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The Sew What’s New Archive
This archived content is from Mary Wilkins’ sewing and
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From: Butterflyrf71
Date: 06-06-2006, 06:52 AM (1 of 21)
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So tell me the real scoop on machine oil. One of the features I did not get in my new machine, and the biggest difference between the two I was tossing around, is that my new machine is not self lubricating. When it says to use only Singer machine oil - is that really just what they want you to buy - or is there a difference in brands? I already have some oil on hand from my White machine - so I need to know if I have to buy more. Thanks! You Lord, give perfect peace to those who keep their purpose firm, and place their trust in you. Isaiah 26:3, AV
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User: Butterflyrf71
Member since: 05-02-2006 Total posts: 257 
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From: lamx
Date: 06-06-2006, 07:32 AM (2 of 21)
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The short answer is that you should be able to use the sewing machine oil that came with your White on a Singer. Now for the long answer: Sewing machine oil is basically white mineral oil (baby oil is white mineral oil plus perfume and I have used that on my sewing machines). As long as the oil you have is made specifically for sewing machines, you will probably not have any problem switching between White and Singer oil. The problem comes when you try to substitute all-purpose oils, like 3-in-1, that say on the container that they can be used in sewing machines. 3-in-1 contains additives to penetrate rusty bolts and who knows what else. Likewise, WD-40 was designed as a water-displacing compound and is not to be used as a lubricant. I have been told that automotive oil should not be used in sewing machines because it contains additives that can cause problems. I learned this after I had been using 10W30 oil in my machines for 10 years in an upholstery shop. I have owned one of those 10W40-lubricated machines for over 30 years now with no repairs ever needed on the sewing head. Many sewing machine repair shops are now using Tri-Flow products containing PTFE (Teflon). I have not found Tri-Flow superior to good, old Singer oil and have a problem with Tri-Flow leaking out of the head for days after lubricating with it. The shops say that Tri-Flow lasts longer between lubrications, but I oil my machines regularly so that feature is worthless to me. Ed |
User: lamx
Member since: 05-04-2006 Total posts: 44 |
From: bridesmom
Date: 06-06-2006, 10:46 AM (3 of 21)
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Wow Ed! That was a great answer. I was always wondering about that too as I have a can of oil for the Pfaff and one for the Janome serger. Does the oil go bad after a long time? (Like years and years? I bet my Pfaff oil is 15 years old by now)
Laura
Tickled pink with my Innovis 4000D |
User: bridesmom
Member since: 01-21-2004 Total posts: 2026 |
From: Bama
Date: 06-06-2006, 11:36 AM (4 of 21)
I saw something recently on TV that said if your machine oil is discolored, to throw it out. I guess it can go bad after a while. 
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User: Bama
Member since: 03-21-2000 Total posts: 2116 
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From: MissTaraTara
Date: 06-06-2006, 12:18 PM (5 of 21)
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if your machine oil is discolored, to throw it out. I read the same thing somewhere. I have Singer overlocks. I bought some Singer oil but the bottle it comes in is not overlock friendly so I use some Dritz sewing machine oil that has a long straw-like thing that pulls out of the bottle and it seems to work well. I think sewing machine oil is sewing machine oil. Just be careful as Singer also offers a lubricant of sorts as well. It comes in a tube.....don't know what it's for but I know it's probably not for sewing machines, the newer ones anyway. |
User: MissTaraTara
Member since: 01-24-2006 Total posts: 227 |
From: Butterflyrf71
Date: 06-06-2006, 06:37 PM (6 of 21)
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My White machine oil is a new tube - so I will use that. I will also make sure I use the sewing machine oil - I did see Singer has a tube and a bottle - but I never would have know they were not the same thing! Now - how often do I need to oil the machine? Should it be between projects? They give you no guide to follow. I just winged it with the White machine; because I didn't use it for years I did it more often after dusting it off out of storage. I want to take good care of my new machine. Another good question is how often to have it "tuned-up". I never heard of a sewing machine tune-up! You Lord, give perfect peace to those who keep their purpose firm, and place their trust in you. Isaiah 26:3, AV
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User: Butterflyrf71
Member since: 05-02-2006 Total posts: 257
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From: esrun3
Date: 06-06-2006, 09:33 PM (7 of 21)
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I tend to oil my serger (my Singer is self lubricating) everytime I clean which is fairly often. Usually I do a stack of stuff at a time as I believe in marthon cutting so then I can just sit and sew so when I'm done with the stack and before I start the next one, I clean and oil. If I'm serging flannel or something along that line that is real linty, I clean and oil more often. I clean the Singer that often too, I'm just happy I don't have to oil that one.
