1. Singer Sewing Machine Merritt 4530

Replace the needle — it may be bent, have a broken tip, or a burr on it. Is the needle inserted in the right direction? Usually the flat side on the top of the needle, goes towards the back, but not always. Side-loading machines will be different, so check your machine’s manual on these. Is the needle pushed all-the-way up?

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If it's skipping stitches, that's the first thing to check. Is it the right needle for your machine? Most machines need a needle with the 130/705H configuration on the package. Schmetz and Bernina needles are interchangeable. Singer needles are not. Clean and oil the bobbin and feed dog area about every 2 to 4 hours of sewing time.

Remove the bobbin, bobbin case, needle plate (and hook on an oscillating bobbin system). Use the lint brush to sweep out the l int, and put one drop of oil on the race or center hole under the bobbin case. Only use clear “sewing machine oil,” not 3-in-one or WD-40. Sew on a scrap of fabric to remove excess oil before sewing an important project. (See the 'How To Clean and Oil the Bobbin Area' page for more details.). Is the bobbin in the bobbin case correctly? Put the bobbin in so the thread makes a “lazy S” as the thread is pulled into the slit.

In other words, you don’t want the thread rolling off the bobbin and straight into the slit. You want the thread to turn back, then go into the slit. Usually, with oscillating or rotary hook systems, when you put your bobbin in the bobbin case and pull the thread, it should rotate clock-wise. Drop-in bobbins will usually rotate counter-clock-wise.

Are you using the correct bobbin for your machine? Check the height and width. It should fit snuggly in the bobbin case, but not bind. And it shouldn't be taller than the bobbin case (unless your machine is a Singer Featherweight). Make sure your bobbin isn’t wound loose or sloppy, and that there are no threads dangling out of the center or wrapped around the outside. If you’ve gone through the list, and you’re still not sewing well, you’ll probably need to take your machine to the shop.

Your machine may just need a deep cleaning. Or, it’s possible that the timing is off. You’ll know this if the needle thread isn’t picking up the bobbin thread, or if the machine is skipping stitches. What causes the timing to go out is hitting a big pin, or sewing over a really thick seam or breaking a needle. Adjusting the timing is something only a trained professional should do.

Hi Karen, Your machine has a side-loading bobbin, which means the needle goes in side-ways, so the hook can pick-up the thread from the back side of the needle. Put a new needle in, so you’re working with a needle you know is straight and sharp. It should take a regular Schmetz 130 705H size 80/12 needle. When a machine is skipping stitches, the first thing to check is that the needle is in the right position, and pushed all the way up. If your needle is in correctly, and it’s still skipping stitches, the timing is off.

Where it’s breaking thread, too, it makes me think the needle may be hitting the hook – needle/hook distance is just one timing setting. Breaking thread could also be because there’s a burr on the hook or on the needle plate.

You can polish a burr off with very fine sandpaper 400 to 600 gritt). Or you could just have rotten thread, so use some brand new quality thread. Hi Mary, It could be a couple things.

First, remove the needle plate and clean out any lint under the feed dogs. Then completely re-thread the top and bobbin, making sure there aren’t any thread tangles along the thread path.

Put your stitch selector on a straight stitch, with the stitch length knob on the highest number, then watch what happens. If it’s not sewing forward, try a different stitch. Sometimes the tracer on the pattern cams gets gummed-up, and you need to flip the stitch selector around to help it dislodge. Sometimes it gets caught in one of those forward/backward stitches, or the buttonhole system.

One more thought. On the front of the machine, just to the right side of the bobbin door, is the feed-dog drop switch. Make sure it’s all the way into the feed dog up position. And give it some oil, on the little barrel at the top of the mechanism. Go that far, and let me know what you find.

I have a Kenmore model 148.19371 that's about 36 years old. I have used it a lot for making clothes and quilts, and it has worked fine with my cleaning and oiling it. But now it looks and sounds like a gear is slipping. The machine runs fine while the bobbin case is out of the shuttle, but putting it back in place causes a grinding noise. I'm able to manually move the left half of the shuttle, the part attached to the machine, and put it back into the correct position so the shuttle can be reassembled, but then it pops back out of place when I try to sew.

Do you think there's anything I can do to fix it? Hi Pam, On those drop-in bobbin machines, there’s a spring that the bobbin case bounces off of. Sometimes the spring gets bent, and sometimes the plastic bobbin case gets a rough spot. With either problem, the machine makes a banging noise every time it makes a stitch, just as the thread is pulled through the gap between them. You can take the plastic bobbin case out and feel for rough spots, especially on the bump that hits the spring. If you find a rough spot, you can polish it off with a very fine sandpaper (400 to 500 gritt).

