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How to Clean the Needle Shaft
So you clean the shaft the needle bar goes through, too.
Yes, it's often overlooked. Ruth mentions it in the video too, but apparently some people never clean it (lol).
Step 11 covers how to clean the needle shaft.
When you pull out the needle bar, the passage it runs through is the needle shaft.
Clean the inside of this narrow shaft with a brush. Suitable brushes are inexpensive and easy to find online or at a hardware store.
Step 11
Step 11: Cleaning the needle shaft
Step11:Cleaning The Needle Shaft.
The video below starts from Step 11. In each post, the video will start at the matching step.
*The video is in the original English. Turning on YouTube captions makes it easier to follow.
Put a fresh paper towel under the looper area. Insert the cleaning rod into the hole at the top of the machine where you removed the needle bar. Push the cleaning rod into the needle shaft and move it up and down. Dirt, lint and other debris falling from the shaft will collect on the paper towel. When you are done, put one drop of oil in the needle shaft. If you use the machine eight hours a day, everything explained so far should be done every week.
If you use it less, you can clean less often; if you use it more, clean more often. Some of you probably have machines that haven't been cleaned in years...
You may wonder how they ever ran. You'll be amazed at the difference.
Even fine lint affects thread tension
A chain stitch embroidery machine is made of iron gears and shafts, so it is very sturdy. With normal use, parts rarely chip or break.
But when lint, dust and debris build up in the small spaces, they interfere and affect the thread tension and stitches. So if it suddenly won't sew well, or isn't working even though you're embroidering the same way as always, try this kind of maintenance.
Set up a maintenance schedule
Personally, I think it's best to make everything a habit. It's like housecleaning: if you clean a little every day and every month, the big year-end cleaning is much smaller.
I do maintenance every Saturday and after a large batch of embroidery. Rather than doing maintenance once the machine starts acting up, it's better to make it a habit so you can always embroider in top condition. It also extends the life of the machine, so it's a win-win.
I will keep writing a blog post for each step.
