It's sewing machine service day

[RatherBeIndoors]

It feels very odd without my Janome on the table which might be why it is a lot more than a year since the last service

Can't wait to go and pick it up again. It's weird to be mildly worried about how it's doing, isn't it? Like a 0.1% version of taking your pet for a minor procedure

[new5poundnote]

Am I supposed to be doing this? Had mine for 5 years now

[OhtoblazeswithElvira]

What new5poundnote said. How much did you pay OP?

[OurBlanche]

I sent both of mine last week so I know how you feel!

[RatherBeIndoors]

In theory it's supposed to be serviced annually. I generally aim for every couple of years and that's been fine, but if it was getting daily use I might increase it. This is quite a new machine, but my old one was about 15 years old before I retired it, and always ran like a dream after a service. I am in an expensive bit of the UK so don't know if this is representative, but I get it serviced by a guy who works out of the local sewing shop - it's 45 quid, work guaranteed for 12 months.

[lljkk]

45 quid! Bloody Hell. Mine was £80 and nobody else does servicing. I seriously considered just buying new instead, but luckily they sorted out the problem (was pretty awful, constantly breaking needles).

[OhtoblazeswithElvira]

£45. Thanks OP

[OurBlanche]

I do mine every year and send them in every 4 or 5 years for a complete overhaul... they cost me £90 for the two... the overlocker cost an extra £5

I use Craftsy and youtube and all sorts of blogs. It takes about 2 hours per machine

www.craftsy.com/blog/2015/03/cleaning-a-sewing-machine/

[CatherineDeB]

I clean mine per their manual every month, a bit more work than the craftsy link. I take the bobbin race out and clean and oil that as well, tiny drop of oil.

I do my overlooker after most projects! Maybe OTT but I hate to see the fluff everywhere in it, only takes 5 mins to brush it out, wipe it down and add a drop of oil.

My Bernina machine came with a seven year warranty and the expectation is that it is serviced half way through, not annually, so whilst I look after it I haven't had a proper service yet. It is on the cards though but the man who owns the shop was on holiday until the second week of May and I haven't got round to going back yet.

I am planning to let him have it for a long weekend when I go away at the end of June.

Really important to do you bit at home imo.

[fortifiedwithtea]

£45.00 is cheap!!

I really should know better but I've never had my Brother machine serviced, its 18 years old. I decided to buy a modern with bells and whistles machine instead though my Brother is still working well.

My previous machine was a Novum 5000 pile of crap and needed regular servicing.

[RatherBeIndoors]

Machine safely home again yesterday - phew All well, no repairs or parts needed. And after this thread, I'm feeling OK about not doing it every year, as long it gets TLC at home!

[Katymac]

Any idea where I would find a manual for a Janome Harmony 9102D?

I am attempting to service it.....but I don't even know how to thread it

[Katymac]

Found one

[Katymac]

just in case

[Oldraver]

My 'servicing' seems to involve me shouting "OH, the machine is making a funny noise".

He fiddles with it, tuts a lot, says it just needed x y or z then it works like a dream....mostly

[JoffreyBaratheon]

I have a lot of old hand cranks that I can service myself. (It's fun too!)

But I have 3 electric machines - two 1950s' Singer 221Ks (Featherweights) - one just had a service and electrical fault repaired last week - £39. The other I got cheap on eBay for spare parts for the first. It has no wiring or electrics so the repairman's going to have to do all that. Should get a quote in the week. The machine itself was so cheap that am hoping even if the repair costs a lot, it will still be cheaper than buying that model new... (It's a Centennial, for those here who are FW fans!).

To get this one fixed, I've had to sacrifice the cable from my working FW - so now have a week unable to use my working one. Although I have a little herd of hand cranks, am in mourning. I finished making a dress working flat out on Friday, as I knew it won't be back in time for me to finish the half-made dress I need to wear next Saturday!

So sad seeing my little FW with no cable, though, she's a bit like a donor - sacrificed it so her sister can live!

[JoffreyBaratheon]

Should add, I forgot to say I bought the 2nd machine as a donor machine for the first but when it came it was in such nice condition mechanically and cosmetically for a 70 year old machine, I couldn't bear to kill it so am now hoping to get it working again!

(Am not a hoarder, honest - I just love old sewing machines!)

[Katymac]

Ready to be shocked - I have cleaned my 'new to me' overlocker (it was very dirty) & now I am playing with it

[RatherBeIndoors]

Extra shiny halo for you

[Katymac]

I had chocolate instead of a halo!

But thank you

[fortifiedwithtea]

Katy, that fluff looks like the inside of my tumble dryer door [door].

Well done for getting the overlocker working. What a lovely gift. I watched your link. As you've discovered the machine has a 'finger' for rolled hem. Old fashioned overlockers had a separate foot plate which needed a screwdriver to change (tedious). Therefore I would expect the machine to be less than 20 years old - brilliant

[Katymac]

I am a happy bunny but I can't work out if I can do appliqué yet

[CatherineDeB]

Katy there is a free Bernina book on getting the best out of your overlocker.

I found it really useful to work through the examples and get to know my machine (it wasn't a Bernina) when I bought my first overlocker.

www.byrnesewing.com/static/mastery/serger.pdf

[Katymac]

Thanks - that looks really good

[Katymac]

Is this any good? Husqvarna Viking?

[CatherineDeB]

Is there a link ?