If the spring is bent, you can usually bend it back into shape. There’s a picture on my blog at this link. Scroll down until you get to “How to Clean and Oil the Bobbin and Feed Dog Area On a Drop-in Bobbin System.” You can click on the picture to make it bigger.

If that’s not the problem, you could be using the wrong bobbin. Those Juki bobbins are very specific to their machine. You can’t use anything but a Juki bobbin in those. I hope that’s helpful. Keep me posted.

Hi Jeri, Most likely, the mechanism is frozen with old oil. If that’s the case, you can use WD-40 to remove the old oil. When you look at the open bottom of the machine, and push the back stitch button, watch what moves. Follow the mechanism from the button to the feed dogs and spray WD-40 along the whole path. Then help the mechanisms to move by hand or with a screwdriver, until the button will do it by itself. Then you have to remove the WD-40. Here’s a link on my blog about how to use and remove the WD-40.

Hi Demaris, Most of the time, when the bobbin case jumps out, it’s because of a defective bobbin. Try to run the machine with the bobbin case in, and no bobbin. If it still jumps out, you’ve probably scrambled something. If it doesn’t, use a different bobbin. A metal 15 class Singer bobbin works better than the plastic bobbins that come with the machine, but they can get bent.

And the plastic bobbins get rough edges. Throw out the bad bobbins so you don’t have the same problem again. As for the belt. I wonder if the motor mount worked loose? Does the motor move around? If so, set the belt tension (not too tight and not too loose) and tighten the bolts on the motor mount. Then make sure there’s no debris getting caught in the belt.

I’ve seen some pretty impressive lint balls that get caught in the belt and it makes a terrible racket. There are certain things, like adjusting the timing, that only a trained tech should attempt. There are several timing settings: needle-hook distance, thread passage, loop lift, return motion, feed dogs and needle bar.

They all need to work together. Generally, if something is froze-up, we don’t need to take anything apart, just work some WD-40 in, and that will take care of it. We see machines that get scrambled because a person doesn’t know what they’re doing, and we can’t always unscramble them. So, before you go any further, ask yourself if it would be better to pay a professional. I have a Kenmore sewing machine that is about 15 years old and it has always worked well, I clean it and oil it regularly when it is in use. I pulled it out to work on a Halloween costume for my daughter and the bobbin is not turning at all. At first I thought it was a timing issue but I took out the bobbin and its casings (like I do when I dust it out) and when I turn the wheel for a manual stitch, nothing moves around in there where the bobbin sits.

The needle is still going up and down, everything looks normal with everything else but the bobbin is not turning. Any thoughts? Hi Lizzie, Sounds like either a gear is broken or a screw is loose.

It’s more likely that a screw is loose somewhere. Those are pretty good machines. Take off the needle plate and the bottom of the machine and watch what happens as you turn the handwheel. If the gears under the bobbin area are covered, remove the gear box cover and watch what goes on with those gears.

If something is just loose, the timing will most likely be off. And timing is something you’ll want a sewing machine mechanic to fix for you. If it’s a broken gear, it can be replaced, but again, the timing will have to be set by a professional. Good Luck with your machine! When a sewing machine eats the fabric, it’s usually when we start sewing on a corner. If you sew on a scrap, on a straight edge, then put your corner in right up next to the scrap, it will prevent the machine from eating the fabric.

Another good habit to get into is to hold the thread tails for the first 2 or 3 stitches, every time you start sewing. I’ve been in the habit of doing just that for 40+ years. Another thing that is worth checking, is the needle. When you’re having trouble with your sewing machine, it’s a good idea to start with a new needle – it could be dull, broken or bent. And be sure you use the right size needle. If the needle is for thicker fabrics, and you’re sewing on thin fabrics, it will push the fabric into the needle hole and jam it. I hope there’s something here that will help.

Hi Mindy, If the handwheel is stuck, it won’t disengage to wind a bobbin. When I get a stuck handwheel, I use two pieces of grippy shelf liner. One is wrapped around the big outer wheel and the other is wrapped around the small, inner knob. Then I use a pair of channel locks to grip the inner knob, and twist with all my might.

That usually gets it un-stuck for me. Someone else suggested getting two strap wrenches to wrap around each part and twist in the opposite direction. I’d like to get a pair of those and try it someday. I have a post about how I had to resort to violence to get one off. Here’s a link to that post.

