Chit Chat:
Baby Your Machines
Regularly maintaining your machines will keep your business humming steadily along.
By Jim Auclair
To run a successful embroidery business, you’ve got to keep up with regular machine maintenance. Here are some tips and suggestions for keeping your machine in good working order between your annual or semi-annual visits from a certified embroidery machine technician.
First, always be sure to keep your machine free of clutter – such as drinks and sandwich wrappers. Remember, anything that won’t be embroidered shouldn’t be on your machine at any time. Less clutter means less chance that your machine will get dirt or junk in it.
An area that’s often overlooked is the tensioner assembly unit – the areas where the felt pads are under the pre-tensioners. It’s important to check that the felt disks aren’t worn thin. Debris should be gently removed with a soft brush. Your tensioners will stay more consistent with this care.
Maintain a regular oiling schedule. Your equipment manual will have information for your specific machine. Many machines have oiling diagrams on the machines, which indicate recommended oiling timetables.
If you use spray adhesives, be sure to spray away from the machine. Some people have a deep box that they use
just for this purpose. They spray the backing or appliqué deep inside the box, far away from the machine, which keeps the machine out of harm’s way from this sticky, dirt-gathering product.
Keep your rotary hook and bobbin case area free from all debris. This area is often overlooked, but is an integral part of your equipment. Keeping it clean is essential to producing great embroidery. If you ever get bird’s nests, thread debris or lint may be the culprit.
The needle plate and rotary hook cover should be removed once a week. Take a soft brush and gently sweep the area out to remove as much thread and lint as possible. Then, clean the area thoroughly with Hook Wash, a product that’s been field tested for two years and has proven to be invaluable in cleaning and maintaining hooks and bushings on our workhorse machines.
Hook Wash will clean out the hook area but also lubricates at the same time. Even with regular oiling, there are areas you can’t reach. Hook Wash lubricates the impossible-to-reach areas easily. Lubrication is so important in the hook area because your rotary hook spins at twice the speed as the machine is stitching. If the machine is set to run at 750 stitches per minute, the rotary hook is spinning at 1,500 SPM. Two cycles on the rotary hook equals one needle penetration. You can see how a small bit of thread or a piece of lint can stop the machine in its tracks giving you a bird’s nest.
Another area that needs maintenance is the bobbin case. New ones are coated with a rust-protecting coating, which can become sticky over time as they sit on a distributor’s shelf waiting to be shipped. New rotary hooks should be flushed out the same way for the same reasons. Old bobbin cases need to be cleaned, as do rotary hooks, in order to remove old oil and dried-on dirt that has accumulated over time from constant use. (Hook Wash is safe on electronics and plastics. It can also be used to clean the lower section of needle cases around the presser feet. For more info, check out www.hookwash.com.)
Keeping your machine oiled, flushed out and lint-free on a regular basis will keep the equipment in good shape. This type of maintenance will make it easier for your certified technician to do his job a bit quicker, since he won’t have to clean six months’ to a year’s worth of oil and debris out of your machine. Your technician will be able to get right to that great tune-up. ●
JIM AUCLAIR has been an embroidery machine technician for 15 years. He launched Phoenix-based Fixyourstitch Embroidery Machine Repair in 2000. He does contract work for Tajima-Hirsch International, SWF and Brother, among other clients. Contact: jim@fixyourstitch.com or (702) 239-4967.