Frozen Sewing Machine Zigzag Repair and Video
After years of sitting unused, many old sewing machines become frozen, due to the oil drying out and turning into a glue. This doesn't mean your machine is "broken", it just needs properly cleaned and maintained, and used, in order to stay functional.
I enjoy cleaning up these kinds of sticky sewing machine situations, and getting good machines functional again, and sharing tips on how to do this, with other people, as more people become interested in fixing up and using vintage sewing machines.
I made a video using one of my vintage Kenmore freearm sewing machines, to help people see what the zigzag mechanism looks like, and which parts specifically, must be properly cleaned and oiled, to get them working correctly.
Frozen Zigzag Sewing Machine Repair Tutorial
CLEANING & OILING SUPPLIES & TOOLS-
rubbing alcohol (or kerosene, preferrably unscented) to dissolve old sticky oil
Sewing Machine oil, or Tri-Flow oil
Super Lube or other sewing machine grease or lubricant, (only use on gears)
Qtips (I dip these in alcohol, to clean off the old oil)
Paintbrush (long handle, skinny top, for dipping in alcohol & cleaning old oil off)
Paper towels
Screwdrivers (if necessary for removing machine top or casing)
1. Open the nose, or faceplate of your sewing machine, to access the needlebar, and zigzag mechanism.
2. Set your machine for the widest zigzag stitch - Red dot on the stitch selector dial (most Kenmore 148 & 158 manufactured models) , Stitch Width 4 (or the highest number).
3. Turn the handwheel until your needle is at the highest point, and at the far left of the needle plate opening. If your zigzag mechanism is frozen in the center or right position, you won't know if it is at this point, until you have freed up the plunger of the zigzag mechanism, at least a little, so don't worry about that, yet, if you have this problem.
4. I put rubbing alcohol in a small glass jar, with a lid that seals, which I use exclusively for cleaning sewing machines, and keep it with my sewing machine cleaning supplies, in a small pan, which makes it easy to carry from one machine to another. This is the alcohol I use for dipping the QTips or paintbrush in, to clean off the old dried sticky oil. (If you use kerosene instead, please work outside, or in a safely ventilated area, to avoid fumes. Kerosene can be used instead of rubbing alcohol, the unscented Kerosene is easier to work with, without as noxious of fumes, but follow all safety precautions when using the rubbing alcohol and or kerosene.)
5. Identify the needlebar, the plunger mechanism which connects the needlebar with the main shaft, or driveline of the machine. This entire mechanism must be free to move, so you need to identify all of the areas where these parts are joined to another part, and clean and oil that point.
6. Dip your paintbrush or Qtip in the rubbing alcohol or kerosene, and apply it liberally to the points which are supposed to move against each other, especially if you see brown, or yellow dry oil, remove as much as you can, using as many Qtips as needed. Repeat at all points of movement (or where it is supposed to move) where 2 parts meet together. Some will have tiny oiling holes, but many pivot points do not, but still require cleaning and oiling.
7. Wipe off the old oil, alcohol or kerosene, with clean Qtips or paper towels. (A stick or screwdriver wrapped in cotton works, too, if you don't have Qtips and paper towels)
8. Oil each of these points, both the oiling ports (holes) and where two parts move against, or pivot against each other.
9. Turn the handwheel, to see if the needlebar and zigzag mechanism have freed up enough to zigzag without you needing to further manipulate the machine. If the plunger was really sticky, it most likely will need further cleaning, which is VERY common.
10. If the needlebar is still not able to zigzag the full width, you need to repeat steps 6 - 8, and try to manually jiggle the plunger mechanism and needlebar back and forth, gently but firmly. If the needlebar can't be gently manually pushed to the right and back, repeat step 3 to get it in the correct position, for you to do this. Sometimes, it takes 2 or 3 times of cleaning and oiling these parts, to completely free them up.
TIP- many people like to use the shortcut of using a blow dryer to warm up the dried up stuck oil, to get the parts moving. This does work, but if your machine has plastic anywhere, it can cause the plastic to crack or break.
WARNING ABOUT USING HEAT TO SPEED UP MOVEMENT- While heat does free the stuck parts up quickly, if you do not clean out the old oil, before adding new oil, you are going to have the same parts get stuck together again, soon. If you want to use the heat as a shortcut method, but still clean out the old oil, and put fresh oil, that won't be a problem.
WARNING- do NOT use WD40 or 3 in 1 oil as lubricants in your sewing machines. Both wind up causing the same dry sticky glue, unless they are completely flushed out, and replaced with sewing machine oil, or Tri-Flow
You can fix up and get old sewing machines working again, if you have the time and physical capability, and the time and space to do so. Don't be afraid, if it's already stuck, you aren't going to hurt it, by trying to fix it, as long as you use common sense.
By the way, Sears has a sewing machine repair website or link, I recently discovered for newer models of machines- here is the link-
Searspartsdirect Sewing Machine Repair Guides
If you have a STRETCH STITCH MECHANISM not working correctly, here is the information about the cam and pivoting camfollower, which engage the stretch stitches. If it can't pivot, due to old sticky oil, you will just get backwards stitches, or forward stitches.
