This little guide is in particular for the Bernina 4,5 and 7 series, these are the machines with the large black bobbin case and large black bobbins. Bernina has approved an alternative way of oiling them and I recommend you to apply oil every morning before you start sewing and about every two to three hours after that. You’ll be able to hear when it needs more oil. Below is the new alternative way of oiling these sewing machines, this method is a much simpler way than what is diagrammed on the machine.
How often to Oil your Bernina Sewing Machine
We would suggest that you grease your machine every time before you start stitching. Then it is vital to reapply additional oil every two to three hours. When it’s time to add extra oil, the machine usually makes a sound. Then, within the hook area, there is another region that has to be oiled about every two weeks to a month.
How to oil you Bernina Sewing Machine
This guide is only intended for the sewing machine in the 4,5 and 7 series of Bernina Sewing Machines. So only follow this if you have one of these machines:
Bernina 790, 780, 770, 765, 750, 740, 700, 590, 580, 570, 535, 500, 480, 475, 435.
Step 1. Open the Sewing Machine
Before you attempt to oil the sewing machine, make sure you unplug the foot control to make sure we won’t hurt ourselves in case we step on. Then remove the presser foot and remove the remove the needle plate.
Step 2. Applying the Oil
The spot that needs to be oiled is a very shiny spot that you can see in the image below. Apply a generous drip of oil, which will last for about two to three hours of sewing.
Step 3. Reassemble the Machine
Put the needle plate back in place, reattach the presser foot and plug the foot control back into the machine. After oiling it is always recommended to sew out a few inches on a practice piece of fabric. This way, any additional oils won’t get on your main projects.
Additional spot to apply Oil
There is one additional area that needs to be oiled about every two weeks to a month. This is located inside the hook area where there are two small pads to oil. Start by remove the bobbin case, open up the hook area and pull out the nine hook. Inside this there are two little pads to oil (see picture below). They don’t need much oil but they do need to be lubricated and saturated every couple weeks two month depending upon how much you use your machine.
Putting the hook back into place
To put the hook back into the machine, an easy way is to lay it on the black plastic wit the reverse side up and the hook point nearest to you. Lift the black plastic up and when the hook is in place in the machine, gently move the hand wheel back and forwards. While moving the hand wheel gently back and forth you should hear the magnet snap the hook back into place.
Where not to Oil
A frequent question is if you should you oil the red spot on a Bernina sewing machine. For the newer models you are not to oil this port anymore. This is the red spot pictured in the image below. If oil gets into this spot it will get contaminations in it and could hurt the machine in the long run.
What applicator for the oil is best
We would recommend you to use a special applicator. This holds an ounce of oil with the two inch needle tip and a leak proof scabbard on the tip. This applicator does not come from Bernina but this is a much easier way to not to get a mess when you oil.