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	The Stitches Per Inch Ratio is increased when the heel spring is engaged. The ratio is decreased about the same amount when the tension nut is turned down 1/2 turn. Some manuals say to decrease the tension 1/2 turn when using the heel spring to maintain the same stitch count for the heel as the leg. Elsie McCarthy leaves the tension the same when engaging the heel spring to purposely increase sock weight in heel and foot. Plan ahead and decrease tension before starting the sock to prevent too tight a tension when the heel spring is engaged.


	Lubrication--Grease or Oil A Beginners Guide by Fred Hauck Lubrication of a circular sock machine is a topic of importance to every user. Many good suggestions for lubrication have been offered, but it still requires individual experimentation to find a method that works best on a given machine. If you are just learning to operate a sock machine, this article may help you get the most out of available lubricants. The first problem I encountered when learning to lubricate my knitter was oil on the knitted fabric. Many of the antique knitters have old worn and rusty needles, and efforts to make them knit has led to over lubrication. Sock machines have several places that need lubrication to improve operation. No one type of lubricant is ideal. If the gear ring and cam ring were greased with heavy axle grease, the machine would be hard to crank. If too much light oil is applied, it will flow out the bottom and drip on fabric under the cylinder. Another consideration is the precision or lack of precision of the working parts. Sewing machines are precision made machines. One drop of light oil in a sewing machine bearing will last for several hours. The same drop of oil on a latch needle begins draining away as soon as it is applied. Is one drop of oil on each needle enough or too much? I used a light oil with a small spout and counted 37 drops to fill a 1/4 teaspoon measure. That means it would take 1/2 a teaspoon to oil 74 latch needles. That is 10 times the oil required to lubricate latch needles. Place one drop of oil on a vertical metal surface and watch it flow for 20 minutes. You will see that it runs about 15 inches down the surface. Oil on a latch needle has the same tendency, and only a thin


	film will remain for long term lubrication. With these lubrication problems in mind, I have adopted a procedure that adequately lubricates all machine parts while eliminating excess oil on knitted goods. An All Purpose White Lithium Grease or automotive chassis grease is suitable for greased places, and No. 5W-20 engine oil works for all other spots. The machine needs to be dismantled for cleaning and applying grease to some places. Remove the cylinder and cam, clean the bearing surfaces and apply a coating of oil with a tooth brush or small artist brush. If grease is used on these bearings, the machine may turn a little harder than necessary. Remove the crank wheel from the base and apply grease to the bearing post. Grease can also be applied to the tension cam post, the ribber plate shaft and to the open gear teeth on the gear ring and crank. I use a tooth brush to apply grease to the gears in a thin coating and wipe off excess. After assembly of the machine, wipe off all exposed surfaces with a small cloth patch containing a few drops of light oil. Follow that by wiping with a clean cloth. Put one drop on each up throw latch. Apply a few drops of oil to the ribber plate and dial. Finally, brush oil onto the cylinder and needle shanks in the groves and brush oil on the needle hooks and latches. Seven drops of oil on a tooth brush are sufficient to lubricate the cylinder and all its needles, and 5 more drops to oil the ribber and its needles. This will consume 1/10 as much oil as applying one drop on each needle. A very thin film of oil on the stand, base and body of the machine will prevent rust and brighten the appearance of old knitting machines. By following this procedure, your machine will have adequate lubrication and rarely contaminate the work with oil.