I enjoy cleaning up these kinds of sticky sewing machine situations, and getting good machines functional again, and sharing tips on how to do this, with other people, as more people become interested in fixing up and using vintage sewing machines.
I made a video using one of my vintage Kenmore freearm sewing machines, to help people see what the zigzag mechanism looks like, and which parts specifically, must be properly cleaned and oiled, to get them working correctly.
Frozen Zigzag Sewing Machine Repair Tutorial
CLEANING & OILING SUPPLIES & TOOLS-
rubbing alcohol (or kerosene, preferrably unscented) to dissolve old sticky oil
Sewing Machine oil, or Tri-Flow oil
Super Lube or other sewing machine grease or lubricant, (only use on gears)
Qtips (I dip these in alcohol, to clean off the old oil)
Paintbrush (long handle, skinny top, for dipping in alcohol & cleaning old oil off)
Paper towels
Screwdrivers (if necessary for removing machine top or casing)
1. Open the nose, or faceplate of your sewing machine, to access the needlebar, and zigzag mechanism.
2. Set your machine for the widest zigzag stitch - Red dot on the stitch selector dial (most Kenmore 148 & 158 manufactured models) , Stitch Width 4 (or the highest number).
3. Turn the handwheel until your needle is at the highest point, and at the far left of the needle plate opening. If your zigzag mechanism is frozen in the center or right position, you won't know if it is at this point, until you have freed up the plunger of the zigzag mechanism, at least a little, so don't worry about that, yet, if you have this problem.
4. I put rubbing alcohol in a small glass jar, with a lid that seals, which I use exclusively for cleaning sewing machines, and keep it with my sewing machine cleaning supplies, in a small pan, which makes it easy to carry from one machine to another. This is the alcohol I use for dipping the QTips or paintbrush in, to clean off the old dried sticky oil. (If you use kerosene instead, please work outside, or in a safely ventilated area, to avoid fumes. Kerosene can be used instead of rubbing alcohol, the unscented Kerosene is easier to work with, without as noxious of fumes, but follow all safety precautions when using the rubbing alcohol and or kerosene.)
5. Identify the needlebar, the plunger mechanism which connects the needlebar with the main shaft, or driveline of the machine. This entire mechanism must be free to move, so you need to identify all of the areas where these parts are joined to another part, and clean and oil that point.
6. Dip your paintbrush or Qtip in the rubbing alcohol or kerosene, and apply it liberally to the points which are supposed to move against each other, especially if you see brown, or yellow dry oil, remove as much as you can, using as many Qtips as needed. Repeat at all points of movement (or where it is supposed to move) where 2 parts meet together. Some will have tiny oiling holes, but many pivot points do not, but still require cleaning and oiling.
7. Wipe off the old oil, alcohol or kerosene, with clean Qtips or paper towels. (A stick or screwdriver wrapped in cotton works, too, if you don't have Qtips and paper towels)
8. Oil each of these points, both the oiling ports (holes) and where two parts move against, or pivot against each other.
9. Turn the handwheel, to see if the needlebar and zigzag mechanism have freed up enough to zigzag without you needing to further manipulate the machine. If the plunger was really sticky, it most likely will need further cleaning, which is VERY common.
10. If the needlebar is still not able to zigzag the full width, you need to repeat steps 6 - 8, and try to manually jiggle the plunger mechanism and needlebar back and forth, gently but firmly. If the needlebar can't be gently manually pushed to the right and back, repeat step 3 to get it in the correct position, for you to do this. Sometimes, it takes 2 or 3 times of cleaning and oiling these parts, to completely free them up.
TIP- many people like to use the shortcut of using a blow dryer to warm up the dried up stuck oil, to get the parts moving. This does work, but if your machine has plastic anywhere, it can cause the plastic to crack or break.
WARNING ABOUT USING HEAT TO SPEED UP MOVEMENT- While heat does free the stuck parts up quickly, if you do not clean out the old oil, before adding new oil, you are going to have the same parts get stuck together again, soon. If you want to use the heat as a shortcut method, but still clean out the old oil, and put fresh oil, that won't be a problem.
WARNING- do NOT use WD40 or 3 in 1 oil as lubricants in your sewing machines. Both wind up causing the same dry sticky glue, unless they are completely flushed out, and replaced with sewing machine oil, or Tri-Flow
You can fix up and get old sewing machines working again, if you have the time and physical capability, and the time and space to do so. Don't be afraid, if it's already stuck, you aren't going to hurt it, by trying to fix it, as long as you use common sense.
By the way, Sears has a sewing machine repair website or link, I recently discovered for newer models of machines- here is the link-
Searspartsdirect Sewing Machine Repair Guides
If you have a STRETCH STITCH MECHANISM not working correctly, here is the information about the cam and pivoting camfollower, which engage the stretch stitches. If it can't pivot, due to old sticky oil, you will just get backwards stitches, or forward stitches.
158.1802 stretch stitch mechanism video below
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z6BAlM88bkY
158.1430x stitch width selector and zigzag mechanism
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z6BAlM88bkY
158.1430x stitch width selector and zigzag mechanism
