! I am flying at the seat of my pants! I am using a PDF copy of what I think are my machine instructions to know where to oil it. It's an old machine and I can't find the instruction booklet. LOL!!!
 
BevG said:
You mean you are supposed to tune them up??? Mine is probably over 30 years old, but I have rarely used it in the past 15 years. A good oil here and there would probably do wonders for it.
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Can you believe you are supposed to do a tune-up ANUALY? AND.... listen to this.... You are supposed to oil them 3 times a YEAR if you use it frequently? WHO KNEW!
 
A-M said:
You need to oil them... which I am not good at doing. If you have an instructions book it should show the spots where you add some oil.
@Dalis looks like you keep your machine free of dust which is good.
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I wish I could say this picture was BEFORE I dusted it off!!!! LOL!!!!! There was quite some lint under the dog-feed. Not much else-where. I did find a few strands of thread that I think were messing up with the tensions.
 
It is back together and it's not stitching PERFECTLY, but A LOT BETTER. There was a bit of thread that I couldn't get out. THAT LITTLE BRAT!!!!!!!

Of course hubby said, "well, at least it's not worse now!" LOL!!!!
 
I had a nice littler Singer machine as my first one. It started acting up and they wanted MORE for the tune-up than the cost of the machine. I was shocked. The guy was like "Yeah, these entry-level machines aren't made to last and we charge by the hour." HOW MANY HOURS DOES IT TAKE TO ADD A LITTLE OIL AND LIKE MAYBE DUST IT?! Sorry I yelled. Anyway, I got a new machine but I don't sew very often. I'm not patient enough lol, but it does what I need it to do on the few occasions I use it. (And apparently it doesn't need oil? IDK. I should probably find the manual to double-check!)

Glad yours is at least working better now. On the plus side, you now have some info for the next time you want to give it a DIY tuneup!
 
Tree City said:
I had a nice littler Singer machine as my first one. It started acting up and they wanted MORE for the tune-up than the cost of the machine. I was shocked. The guy was like "Yeah, these entry-level machines aren't made to last and we charge by the hour." HOW MANY HOURS DOES IT TAKE TO ADD A LITTLE OIL AND LIKE MAYBE DUST IT?! Sorry I yelled. Anyway, I got a new machine but I don't sew very often. I'm not patient enough lol, but it does what I need it to do on the few occasions I use it. (And apparently it doesn't need oil? IDK. I should probably find the manual to double-check!)

Glad yours is at least working better now. On the plus side, you now have some info for the next time you want to give it a DIY tuneup!
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It's ridiculous, it's cheaper to buy a very simple machine that to get a tune-up for current machine. By the time your new machine needs a tune-up just toss it and get a new one. CRAZY!
 
I have a cheapo machine. And before that I had another cheap machine. I think I did just what you last said Dalis! LOL. Chucked it and bought a new one!

I have brought this current machine in a for tune-up/oil years ago. I am not very technically oriented - I remember it being around $40 so it was worth it to me. I only brought it in 1x. But $100 - nope I agree, that is crazy. My machine is sewing poorly too and I've been avoiding using it - maybe it's time for some TLC for mine too. I think I need to check out YouTube.
 
Kind of like printers... Almost cheaper to get a new printer that comes with ink then to buy a set of ink. Well, for the low end printers it is.
 
Did you try compressed air like you would clean a computer keyboard with to get that lint out? It should definitely help! That a oiling a few times a year have kept my Brother machine going strong.
 
My machine looks a lot like yours... but probably is another 20 years older... :giggle I inherited it from my Mom when she decided she was never going to sew anymore. The first time I took it in to get cleaned it was JAMMED full of dust. I don't think my Mom ever cleaned it and they have wood heat only in their house, so lots of dust everywhere. Anyway it was $150 and I about died! I didn't think to ask how much BEFORE I left it with them. Ooops!

Glad yours is back together okay and working again. :)
 
GlazeFamily3 said:
Did you try compressed air like you would clean a computer keyboard with to get that lint out? It should definitely help! That a oiling a few times a year have kept my Brother machine going strong.
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I heard that Brother's machines are good! I love this machine, it's someone's grandma's machine. I bought it used from a mom-&-pop store 20 years ago.
 
Karen said:
My machine looks a lot like yours... but probably is another 20 years older... :giggle I inherited it from my Mom when she decided she was never going to sew anymore. The first time I took it in to get cleaned it was JAMMED full of dust. I don't think my Mom ever cleaned it and they have wood heat only in their house, so lots of dust everywhere. Anyway it was $150 and I about died! I didn't think to ask how much BEFORE I left it with them. Ooops!

Glad yours is back together okay and working again. :)
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It might be the same one of close, I bought mine USED 20 years ago from a mom-&-pop store. I remember them telling me that a grandkid had brought it to sell it since their grandma had died. So this is almost an antique. LOL!!!
 
Nope. $100 is a bargain. Mine costs $125, but then my entire machine is computerized. I never even did mine when I was using my mom's 1952 Singer!

Good luck!
 
I only use mine occasionally. The one time I think I took it for a tune up was just a little local shop that my mom also uses. I don't remember it costing that much though.
On a different note- love the Fiskateer scissors! I keep mine stashed so no one else in the family can use them except me; they're my favorite pair of scissors!
 
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