OK, so get this.
Remember how the reason I bought that Viking 6020 (see above), which arrived damaged, was because my self-lubricating Viking 3240 had completely seized up and wasn't worth putting a dime into, since I'd bought it cheap on eBay two years ago and it was very beat up to start with?
Well, reader Valerie left a comment last week that must have planted a seed in my brain, because after the debacle of the arrival of the 6020 in a flimsy box that wouldn't be suitable for anything heavier than a pair of running shoes, and wrapped in ratty old plastic (you can read the post describing this nightmare here), I had an Aha moment.
Valerie wrote:
A while back I had a sewing machine repair guy over to fix my newly acquired pre-loved New Home - with lots of solvent - and he told me that not needing to oil machines was a myth and that you can oil and maintain any machine - regardless of brand.
Like I said, this must have made an (unconscious) impression, because yesterday, on a whim, I was looking at a bottle of WD-40, which states that it "frees sticky mechanisms," and I thought, why not give it a try? I always get WD-40 confused with Tri-Flow. Correct me if I'm wrong: WD-40 breaks down grease but does not lubricate. Tri-Flow lubricates. Of course, sewing machine oil can do a little of both.
Anyway, you can guess where this is leading. I managed to pry the plastic back off my Viking 3240, giving me access to most of the gears, and I sprayed away.
Not even ten minutes later -- Eureka! -- my machine was running more smoothly than ever before!
I threaded the needle and started stitching. It did everything it was supposed to do.
Why didn't I try this earlier? I guess I just assumed "self-lubricating" meant can't be cleaned or oiled yourself. Thank you, Valerie!
It's still a beat up old machine, of course, but it's my beat up old machine and it works. One of the best things about it is that it can wind any sort of bobbin -- Viking, Class 15, Class 66 -- they all fit. I have wound hundreds of bobbins on it for just this reason. And you don't have to unlock the handwheel to disengage the needle -- it disengages the needle automatically when you stick an empty bobbin on.
Now, of course, there's still the drama of the damaged 6020, which should be resolved in the next few days. Later today I'm supposed to get my Kenmore 158.1040 and then, later, my new Featherweight. Wait -- did I mention the new Featherweight? It was part of the grieving process for my 6020. Oh, well!
A special thank you to everyone who took a stab at writing my blog over the weekend. You're all winners in my book and you provided me and Michael with some good laughs.
Happy Monday, everybody -- May you have a sewing drama-free week.
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