If the handwheel is popping in and out, that can’t be good. The first thing I’d check is the bobbin winder clutch. Has the center knob been removed?

If so, has it been put back together correctly? It goes back together with the inner ring nubs facing outward. Here’s a picture and instructions for putting it back together correctly. If that’s not it, I wonder if there’s a loose collar on the upper shaft. To check that, grab the upper shaft and see if it will wiggle right to left. Or, maybe the worm gear or the vertical shaft gear are broken, and that might give it some wiggle.

On those old Singers, they’re generally not worth putting the money into them for major repairs, like replacing a gear. But if it’s just the bobbin winder clutch or tightening a collar, it should be something that could be taken care of with a basic service.

I hope you’re able to get your machine going. My friend has a Singer Talent 3321.

It's 4 years old and lightly used. Most recently, it made a clicking noise when sewing. I think I isolated the noise to the outer (metal) bobbin case (the one that rotates when sewing). We changed the needle, re-threaded the machine, changed the bobbin, checked for debris around the bobbin case.

Still clicking. Took the bottom plate off the machine; didn't see anything of note. Took the foot plate off. Couldn't remove the bobbin case without removing screws that were on too tight for me to remove. It sewed fine, so we just used it and hoped it would keep going.

Any other suggestions? Hi Judy, On a drop-in bobbin, there’s a spring under the needle plate, on the right/front.

There’s a bump on the bobbin case that will bounce off of it. If that bump, or the spring, gets damaged, it will make a “thump,” every time the thread goes between it. Another thought is that the needle may be hitting the needle plate or the hook (the part that rotates around the bobbin case). To check if it’s hitting the needle plate, remove the presser foot and watch what happens to the needle when you turn the handwheel. To check if it’s hitting the hook, remove the needle plate and watch what happens when you turn the handwheel. When the needle and hook point come together, there should be one thread distance between them.

If the needle is hitting either one, the needle/hook distance needs to be adjusted. It’s a pretty simple adjustment. If that’s what it turns out to be, I could try to walk you through it.

Let me know what you find out. Hello, I have an old frister and rossmann cub 3. It has been serviced professionally in the last couple of years but I haven't really used it since. I just got it out to start using, and have found that when sewing straight stitch, the line of stitching drifts to one side - every couple of inches, the machine puts in a couple of diagonal stitches as if it is sewing zigzag, or it just drifts and looks a little wobbly.

My tension seems otherwise to be okay, I'm just not getting a nice straight line of sewing, and I'm not sure what I've done wrong! Thank you, Rachel. Hi Rachel, I’ve only worked on a couple of those machines, but haven’t seen that kind of problem with them. However, two of them had broken gears.

It seems to think it’s in zig-zag, but only occasionally. Is the diagonal stitch regularly spaced? If so, it could be a broken gear on top. Otherwise, It’s likely that the mechanisms in the top of the machine are gummed-up. Remove the top cover and check the gears up there.

If neither gear is broken, try some WD-40. Here’s a link on using WD-40 on sewing machines. I hope you’re able to get your machine sewing again!

I do like those old Kenmores, but they can be clatter buckets. The 1680 has a drop-in bobbin with the crazy toggle bobbin case. I’ve tried to order those from Brewer, and they’re not available. You might be able to get one from Sears.

But I imagine the cost is pretty high. Another option is to find another old Kenmore from the thrift store. The front-loading or side-loading Kenmores have a better stitch quality. And you can find them for less than $25.

Kenmores are my favorite thrift store machine. They are solid work horse machines.

Hi, Thanks so much for your website! I have a Sears Kenmore 385-19233 computerized machine, with a 'fried motherboard' (trusted repair shop diagnosis.) This machine served me really well for years, and produces one of the nicest satin stitches I've ever seen (including a 7.0mm stitch width.) Replacing the motherboard will cost more than I paid for the machine, if the repair shop does it. Any suggestions? Is this a part that I could possibly put in myself? I just hate to give up on this machine, but am not sure what to do? Hi KCM, Those Kenmores are pretty great machines. But I DO think you could replace the whole machine for something just as good, for maybe a little more than the price of a new motherboard.

Maybe a Juki HZLK85? They’re around $500 and have the wider stitch width. You may find a Janome that’s comparable, too – Janome made your machine.

No, I wouldn’t try to replace the motherboard yourself. For one thing it’s kinda complicated to get everything out, then back in the way it should be.

And When we replace a motherboard on a Bernina, (where I work) we don’t charge any service fees – just because the part is so expensive. I don’t know how Sears/Kenmore does it. But you’d probably pay the same amount to have it replaced as you would to just buy the part. Thanks so much for this advice!

