When installing new wicks, I heat a bit of grease in an old spoon under low heat until it melts (a lighter will do it) and pre-load or saturate the new wick with the liquified grease. Then go about with the installation. This gives the armature bearings a head start and some instant lubrication.
Your videos are so helpful, thank you! I thought I would share my 'wick restoration' idea, as I have been unable to come up with any wicking material. The clips came out easily using hemastats, incidentally. I soaked the old wicks in a little dish if turpentine, left the springs attached! One was harder than the other, & so soaked it longer. I then rolled them on a paper bag to remove excess turpentine. They softened up & were much improved! Hope this too is helpful!
Again you have proven yourself to be the best in the business. So very informative and helpful. I would like to share a tip with you. Instead of Q-tips to clean out the gear area, I use a hemostat and paper towel. Tear about 4"×4" piece. Fold it down to 1/2"x4", then in half. You should end up with 1/2x2. Clip the open end in the hemostat and clean away. I find it leaves next to nothing for fibers, and it won't break on you. Got mine at a model train show, but you can probably find it on eBay. Again, I can't thank you enough.
The featherweight shop sells sew-retro grease has a low melting point and they have done experiments and show videos and claim that it is even better than singer lubricant. What do you think?
I have a pre-owned 201 Singer sewing machine which stitches beautifully, however I notice a "hot" smell when I try to use the machine. I oiled the machine, but not the motor. Any ideas as to what could be the problem? The machine runs smoothly and the timing is great as well. I am concerned about the hot smell, though.
I would stop using the machine immediately and keep it unplugged as a precaution. It could require a rewiring of the motor, the speed controller, or both. The rewiring can be simple for someone who has electrical wiring skills. But be sure to have it done professionally. Another option is to replace both speed controller and motor with new generic replacements. The motor replacements are for the belted 201's. For 201's with potted motors, either a full rewire or a replacement with a vintage motor in better condition would be the options available. Either way, the 201's are incredible and worth the effort/cost in my opinion as well as the opinions of lots of sewers who love them.
I just reassembled mine with Lucas Red and Tacky grease, then I watched this video. Hope I'm not destined for destruction. Project Farm said it was the "best grease" but maybe not for this wicking application.
Hello DJ. That is a fun YT channel but unfortunately, the products and uses for that test are NOT for sewing machine use. One reason that I think Singer may have referred to their motor grease as "Singer Lubricant" was perhaps to keep it from being confused with the generic term "Grease". As it turns out, there are lots of types of grease that can have different uses and characteristics. The Singer motors which require lubrication need a product that has a lower melting point than the Lucas product. I do not know the exact specification for the Lucas product. If you applied it conservatively in the correct place, it MIGHT NOT damage the motor, but it will likely not liquify at the right temperature in order to be effective. I would remove the Lucas and replace with Singer Lubricant.
Hi! I really appreciate that you share your knowledge and experience with us. I'm trying to help a friend with her Kenmore 10, model 385.12490. I can't find videos that address with the machine keeping sewing on reverse after the reverse knob been released.
I am learning a lot from your videos. Could you do a video on how to replace the singer motor fiber gear (the thing with teeth) that goes on the hand wheel? Thanks for your wonderful videos.
Thanks so much. Great videos. Is there a difference between grease and motor lubricant? I use Tri-Flow grease and assume motor lubricant is different????
Yes Dave, it's a different product. As mundane as it might sound, greases vary in their makeup and properties. Singer Lubricant is a 'grease' with a lower melting point than most greases. It softens just enough from the warmth of the motor to trickle down the wicks and lubricate the bearing or bushing. A grease with a higher melting point won't flow to provide the needed lubrication and grease that melts at too low a temp will overflow and likely ruin the motor. I hope to create another video to show this. So, no, Tri Flow should not be used for motor lubrication.
Oh the horrors! Finding parts! Timing the needle! Disassembly of the two new shuttle, rebuilding the original shuttle out of parts.Oi! I made it into a functioning machine.Patience and persistence prevailed!
