So, my Addi knitting machine, yeah, the big one, started making this awful grinding noise. Not the usual clickety-clack, you know? This was… angry. And the handle, it felt like I was churning butter, not knitting. Really stiff. I’d been putting off doing anything about it, mostly ’cause I was a bit scared of messing it up, to be honest.
Figuring Out the Gunk
I knew it probably needed some oil or something. I mean, it’s got moving parts, right? They can’t just run dry forever. I remembered having some sewing machine oil somewhere, the clear kind. Figured that couldn’t be too bad. Some folks talk about special fancy lubricants, but I just wanted to get it working without a big fuss or spending a load of cash.
First thing, I got a clean rag and a couple of cotton swabs. I didn’t want to take the whole thing apart, not brave enough for that yet. I just wanted to get to the bits I could see. I cranked the handle slowly and tried to spot where things were rubbing or looking dry. You can kind of see the main gear bits if you peer in there.
Getting Down to Business
Okay, so here’s what I actually did:
- Wipedown first: I took the rag and wiped off any fluff and dust I could reach around the moving parts under the carriage and where the handle goes in. Surprising how much gunk collects there!
- The oiling part: Then I got my little bottle of sewing machine oil. I put just a tiny drop on the main gear that the handle turns. And then I carefully dripped a little where the needle shanks slide up and down in their tracks. I didn’t want to drown it, just a bit here and there. I used a cotton swab to spread some of it into tighter spots.
- Working it in: After applying the oil, I slowly turned the handle for a few minutes. Like, really slowly at first. I wanted that oil to get everywhere it needed to go. Then I cranked it a bit faster.
The Big Reveal (or, Did It Work?)
And you know what? The grinding noise? Gone. Mostly. It’s way, way quieter. And the handle! Oh man, it turns so much smoother now. Like, night and day. It feels like a new machine almost. I was pretty chuffed with myself, not gonna lie.
My big takeaway? Don’t be scared to give it a little TLC. I didn’t do anything super technical. Just a bit of cleaning and a few drops of oil in the obvious places. It made a huge difference. I reckon I’ll try and do this more regularly now, before it starts complaining again. It wasn’t nearly as complicated as I’d built it up to be in my head. Just gotta get in there and do it sometimes, right?
