If Your Sewing Machine Isn’t Working, Check These Common Problems
A sewing machine is a fantastically useful thing, but too often sewing machines languish in the closet because something didn’t work right the last time you tried to use it. Luckily, many common sewing machine problems can be fixed on your own in just a few minutes.
Let’s give your car a quick check and maybe you can get it running smoothly again without a trip to the repair shop. Once you understand what the problem is, there are many guides and blogs that will help you find specific fixes for your car model. And always remember to look for the manual for your machine! Each model has its own control features and features.
Adjust the thread and bobbin tension.
If the thread continues to bunch up or the stitching doesn’t look right , something is likely too tight. A standard sewing machine uses two threads: one that unwinds from a spool at the top of the machine and passes through the needle, and one that comes out of a tiny spool called a bobbin at the bottom (it often looks something like this ). If the machine is adjusted correctly, these two threads wrap around each other to form each stitch.
If one of these two threads is tighter than the other, the resulting stitch may fail. For example, if the bottom of your fabric looks like one tight thread with a bunch of loose loops surrounding it, either the bobbin thread is too tight or the top thread is too loose.
So check out both threads. Did you pass the top thread through all the places it should go when you threaded the machine? Have you loaded the bobbin correctly? If both of them are fine, check the tension settings of both threads. The top thread will have a tension switch – often a knob on the front of the machine. The bobbin thread tension is usually adjusted with a screw on the bobbin case (right – tight, left – loose). Your machine probably came with a suitable tiny screwdriver; If not, consider purchasing a sewing machine repair kit .
Check your needle
For the needle to go smoothly, it must be straight, sharp (unless you are using a ballpoint needle), and positioned correctly. Make sure the needle is not bent and replace it if you don’t remember the last time you changed it. One side of the needle is flat where you attach it to the machine; Usually this side should be facing towards the rear, but it depends on your car. If in doubt, check the manual.
Different fabrics require different needles, so make sure you use the right one. (If the machine keeps skipping stitches, there’s a good chance you’re using the wrong needle.) Machine needles come in different sizes, some are sharp and others are ball-point. It’s hard to tell just by looking at the needle what type of needle you have, so check the packaging it came from. It’s a good idea to have a variety of needles on hand—perhaps bring a set like this one with you—so you can try a different size or type when troubleshooting.
Make sure the settings allow you to sew
If the machine doesn’t sew at all, you may have forgotten to flip a switch somewhere. First, check the obvious: is it turned on? Is the pedal connected? Is the presser foot down?
If the machine hums and buzzes but the needle doesn’t move, you may have the winder on. This is a feature that allows the machine’s motor to wind the bobbin instead of sewing and shuts down the entire sewing machine while you do it. On a modern machine, find a switch that you can flip. On an older car, you may need to turn the wheel located inside the flywheel on the side of the car.
If the needle moves up and down but the fabric does not pass through the machine, check the feed dogs. These are barbed rods under the needle that move as they slide across the fabric as you sew. There is a switch that turns them off; You may have accidentally clicked it, so just turn it on again. The feed mechanism also depends on the presser foot to provide the necessary pressure, so check this setting too and make sure you are not trying to thread through too many layers of fabric at once.
Actually clean the damn thing.
There are always things to check (again, read your car’s manual!), but we’ve gone through the most important ones. One last thing to consider: if the machine is working more or less fine, but sometimes acts a little strange, clean it! Open the bobbin case and any other accessible area, clean out the lint and apply a few drops of machine oil as directed in the manual. (By the way, “sewing machine oil” is mineral oil, not WD-40.) A cleaning kit with brushes and tweezers may come in handy.