ShenandoahSewandVac
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Not All That Oils Well Ends Well

11/4/2016

2 Comments

 

Not All That Oils Well Ends Well

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Before you start lubricating your sewing machine, STOP & THINK:

What am I doing?
Don’t use 3-in-1 oil on your sewing machine! While it does have solvents to penetrate, lubricate, and prevent rust, it also leaves behind a sticky residue that will eventually cause the machine to gum up and stop working.



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How do I loosen stuck parts?

Penetrating oils are great for loosening tight parts. In most cases, applying oil and letting it sit for about 5 to 10 minutes will solve your problem. (However, I have had some machines that take days to work free.)

Sadly, penetrating oil is only the first step. After the part is worked free it should be lubricated in order to keep running smoothly.

If not properly lubricated, the heat and pressure caused by the running machine will evaporate penetrating oil and the part will seize up again. This evaporation can happen in as little as 15 minutes.


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When do I lubricate my sewing machine?

When it comes to machine lubrication, sewing machine oil and gun oil work best. Using sewing machine oil sparingly will keep your machine running for a lifetime, too much oil will soak into your fabric.


2 Comments

Please Clean Between Your Toes

9/30/2016

2 Comments

 
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I'm talking about the feed dog toes.

Several sewing machines that were not feeding (moving) the material well visited the store recently. Something seemed to be slipping.

Theories ranged from the presser foot being worn out to the pressure on the foot being too loose.

However, taking off the presser foot and needle plate revealed the truth...

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The real culprit is lint turning into felt between the toes of the feed dog and becoming matted beneath the needle plate. Once this happens, there's no longer enough space for the feed dog to move the fabric.

One machine this month had so much felt between its toes that the reverse button was banging while the machine was operating!

To repair this situation, remove the needle plate and use a safety pin or stiletto to extract the compressed lint from between the toes of the dog feed.
Be careful not to drop the felt into the machine.

When your machine is clean and happy you'll be happy too!

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When Things Go Screw

5/28/2016

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When Things Go Screwy
Several times a month a customer comes in missing a tension screw. The story goes, " I was just loosening the screw and BONG!! it was gone." The sad part is that the screw did not need to be messed with in the first place. Usually when the tensions in a sewing machine are not working, the problem is with the top tension not the bottom. This is hard to believe when the thread is all balled up under the machine.  If it happens to you, here is a hint to help solve the problem of the missing screw.


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Put a magnet in a plastic bag and slide it around on the floor and around table and chair legs. (Screws love to hide around these places.) You might just find the screw to be replaced into the bobbin case. 
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2 Comments

Nesting Bobbins

3/2/2016

1 Comment

 
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Ever had one of those days where your bobbin is keeping more thread than it can use? It bunches in the bobbin case, it bunches on the seam, it's enough to make a person scream!
This problem has many names: tangling, nesting, clotting, boogering-up....
Whatever you call it, it can turn a good sewing day into a nightmare.

It doesn't have to be this way! Here's what's going on, and how to fix it:
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Much like the Three Stitch Problem, Nesting is the symptom of an upper-thread problem.

This may sound silly, since all the trouble's in the bobbin case, but it's all about the Upper Tension.
The Upper Tension is controlled by a dial.
When threading the machine, the upper thread loops around the tension control before heading up to the Take-Up Finger.

If you loop around the Upper Tension while the presser foot is up, the thread slides nicely between the tension disks as intended.
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HOWEVER, if the presser foot is down during this process, the thread does not fully enter the tension disks.
This means the tension will have no control over the thread during sewing and the bobbin will catch up the extra (or "Nest").
Thankfully, there's an easy way to make sure the thread is in the right position before you start sewing.
Just give that upper thread a simple little tug to make sure it's safely in the tension disks.

Some Upper Tensions are hidden in the machine, so you won't be able to see the tension disks, but gentle tugging will still work.
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What does your Upper Tension control look like? Here are some examples:
1 Comment

The Three Stitch Problem

2/2/2016

1 Comment

 
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You get three stitches into a sewing project and suddenly the thread breaks!
Never fear, the culprit is probably just your Take-Up Finger.

Let's break this down:

When a sewing machine is threaded, it is easy to forget the Take-Up Finger.

The Take-Up Finger is a lever that lifts and lowers the thread with each stitch.

