Tips & Techniques

Viking 1+ Maintenance

When you change threads, never pull the thread backwards

By grabbing the spool. I would cut the thread just above the very first guide on the top of the machine, then pull the thread through from the needle area. If you pull it backwards and it has frayed, those frayed threads might get caught in the tension disks. Pulling it forward through the thread path "flosses" the tension disks.

First, cleaning the machine inside where the take-up lever is or cleaning the area behind the bobbin case WILL NOT VOID YOUR WARRANTY.

Thread wrapping inside of machine by take-up lever connection

When you are embroidering, the stitching is very fast and sometimes only one ply of the thread breaks and it sort of sucks the tail inside and wraps around that connection where the take-up lever is attached.

The first time I ever saw it on someone's machine, it was wrapped so full that it looked like a bobbin was inside the machine. As that fills up, it will push your take-up lever to the left and eventually you will hear it banging because it is so close the front cover of the machine. I had a class where 22 people were sewing and I could hear that noise. Three people in the class had this thread wrapped in there and didn't even know it.

Make sure the machine is turned off. Turn the handwheel towards you so the take-up lever goes down a bit and that connection moves forward.

If you see thread wrapped in there, it has to be removed. It is at the lower end of the take-up lever where it connects to another piece.

You can actually remove a small outer covering over that area to make it easier. It is held there by one prong. On the upper left side of your machine where the take-up lever is, you will see slots around that area that can be removed. Now, stick your fingers into the cracks on the top and left side of that plate and pull it straight out. Just wiggle it a bit.

It may be really stiff at first, but you can't hurt it. Make sure you watch that little protrusion that fits around the take up lever so you don't damage it as you remove that cover plate.



Now, you can use a Xacto knife or tiny scissors or a ripper and clip all of that thread away. You can't hurt anything in there. It is metal.

You might want to use a tiny computer Vac to remove any stray threads. When you put the cover back on, make sure you look at that upper right side of that plate where it wraps around that take up lever to position it correctly, then just push forward so that protrusion on the plate fits into the slot provided for it.

Flossing the bobbin tension and the top tension:
For the tension disks on top, fold a dollar bill in half and swipe it on each side of the tension disks to remove fuzz or thread particles.

Cut a piece of sewing thread about 8 to 10" long. On the bobbin case (shuttle), thread it under the spring and floss it back and forth to remove any lint or fuzz. . Use your cleaning brush on the inside of the bobbin case to remove any lint or fuzz.

To clean the bobbin area:

1. Turn the machine off.

2. Lower the feed dogs.

3. Remove the cover plate of the machine. There will be a half rounded out area of the bed of the machine to the right front of the plate so you can easily place you thumb there to push upward and back to release the plate.

Use your little cleaning brush to remove any fuzz or threads. If you have a computer vac, use it too. Remember brush the feed dogs and in back of them too as much as possible. Search out that lint.

4. Put a small pillow behind the machine and lay the machine back on it so you can see the bobbin area better.

5. Remove the bobbin case and bobbin.

6. You will see 4 screws. Look at those screws closely. You will see that each one is indented in the hole. This is important because when you are done, you want them to look the same way.

7. Loosen all the screws and set them aside and remove the black cover. There are no washers, just screws.

8. To the right, you will see two tiny bulbs. These are the sensors for seeing when you bobbin is low and there is a spacer between them. Be very careful in this area not to move those.

9. Use your cleaning brush to remove any lint in this area. Clean the underside of the feed dogs too. Get any fuzz away from those sensors.

10. I keep "Tri Flow" at all time. This can be purchased from some dealers but should be readily available in hardware stores and bike shops. I put a 2 drops of it on a Q tip and wipe the inside curved part of that area. That area is called the "driver". You don't want it oily, just a dab will do.

The part you removed that held the bobbin case is called "the hook". See the upper right of photo for the hook? Wipe the inside and the outer side of the hook with that Q tip too. Make sure you clean the actual metal hook which is the pointed metal part. If you use a sticky stabilizer or spray adhesive, it gets on this hook and causes bad stitches. Wipe it over the needle to. If the Q tip is dirty, get a new one and put a 2 drops on it.

11. On the backside of the hook, you will see a protrusion that fits into a groove in the driver. This makes it easy to see how to replace the hook.

12. Put the cover that held the 4 screws in place. Now, this is very important!!.
Place the screws in the holes then starting at the top right tighten that screw a little bit and then move to the lower left and tighten that one a little bit.

Then move to the top left and tighten that a bit and move to the lower right and tighten that a little bit.

Then go back to the first screw and tighten it some more and move on to each screw. When you are done, all the screws should be indented just like they were at the beginning.

When you tighten the screws, turn the screwdriver until it catches, DO NOT FORCE IT MORE THAN NECESSARY.

Cleaning the outside of the machine.

I use a cotton cloth sprayed with window cleaner. Do not spray onto the machine. Just wipe the machine down good and get under the arm of the machine where dust collects.

I also like to use a product called "Gel Gloss" that I purchase at the hardware store. I put it on a clean cotton cloth and wipe the machine with it. Not the screens. When it dries, I rub it with a clean cloth to bring up the shine. This protects the machine from scratches and dye coming off the fabrics.

Bobbin Winding for the 1+

When you wind the bobbin, first make sure the logo side is facing out. If you are winding through the thread path, don't take the thread through the needle, just to the guide above the needle.

Then take it over to the right side through the tension slot (do not wind it around the little silver tension knob. Take the thread under the bobbin and then over the bobbin. Also, inside the bobbin on the side where the logo is, you will see grooves. Make sure that you wrap the thread 3 times
towards the front of the bobbin where these grooves are and then put the tail of the thread in the cutter.

Use your foot pedal to wind the bobbin at a medium speed. If there is still a tail hanging out at the beginning, cut as close to the bobbin as you can.

Auxiliary spindle winding from the side:
If you are winding from the back of the machine instead, make sure you take the thread from the back spool through the top right thread guide, then to the bottom guide, then across the side of the machine to the little silver tension disk. Now, take that thread under the tension disk, then over it, like you are making a figure 8 and then across to the bobbin and under and then over and wind 3 times to the front of the bobbin where the grooves are inside and the logo is facing out. Put the thread tail in the cutter.