How to Repair a Sewing Machine
As being one of the more heavy-duty appliances, sewing machines can provide many years of reliable use. Often they do need to be cleaned out due to the excess materials left behind from the cloths. Also oiling of the mechanical parts of the machine needs to be done frequently to avoid any quick wear on the machine. However the most common problem encountered with sewing machines is the drive belt used to power the needle often needs replacing.
Below are the instructions on how to oil and clean the machine.
Step One: Remove the covers of the machine which are usually on each side and on the hand wheel using a screwdriver to remove the screws that are holding them on.
Step Two: On the thread bobbin, there is a plate or a magnet that is covering it. Remove this by using a screwdriver to unscrew it or pry the magnet up.
Step Three: By using a vacuum with a small attachment to get into small areas, clean all the openings in the machine by getting the small pieces of materials up. Often cloth or lint is hard to remove by a vacuum so pliers may be required to remove these pieces.
Step Four: The gears of the machine have teeth that are often full of grime and oil due to the excessive force used. Vacuum around this area also and use a tip of a pen to loosen the grime.
Step Five: Make sure that all of the mechanical parts are lubricated correctly. Most sewing machines need white lithium grease for the gears teeth and regular sewing machine oil for all of the other parts.
Step Six: Gather all of the covers and reassemble them, the plate covering the thread bobbin and screw everything back together.
Replacing or Fixing the Drive Belt
Step One: Take out the screws on the covers just like you would if you were cleaning it.
Step Two: Find the drive belt and inspect it. If it is either broken or cracked, you may have to find a replacement from a local store or order it from an online manufacture if they do not carry the product.
Step Three: To install a new belt, you must first loosen the screws on the motor and shift the motor so that you can put on the new belt.
Step Four: To increase the belt’s tension, shift the motor from the hand wheel then tighten the screws on the motor-mountain so you can check the tension on the belt. Make sure the belt does not flex more than 1/2 an inch. If it does, you will have to increase the belt’s tension by shifting the motor-mountain screws again.