Excellent 2 part video. I am rewiring and restoring a 1936 Singer 99-13 with a singer BR 7 motor. I have rewired the motor and it runs well and makes a great stitch but there is a loud whirring sound coming from the pully end of the motor. I wonder if it has anything to do with the fact that I used 16 gauge wire instead of 18 - this was all I could find. I did clean the inside parts of the motor with alcohol swabs, but did not oil them. Any help would be appreciated. Lory
Pre-oil new wicks. Otherwise the bearings run dry until the grease is warm enough to release the oil and saturate the wick. Overfilling doesn't hurt a totally clean port. It is wasteful as excess grease will go up the cavity past the wick into the gear area. Do grease the gear occasionally
Hi, great video! I have a 1954 Singer 306, it was given to me like 4 years ago. I had maintenance done on it when I got it, but I don't think he greased it , myself, I have never greased it. I noticed that the ports have a wick in it( my Featherweight, has the ports but don't see any wicks, it's easy to grease). Anyways, I noticed the the wick is black and hard, there is no way it will take in the grease. Can the wick be cleaned or should it be replace? Where can I get a new wick?
Hi Stephen! Louis from CT. I have Singer Lubricant that appears to be white lithium grease while I noticed your lubricant in the same tube is green-brown gel like. Are these both the same lubricant?
Great info! I have a question: What about the wicks at the front of the machine? Do they use Singer lubricant as well? How do you replace those? Thanks!
Hello. This machine does not have 'front wicks'. Would you be referring to the small red wick that is a part of the shuttle & hook on Singer 66, 99, and 185 models?
My Singer 15-91 seems to have wicks inside the thumbscrew above the presser bar and another one above the needle bar. I can’t really read the labels of the pictures in the manual I downloaded, but it appears that these wicks should be oiled instead of using lubricant. They are very black (my machine was built in 1934, so I’m not surprised these wicks are black!) Should I replace them?
Oh yes, now I know what you were referring to. Yes, some though not all of the Singers have small wicks at the upper ends of the presser and/or needle bars to allow for a slower application of oil. I oil those when I have machines but I have not had any of them that would not wick oil. For some reason, the wicks used for grease/lubricant flow in the motor bearings seem to get brittle and don't work well even when adding new lubricant which is why I always changes those.
After cleaning the under carriage and cleaning out the caps covering the gears, do I replace lube with grease or oil? The manual says to oil these points but I’ve totally eliminated all lube.
The ONLY lubricant that you should ever put into a Potted Motor design such as the one in this video is Singer Lubricant (grease). Any oil would ruin the motor in short order. When the manual says to 'oil points', it is not referring to the Potted motor but rather other oiling points. It can be a bit confusing given that both oil AND grease are technically lubricants, but Singer referred to its grease as "Singer Lubricant" and oil should be referred to as oil. Hope this helps.
No, that grease is a different formulation and should not be used on vintage machines; especially for machines that take grease that is fed through wicks to the motor bearings.
Is there a way to verify this?? I have a 1957 201 looks just like this one. I bought the purple one but haven’t installed the new grease yet. But on the singer amazon page it doesn’t seem to clarify this. Love your videos!!! It’s been very helpful for me!!
Thanks for your vids. I inherited my gmas 201 and have been following your videos for cleaning and maintenance. Only two problems....I can't find singer lubricant, any ideas on a substitute? And, any suggestions on the wool wick?
I'm one of those people who made every single thing wrong that could go wrong. For some reason I thought I could pull the machine out of the box and go. It happened. But then trouble occurred. No Name machine, no feed dogs, poor design, an idiot driver, Then came the dreaded cotton lock!
When installing new wicks, I heat a bit of grease in an old spoon under low heat until it melts (a lighter will do it) and pre-load or saturate the new wick with the liquified grease. Then go about with the installation. This gives the armature bearings a head start and some instant lubrication.
Your videos are so helpful, thank you!
