How to Oil Your Sewing Machine (Using the 221 Featherweight as an Example)

Oiling your machine can seem intimidating for the mechanically-challenged, but like most things I'll cover here, it becomes quick and easy the more you do it. And you should do it, so that your machine will last and last. (It's also important not to overdo it, which I'll cover below.) See that machine up above? It's a 1937 model 221, the first Featherweight I ever fixed up, which I gave to a friend for her birthday. It runs like a top and I plan for it to continue doing so through regular oiling.

These guidelines can be applied to any machine, but I'm using a 221 here because someone specifically requested a 221 oiling demo.

Get That Silver Shiny!

Today we'll cover cleaning up the shiny, silver parts of your machine. I've had very good results using Maas Metal Polish, which kind of smells like lavender. It's the first metal polish I tried, so I can't say if it's better than any others; if there's an alternate product you recommend, please let us know in the comments.

Here's a 201-2 with a not-so-nice stop motion wheel. That's the knurled silver dial unsexily referred to in the Adjuster's Manual as the "clamp screw."

Now let's get down to work.