Lyn
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User: esrun3
Member since: 12-02-2004 Total posts: 2345 |
From: bridesmom
Date: 06-07-2006, 12:12 AM (8 of 21)
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I clean and oil quite often as my machine is getting older, and it gets serviced once a year, my service guy gives me a discount if I get it serviced within 2 weeks either way of last years service, how can I lose? I write my dates on a calendar so I remember for the next time.
Laura
Tickled pink with my Innovis 4000D |
User: bridesmom
Member since: 01-21-2004 Total posts: 2026 |
From: DorothyL
Date: 06-07-2006, 06:53 AM (9 of 21)
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I clean and oil both my machine and serger after every project. But I keep a brush nearby to keep the line level down -- especially on the serger. Dorothy |
User: DorothyL
Member since: 12-09-2002 Total posts: 3883 |
From: bluebirdie
Date: 06-07-2006, 06:09 PM (10 of 21)
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My cleaning/oiling routing is pretty much like Dorothy's. And like MissTara, I also use the Dritz oil with the long straw sprout, couldn't oil right without it. I've never used the grease coz I don't want to get my nails all dirty. Whenever I need that, my husband would be more than happy to help. In return, I share my dritz sewing machine oil with him on his tools. That way they get used up much faster. He loves the bottle design too. - Robin
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User: bluebirdie
Member since: 03-12-2006 Total posts: 139 |
From: esrun3
Date: 06-07-2006, 06:45 PM (11 of 21)
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I clean and oil both my machine and serger after every project. But I keep a brush nearby to keep the line level down -- especially on the serger. Dorothy Oh yeah, Dorothy, couldn't live without that brush nearby!! Best advise I got in the lessons that came with my serger was to go hit the $$ store and buy some paint brushes for the lint.....you can get several for $1 most of the time and toss them when they get too dirty to use anymore. I like them a lot more than that tiny little brush that came with the machine -good for tight spots but not for the bigger areas. Lyn
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User: esrun3
Member since: 12-02-2004 Total posts: 2345 |
From: Butterflyrf71
Date: 06-07-2006, 08:03 PM (12 of 21)
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So, what are all the areas I need to clean/lubricate? The only part my manual says to clean is in the bobbin case. One drop of oil, in two places. I've got brushes galore, since I paint. Great idea!!!! The little brush isn't long enough to get in there. I also use a keyboard vacuum or an air can to suck out the lint I brush free before I oil. It's cheap, and really works great. You Lord, give perfect peace to those who keep their purpose firm, and place their trust in you. Isaiah 26:3, AV
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User: Butterflyrf71
Member since: 05-02-2006 Total posts: 257
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From: beachgirl
Date: 06-07-2006, 08:34 PM (13 of 21)
| I'm sure a lot of you won't agree but, I've had 2 different sewing machine guys tell me not to use any oil on any of my machines except Alpha Sew & it has the nice spout. I always thought Singer oil was the best but over time it will gum up the machine. So even on my old Singers plus my new machines I use the Alpha Sew. I say to each their own though. The newer machines, at least mine don't take as much oil as the older ones or as often. |
User: beachgirl
Member since: 08-31-2004 Total posts: 615 
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From: wghmch
Date: 06-07-2006, 11:40 PM (14 of 21)
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"I've had 2 different sewing machine guys tell me not to use any oil on any of my machines except Alpha Sew & it has the nice spout. I always thought Singer oil was the best but over time it will gum up the machine." Be very careful if either of these guys tries to sell you a bridge. Stuff like 3 in 1 oil will gum up a machine, but any good brand of SM oil is fine, regardless of the name on the container. This reminds me of a while back on one of the boards when a Pfaff owner was concerned because she had been told to use nothing but Pfaff oil, and now that Viking had purchased Pfaff, she didn't know what she was getting. I explained to her that the reason that it took Viking quite some time to close the Pfaff factory is that the oil well was in the basement and they had to dig it up and move it to Sweden. Bill Holman |
User: wghmch
Member since: 03-04-2003 Total posts: 249 |
From: DorothyL
Date: 06-08-2006, 06:34 AM (15 of 21)
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That is very funny Bill. Butterfly should only oil where the book tells her to, right? Dorothy |
User: DorothyL
Member since: 12-09-2002 Total posts: 3883 |
From: lamx
Date: 06-08-2006, 08:02 AM (16 of 21)