I thought I would share my 'wick restoration' idea, as I have been unable to come up with any wicking material.
The clips came out easily using hemastats, incidentally.
I soaked the old wicks in a little dish if turpentine, left the springs attached!
One was harder than the other, & so soaked it longer. I then rolled them on a paper bag to remove excess turpentine. They softened up & were much improved! Hope this too is helpful!
Again you have proven yourself to be the best in the business. So very informative and helpful. I would like to share a tip with you. Instead of Q-tips to clean out the gear area, I use a hemostat and paper towel. Tear about 4"×4" piece. Fold it down to 1/2"x4", then in half. You should end up with 1/2x2. Clip the open end in the hemostat and clean away. I find it leaves next to nothing for fibers, and it won't break on you. Got mine at a model train show, but you can probably find it on eBay. Again, I can't thank you enough.
Thank you Ronald. I will have to look into this as an option!
Thanks for the video, very helpful. 👍
Very welcome!
Thanks for finishing it up.
No problem!
The featherweight shop sells sew-retro grease has a low melting point and they have done experiments and show videos and claim that it is even better than singer lubricant. What do you think?
I put this in my machine and it was very sluggish afterwards. Still trying to figure this out
Great information
Glad you liked it
I have a pre-owned 201 Singer sewing machine which stitches beautifully, however I notice a "hot" smell when I try to use the machine. I oiled the machine, but not the motor. Any ideas as to what could be the problem? The machine runs smoothly and the timing is great as well. I am concerned about the hot smell, though.
I would stop using the machine immediately and keep it unplugged as a precaution. It could require a rewiring of the motor, the speed controller, or both. The rewiring can be simple for someone who has electrical wiring skills. But be sure to have it done professionally. Another option is to replace both speed controller and motor with new generic replacements. The motor replacements are for the belted 201's. For 201's with potted motors, either a full rewire or a replacement with a vintage motor in better condition would be the options available. Either way, the 201's are incredible and worth the effort/cost in my opinion as well as the opinions of lots of sewers who love them.
I just reassembled mine with Lucas Red and Tacky grease, then I watched this video. Hope I'm not destined for destruction. Project Farm said it was the "best grease" but maybe not for this wicking application.
Hello DJ. That is a fun YT channel but unfortunately, the products and uses for that test are NOT for sewing machine use. One reason that I think Singer may have referred to their motor grease as "Singer Lubricant" was perhaps to keep it from being confused with the generic term "Grease". As it turns out, there are lots of types of grease that can have different uses and characteristics. The Singer motors which require lubrication need a product that has a lower melting point than the Lucas product. I do not know the exact specification for the Lucas product. If you applied it conservatively in the correct place, it MIGHT NOT damage the motor, but it will likely not liquify at the right temperature in order to be effective. I would remove the Lucas and replace with Singer Lubricant.
Hi! I really appreciate that you share your knowledge and experience with us.
I'm trying to help a friend with her Kenmore 10, model 385.12490. I can't find videos that address with the machine keeping sewing on reverse after the reverse knob been released.
I am learning a lot from your videos. Could you do a video on how to replace the singer motor fiber gear (the thing with teeth) that goes on the hand wheel? Thanks for your wonderful videos.
Great suggestion!
Did yours break? I ask because I have never heard of one breaking or stripping.
Thanks so much. Great videos. Is there a difference between grease and motor lubricant? I use Tri-Flow grease and assume motor lubricant is different????
Yes Dave, it's a different product. As mundane as it might sound, greases vary in their makeup and properties. Singer Lubricant is a 'grease' with a lower melting point than most greases. It softens just enough from the warmth of the motor to trickle down the wicks and lubricate the bearing or bushing. A grease with a higher melting point won't flow to provide the needed lubrication and grease that melts at too low a temp will overflow and likely ruin the motor. I hope to create another video to show this. So, no, Tri Flow should not be used for motor lubrication.
