Hey all! We’re in need of a volunteer that is either experienced in sewing machine maintenance, or patient and detail oriented to give our pair of Janome Mod 19 Sewing Machines a deep cleaning!
The Janomes float around the room since they are often out from use/classes or in storage (50/50 chance one is above the printers, or the storage cubby), so it may take some investigative skill to locate both of them. Machine maintenance supplies are in the marked cabinet in the storage cubby.
If this seems like something in your wheelhouse, drop a comment here or send me a message and I’ll help in any way that I can!
Hi Nick - thanks for clarifying that the Discourse posts are not really exposing volunteer opportunities most effectively.
At present I am hoping to get involved with Laser Cutters and 3D Printers as new shop areas where I have no expertise or even exposure, but those two areas would be most useful in realizing some of the electronics projects I have on my list. For that I will respond to Michael Doto’s message and he can put me in touch with those leads.
Electronics has been my focus in the 2 weeks I’ve been a member - attended the Office Hours for Electronics this past weekend so I’m making some new friends and have a comfort level for that shop after some Q&A with John, the lead there.
I am not a sewing machine user now, though I did some things many years ago when I was a Boy Scout and I needed to make flags and related stuff. I did work in bicycle repair back before the advent of eBikes, so I’ve got the mechanical and electronic background that sounds suitable to your sewing machine maintenance. So I’d love to learn about these newer machines and see more of what gets done in Textiles as I’m pretty clueless on that. (My wife is still working as a teacher and has zero time, but when she slows down she may want to get involved in Textiles.)
Could we meet at ASMBLY next week to get me enough orientation on the Textiles room/equipment locations to start some of the simpler work to start in May then get better in June?
Hi Again Nick - I’m planning to view the videos then be onsite Friday morning and will look around in Textiles and see if I can find any of those Janome machines. If you don’t need to say anything to me other than what is in the videos and you are OK with me just diving in, I may do that if the videos are self-explanatory.
It is not clear to me where I should work and what tools might be available. I’m familiar with the Electronics shop and could probably set myself up in the MPR and take the tools I need from that shop. Let me know if you have a better plan.
One of the machines are in each location I mention in the initial post currently. There’s a cabinet in the storage cubby (top left) with some tools/the oil needed, and some tools may be stashed in the tiny drawer on the Juki sewing machine as well.
Feel free to borrow tools from elsewhere as long as they’re returned when you’re done! The textiles space has some very large tables that would likely work, but no reason the MPR cannot as well if you’d prefer.
I’ll try to stop in while you’re working on these, but my work schedule is opposed to most folks waking hours, so mornings can be a challenge lol.
Hi Nick - it is a bit after noon and I’m in the Textiles room, having found the two Janome machines, the sewing machine oil and the box of tools. So I think I have everything needed to do the simple cleaning and oiling in the first video. Will add more of an update after I’m more familiar with the basics of these machines.
One of the two Janome sewing machines (the one stored in the white cubby unit) is now cleaned up and oiled and I believe this is the first time this has been done based on what I cleaned out in terms of thread, lint, and general grime (see attached.
Also, I had to scour the Textile room to find a suitable screwdriver blade to remove some of the necessary pieces, eventually finding the multi-tip tool showing at the bottom of the photo. This tool appeared in the Janome Instructions book, so I’m guessing one of these came with every new machine but they have wandered off. Would it be OK for me to purchase about 4 of these, possibly from a dealer, and store them with a marking of some kind, in with the other tools? Without a very stubby screwdriver or this tool it is very tough to get the cover over the bobbin area off to do the cleaning and oiling.
I will do the other machine (stored above the printers) next week.
Thank you Jim!!! This is greatly appreciated not only by me but by all members who use the textiles space for sewing.
Countless times I’ve seen members trying to work on projects only to get frustrated with the machine and give up. 90% of the time it’s due to an issue with the machine, not user error, and a majority of these issues can easily be held at bay with some maintenance.
