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Member since 8/6/03
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Posted on: 3/2/14 8:25 PM ET
I had been on a sewing break -- a long one -- so before I started sewing again I cleaned, oiled, and lubricated my dear old Singer 401A. I was just finishing up, following the oiling diagram, when I realized I had put oil in a couple places that clearly said 'don't put oil here! Use lubricant, you big dope.'

Well, that isn't exactly what it said but I am not in my sewing room at the moment. Anyway, what damage have I done to my machine, do you think? Is it just that oiling gears that are meant to be greased will cause oil to leak out and ruin my fabric, or is my machine going to burst into flames now? Do I need to take it to a repair shop (I know, I should do this anyway but it is heavy and I don't have a car so I try to tune it up at home as much as possible, despite the fact that it came to me with receipts showing the annual maintenance that the previous owner had done every year from 1958 until 1987)

Thanks in advance!
  
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Re: Whoopsie, I wasnt supposed to oil that (posted on 3/2/14 8:54 PM ET)
Well, I am a novice at this but have worked on a few machines in my collection, so I'll throw my two cents in anyway... ;P

If it was me, I'd wipe the oil off. Then I would put a small amount of tri-flow lubricant/grease in those two spots, like the manual says. These are sold as all metal, but there is a reddish nylon gear near the handwheel. (One of the don't oil points) Normally, unless you use tri-flow, you would supposedly need to worry about potential damage to the gear from regular oil. I want to say it was sew-classic that said tri-flow doesn't seem to harm plastic gears. Anyway, I would wipe off oil with q-tips, being careful not to leave fuzz behind, and put tri-flow grease in there.

I'm sure real experts will chime in here, but if was me, I wouldn't rush it to the shop. Especially, if you only put a couple of drops and can clean it off.
Am I wrong?



Oh yeah - also turn the handwheel and clean each crevice in the gear with a q-tip, because the oil can cause the previous grease to gunk up and slide off. After cleaning, then lube with fresh grease, just a little.
-- Edited on 3/2/14 9:07 PM --
  
Member since 11/13/04
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Posted on: 3/2/14 10:46 PM ET
In reply to Tailypo
First I have to mention I don't own a Singer 401A and I'm not a sewing machine expert either !

That said,I don't think you harmed your sewing machine,unless you oiled an electric motor inside you shouldn't have oiled at all.

I never owned Singer lubricant or grease either,when I started tinkering with old sewing machines.I used a drop or two of plain clear sewing machine oil on gears,after I cleaned old sewing machines I couldn't leave behind at thrift stores.

Until I started using liquid Tri-Flow with Teflon some years ago,before many other people started using it.I only use one drop of Tri-Flow with Teflon on all moving metal parts,except on felt wicks,I use sewing machine oil on felt wicks ! I also use a clear silicone lubricant in a tube to grease gears now.DH has a tube of silicone lubricant in his workshop.I swiped some of it and keep it in a small container.
  
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Re: Whoopsie, I wasnt supposed to oil that (posted on 3/3/14 1:00 AM ET)
The sad fact is, I *do* have singer lubricant, I just spaced out as I was following the instructions. Apply a drop of oil to this, a drop of oil to that, apply a small amount of lubricant to the gears as shown (but I wasn't paying attention and applied a small amount of oil instead), but then the next sentence is, in bold as well as all caps NEVER APPLY OIL TO THESE GEARS! To late, and no undo option. I did wipe them off and did apply the lubricant, but that bold all caps has me nervous. What happens if you apply oil to the gears?
-- Edited on 3/3/14 1:01 AM --
  
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Posted on: 3/3/14 4:28 AM ET
In reply to Tailypo
Quote: Tailypo
What happens if you apply oil to the gears?

The sewing machine keeps working fine,as far as I know. The oil just has to be replaced more often. Grease sticks to the gears a while longer. Don't worry,you greased the gears now.Your Singer should hum and sing just fine for quite a while now.
  
Member since 3/7/08
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Re: Whoopsie, I wasnt supposed to oil that (posted on 3/3/14 7:36 AM ET)
Since your 401 all metal gears, you didn't hurt anything. All will be well. The instructions call for grease because oil won't stick to the gears.

The only time it would be an issue would be if you oiled nylon gears--and some of them can deteriorate with petroleum based lubricants.


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Joe in New Albany, iN
  
Member since 12/3/06
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Posted on: 3/3/14 9:58 AM ET
In reply to Tailypo
Do as recommended and then sew a lot of samples to warm up the machine. If any oil is going to run to low ground it will do so during this time.
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OLD CHINESE PROVERB: I HEAR & I FORGET; I SEE & I REMEMBER; I DO & I UNDERSTAND.
  
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Re: Whoopsie, I wasnt supposed to oil that (posted on 3/3/14 10:14 AM ET)
I would try to clean off the oil if possible, because it may have softened the grease. Then apply the gear grease (lubricant).
The rule-of-thumb is to oil moving parts, except gears which get grease. Easy on the oil and wipe off any excess, generous with the grease.
Some old-style motors also have hole for grease, but be sure of what you are doing there.
-- Edited on 3/3/14 10:16 AM --
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MartiP

Ruckertt's Law; There is nothing so small that it can't be blown out of proportion.

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Member since 2/17/06
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Posted on: 3/3/14 10:41 AM ET
In reply to Terri A
Quote: Terri A
the oil can cause the previous grease to gunk up and slide off. After cleaning, then lube with fresh grease, just a little.

This is EXACTLY!!! what is happening in my Rocketeer!

Big globs of gunk, and it's spitting out of the machine when I sew, just little bits, but enough that it made me look inside.

Gunk up and slide off describes it PERFECTLY! I bet he was oiled where he should have been greased!

You are awesome Terri!
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Cathryn
  
Member since 1/16/08
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Posted on: 3/3/14 12:58 PM ET
In reply to Cat n Bull
I'm really glad if it helped. It's also possible if someone was hired to clean and oil the machine, that they used a cleaning agent and then didn't remove well enough before applying the oil and grease. Then it start mixing and separating etc...

;)
  
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