Oh the horrors! Finding parts! Timing the needle! Disassembly of the two new shuttle, rebuilding the original shuttle out of parts.Oi! I made it into a functioning machine.Patience and persistence prevailed!
Excellent 2 part video. I am rewiring and restoring a 1936 Singer 99-13 with a singer BR 7 motor. I have rewired the motor and it runs well and makes a great stitch but there is a loud whirring sound coming from the pully end of the motor. I wonder if it has anything to do with the fact that I used 16 gauge wire instead of 18 - this was all I could find. I did clean the inside parts of the motor with alcohol swabs, but did not oil them. Any help would be appreciated. Lory
Pre-oil new wicks. Otherwise the bearings run dry until the grease is warm enough to release the oil and saturate the wick. Overfilling doesn't hurt a totally clean port. It is wasteful as excess grease will go up the cavity past the wick into the gear area. Do grease the gear occasionally
Good to know!
Hi, great video! I have a 1954 Singer 306, it was given to me like 4 years ago. I had maintenance done on it when I got it, but I don't think he greased it , myself, I have never greased it. I noticed that the ports have a wick in it( my Featherweight, has the ports but don't see any wicks, it's easy to grease). Anyways, I noticed the the wick is black and hard, there is no way it will take in the grease. Can the wick be cleaned or should it be replace? Where can I get a new wick?
What is used for the wicks? Where to find the wick material?
Hi Stephen! Louis from CT. I have Singer Lubricant that appears to be white lithium grease while I noticed your lubricant in the same tube is green-brown gel like. Are these both the same lubricant?
Great info! I have a question: What about the wicks at the front of the machine? Do they use Singer lubricant as well? How do you replace those? Thanks!
Hello. This machine does not have 'front wicks'. Would you be referring to the small red wick that is a part of the shuttle & hook on Singer 66, 99, and 185 models?
My Singer 15-91 seems to have wicks inside the thumbscrew above the presser bar and another one above the needle bar. I can’t really read the labels of the pictures in the manual I downloaded, but it appears that these wicks should be oiled instead of using lubricant. They are very black (my machine was built in 1934, so I’m not surprised these wicks are black!)
Should I replace them?
Oh yes, now I know what you were referring to. Yes, some though not all of the Singers have small wicks at the upper ends of the presser and/or needle bars to allow for a slower application of oil. I oil those when I have machines but I have not had any of them that would not wick oil. For some reason, the wicks used for grease/lubricant flow in the motor bearings seem to get brittle and don't work well even when adding new lubricant which is why I always changes those.
After cleaning the under carriage and cleaning out the caps covering the gears, do I replace lube with grease or oil? The manual says to oil these points but I’ve totally eliminated all lube.
The ONLY lubricant that you should ever put into a Potted Motor design such as the one in this video is Singer Lubricant (grease). Any oil would ruin the motor in short order. When the manual says to 'oil points', it is not referring to the Potted motor but rather other oiling points. It can be a bit confusing given that both oil AND grease are technically lubricants, but Singer referred to its grease as "Singer Lubricant" and oil should be referred to as oil. Hope this helps.
Is the Singer Grease in the white and purple tube different from the Singer grease in the white red and pink tube?
No, that grease is a different formulation and should not be used on vintage machines; especially for machines that take grease that is fed through wicks to the motor bearings.
Is there a way to verify this?? I have a 1957 201 looks just like this one. I bought the purple one but haven’t installed the new grease yet. But on the singer amazon page it doesn’t seem to clarify this. Love your videos!!! It’s been very helpful for me!!
Thanks for your vids. I inherited my gmas 201 and have been following your videos for cleaning and maintenance. Only two problems....I can't find singer lubricant, any ideas on a substitute? And, any suggestions on the wool wick?
I'm one of those people who made every single thing wrong that could go wrong. For some reason I thought I could pull the machine out of the box and go. It happened. But then trouble occurred. No Name machine, no feed dogs, poor design, an idiot driver, Then came the dreaded cotton lock!