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A general rule for oiling intervals is after eight hours of sewing machine use. At an hour a day, it would take over a week to run a machine eight full hours. Even if you "sew" an hour a day, a large percentage of that time is spent pressing, pinning, basting, answering the phone, going to the bathroom, etc. During that hour, your machine actually runs only a few minutes. This schedule should be adjusted according to the type of fabric and thread you are sewing with. Lint soaks up oil, so if you are sewing with flannel and cheap thread, you will need to oil more often. The Singer lubricant in the tubes is for lubricating gears. Everything else that requires lubrication takes sewing machine oil. Many newer machines do not require oiling, but even of those might still require an occasional drop of oil in the hook race (in the bobbin case area). Safest bet is to check your instruction manual. Ed |
User: lamx
Member since: 05-04-2006 Total posts: 44 |
From: Butterflyrf71
Date: 06-08-2006, 09:34 AM (17 of 21)
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The manual only instructs (in the maintenenace and cleaning section) to oil the hook race. No mention of gears. Maybe that is why they suggest the tune up - but they fail to say how often to have that done! There is a lot of information NOT in my manual. While it is extremely thorough in some areas - it fails to tell all. The DVD that came with the machine, expanding on presser feet, says to check my manual for my shank type - I swear I read that manual 50 times - it DOES NOT SAY! (it loks like a low shank; but . . . . ) I have snap on feet - but some feet, regardless of the snap on feature, go on the shank. AGHHHHH!!!! Someone explain this to me - I only had two feet only with my White machine (and no screw on the shank like the Singer) - now I have this huge pile of feet - and want to know how to buy more feet!!!! I love this machine - but someone really needs to write better manuals (or a Manual for "Dummies") I feel like a beginner all over again! I am an expereinced sewer - I just never had a machine that did all this nifty stuff! You Lord, give perfect peace to those who keep their purpose firm, and place their trust in you. Isaiah 26:3, AV
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User: Butterflyrf71
Member since: 05-02-2006 Total posts: 257
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From: lamx
Date: 06-08-2006, 10:18 AM (18 of 21)
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I know what you mean about manuals. My wife and I both have Janome 6500's and the nearest dealer is an hour's drive away. With dealer tuneups costing $75 plus tax and taking the better part of a morning to haul the machine there and drive back, then another morning to drive to the dealer to pick it up and an hour to drive back home, I want to keep them up myself. My instruction manual says nothing about oiling, even though there is a visible oil wick by the hook and visible signs of lubricant at several points inside the machine. I spent big bucks on eBay for the service CD, and while it has lots of info on tests, adjustments, and part replacements, it makes absolutely no mention of lubrication! Ed |
User: lamx
Member since: 05-04-2006 Total posts: 44 |
From: beachgirl
Date: 06-08-2006, 11:01 AM (19 of 21)
| This is sewing machine oil. I wouldn't trust just anyone but the one man has been in the sewing machine business for years & yesrs & knows his stuff. His Dad before him even. It's a a lighter weight or seems so to me. It's been around for years. It's made in Canada & distributor is in Georgia for the usa. I've had no problems with it at all. Believe me I don't fall for gimmicks or believe everything I hear. I was born & raised in Mo so you have to " show me " as the state motto says. LOL. I'm also stubborn as the MO mule too. |
User: beachgirl
Member since: 08-31-2004 Total posts: 615
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From: plrlegal
Date: 06-08-2006, 04:06 PM (20 of 21)
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Some of the Singer feet do go on the shaft but most of them are snapons. What feet do you think you will want besides the ones that came with your Singer Butterfly? Patsy Patsy
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User: plrlegal
Member since: 05-19-2001 Total posts: 318 |
From: Butterflyrf71
Date: 06-08-2006, 04:59 PM (21 of 21)
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I want to pick up a rolled hem foot - but I know I can find one that is a snap on - however, the tube foot, I could not find in a snap on. Some of the feet that came with my machine are shank type, so I know it can be done. I may want the ruffler too. My daughter likes ruffles, and I'm really getting tired of doing them by hand, lol. You Lord, give perfect peace to those who keep their purpose firm, and place their trust in you. Isaiah 26:3, AV
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User: Butterflyrf71
Member since: 05-02-2006 Total posts: 257
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