Common Sewing Machine Issues

Check These Out First

Check The Basics First
It is very common, for even experienced sewing machine users, to have problems or issues with your machine. Unless there really is something wrong with your machine it often comes down to user-error, lack of cleaning, the use of poor quality needles or thread, or thread path damage causing snagging. Other than the suggestions below, it is worth checking things in your machine manual.
Before you start making machine adjustments, which can sometimes make the situation worse, take a deep breath and check through these areas first.

The issues covered here are:
Poor stitching with thread bunching or nesting on the back of the fabric and in the bobbin case.
Needles bending, or worse, breaking.
Breaking thread.
Skipped stitches.
Machine jamming or freezing.
Squeaks and creaks. Machine not running freely and smoothly.

Poor Stitching & Thread Bunching
✔ Remove top thread and re-thread - pressure foot up.
✔ (Check Manual for threading).
✔ Top tension mid scale - 4 to 5-ish

Bent or Broken Needles
✔ Needle clamp screw loose.
✔ User pulling fabric manually.
✔ Poor quality thread.

Breaking Thread
✔ Upper thread tension too tight.
✔ Re-thread upper thread. (Follow your manual).
✔ Blunt or damaged needle.
✔ Confirm that the needle flat side is to the back.
✔ Damaged needle plate or tension discs.
✔ Cheap or poor quality thread.

Skipped Stitches
✔ Needle may be blunt, bent or not inserted correctly.
✔ Push it to the top - flat to the back.
✔ Poor quality needle.
✔ Make sure the needle is right for the fabric and the thread.

Machine Jammed
✔ Check for thread in the lower bobbin case.
✔ Clean & lubricate bobbin case area.
✔ Use handwheel (towards you) to try and free.

Squeaks & Creaks*
✔ *Be prepared to take some casing off
✔ Use handwheel (towards you) to try to locate issue.
✔ Check manual for key oiling points.
✔ (One drop of sewing machine oil at each place.)
✔ If no manual oil anything that rotates, slides or swivels.
✔ Don’t oil belt pulleys or belts.

Obviously, it is not suggested you will find a fix in every case, and if it has not worked for you, it may be time to get your machine looked at.

However, whatever the outcome, we hope you found this useful.

This page is at https://sms-ely.co.uk
© 2024 - Page by Neil Ford of Ely Website SEO, Ely, Cambridgeshire for Sewing Machine Service Ely. All Right Reserved