Depending on your machine, the Take-Up Finger will be in the front or side above the tension control.
Check out some examples at the end of the article.

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Accidentally skipping the Take-Up Finger in threading leads to the Three Stitch Problem.

The first stitch or two may look fine, but something happens by stitch three...


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Why does this happen?
The Take-Up Finger is needed to pull the upper thread around the bobbin and back to the surface. Without it, the thread is taut and is unable to give.


Next time the Three Stitch Problem turns up, take a look at your Take-Up Finger. Rethreading the machine may save you a lot of sewing anguish.

What does your Take-Up Finger look like? Here are a few different examples
1 Comment

Light of Hope

11/30/2015

 
Thank you to everyone who showed their support! We raised $140 for Family Promise of Shenandoah County.
Miss the special, but still want to help? Check out the Website.

Give the Light of Hope to Homeless Families in Shenandoah County

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Family Promise is a parachurch ministry that helps homeless families regain their dignity and independence.
Unlike many homeless shelters, families are given private living quarters during their stay and receive financial training and assistance in applying for employment.
Most "graduate" (achieve independence) from the program in six weeks.

Shenandoah Sew and Vac wants to help give homeless families the light of hope.
That's why we're offering a special deal this December:
Bring in any lamp for repair with Family Promise Gift Certificate and get $5.00 off Labor (printable Certificate available at bottom of page).
For every Certificate used, Shenandoah Sew and Vac will donate $5.00 to Family Promise of Shenandoah County, a new affiliate which will serve Shenandoah County starting in 2016.

Here's How It Works:
A lamp repair usually costs $15 in labor. With the gift certificate: Costumers save $5 - Family Promise recieves $5 - and Shenandoah Sew and Vac makes $5.
Here's a video explaining the ministry.           "IHN" is Family Promise's former title.

5 Things Never to Vacuum

2/13/2015

5 Comments

 
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Vacuum cleaners are a great invention. They keep us from having to beat our rugs.
There are some things, though, that just shouldn't be vacuumed up--for your health and that of your machine.
1. Carpet Powder
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Love my carpet-hate my vacuum powders adding scent to your home and machine.
Problem: Carpet powder is so fine it escapes bags and filters and gets into the bearings, motors, and the fans of your machine. This, in addition to damaging critical inner-workings, sends the dust into the air and your lungs. Carpet powder is also known to clog the pores in vacuum bags and filters. This means your vacuum can not breath and could overheat--possibly to the point of burning out the motor.
Solution: If you want to improve the smell of your vacuum, spray a favorite scent onto a tissue and vacuum it into the machine. (Do NOT spray anything directly onto a bag or filter, it will cause damage)

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5 Things to Check before taking your Vacuum to the shop

9/3/2014

1 Comment

 

5 things to Check before taking your Vacuum to the Shop

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So your vacuum just quit working.
What now?
Well, before you take it into the shop, why not do a quick diagnosis of the problem--it might be simpler than you expect.


1. Check the electrical outlet
  There's not much more embarrassing than taking something into the shop and having it run just fine when it was dead at home. If the vacuum doesn't run, see if the outlet is giving power (this is a pretty easy fix).

2. Belt
    Unplug and flip the vacuum over. Does the belt look loose, broken, or melted? If so, it is time to replace it. There's often a distinctive smell that goes along with this problem-- burning rubber.

3. Bags/filters
   
When was the last time you emptied the bag and/or cleaned the filters? Replacing a full bag will often get a vacuum back to running like new. Filters are very important--especially on bag-less machines--they keep dirt from getting into important places like the motor.  Some filters are washable, look in your instructions to see how to clean them.

4. Hose
   
One frequent problem is clogging, especially if you have pets, long hair, new carpets, or like to vacuum up large pieces of rubbish. Without airflow, the vacuum will overheat and shut down. Remove your hose and drop a quarter in one end. Hold the hose vertically. Did the quarter come out? If not, you have a clog. Use a yard stick to clear out the blockage--be careful not to compact the dirt inside.
(Do NOT use coat hangers to clear a clog, they can destroy your hose)

5. Reset Button

    Locate the reset button and press. If it restarts, diagnose what caused the problem in the first place--see above options.

1 Comment

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    Shenandoah Sew and Vac is a small retail and repair business located in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia.

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