You're right about the expense-Sears won't do it, and my repair shop researched the cost of the part and found that it would be just about what I paid for the machine in the first place. Thanks for the suggestion on the Juki-that's a brand I have never considered. It's still hard for me to just donate the machine to a thrift store, because it sewed such a nice stitch (and amazing satin stitch) and is still in wonderful shape, except that it has no 'brain' so is totally useless.

Usually when the thread bunches up on the bottom of the fabric, the top thread isn’t in the upper tension correctly. But if it’s bunching up inside where the bobbin is, you need to remove the needle plate and clean inside there.

To remove that needle plate, first remove the clear plastic bobbin cover and the bobbin. Then remove the metal needle plate. To do this, put a small screwdriver in the slot at the back of the needle plate and push it towards you. It doesn’t lift up, it slides towards you. Then you can remove the plastic bobbin case and clean the lint out. Inspect the plastic bobbin case to see if there are any rough spots. If there are, you can remove them with a very fine sandpaper (about 400-500 grit), but be very gentle.

It should only take about 4 gentle swipes with the sandpaper. Then put a drop of oil in the center hole and on the feed dog linkages, which are the joints that move when you turn the handwheel. The hook is the pointed part that rotates around the bobbin case. Check that point for burrs. If the point is rough, sand it gently with the same very fine sandpaper.

Then put it all back together. I hope you can get your machine sewing again. We try not to take the front off of a machine if we don’t need to.

You need to get into the bottom of the machine. The problem is connected to the feed linkage. If you can flip the switch to drop the feed dogs, watch what happens under the machine.

There’s a bullet shaped part that moves in and out of a tube. I couldn’t find a picture of your machine on Google Images, and I don’t have all of them memorized. But on some it’s a plastic tube and on others it’s a metal tube. You need to get some WD-40 worked into that area of the machine. Here’s a link to using WD-40 on your machine. It also helps to heat the part with a hair dryer. There’s a part that should snap into place when it’s time to sew in reverse, but it’s gummed up.

If you watch underneath, you may see a part that moves slowly when you push the reverse button. That’s got to snap in, not take its time. Hi Rosie, Sometimes, replacing the bobbin case will take care of the problem. However, with it coming “unseated,” it’s more likely to be the bobbin case retainer. There’s a finger-like metal piece on the left/back of the bobbin area that sometimes needs to be re-positioned or bent downward to hold the bobbin case better. The bobbin case needs to have a little wiggle room for the thread to pass between the bump and the spring. If adjusting the retainer doesn’t help, then you’d need a new bobbin case.

Maybe you can help before I take the machine back in. I have a Juki F300 and just spent $150 to get it fixed. Bobbin case issue, the only plastic part on Juki Exceeds.

Anyway, was sewing fine, on spandex, zooming along. I ran out of top thread, went and put on a new spool and bam! I have no stitches.

NO matter what I do, rethread, change the spool, machine on an off, change bobbin thread, rethread. Nada, no stitches, can the timing go out for no apparent reason?

I didn' break a needle, go over heavy fabric, just ran out of thread. Is there something I'm no trying before it goes back in. I've only sewn on the 'fixed' machine for a day, but it worked fine for that time until.it didn't.Help.Den. Hi Den, When the presser foot is up, the tension disks are open.

When you put the presser foot down, they close. That’s when you should be able to feel a tug. So, if all you did was run out of thread, I wonder if the thread got stuck on one side or the other of the tension disks? But that still wouldn’t explain why the machine isn’t forming a stitch.

Are you positive that the needle is in correctly? The flat side goes to the back, and make sure the needle didn’t slip down. If the needle is in the wrong position, that will throw the timing off. $150 for a service! That’s criminal! We’re still charging $70. Keep me posted.

All of the above. I checked everything. I've used this machine daily for about 3 yrs and just recently bought the f600 since I love the features of the Exceed line.

Reaced needle, Needle in correctly, thread rethreaded a dozen times as well as bobbin, turned machine on and off thinking maybe a re-boot, and still no stitches. Bobbin case moves but doesnt pick up top thread to create a stitch, its driving me nuts. So I guess my expensive repair guy gets the machine back.

One day of use, no problem, now dead again. I think $150 should last a bit longer.

Must be timing. Hi Debi, You don’t want to open this machine yourself.

There’s too many cables and computer components, and screws in weird places. The only suggestion I have is to try to turn the bobbin winder spindle by hand. If you’re not able to turn it by hand, it’s probably frozen-up. Try putting a little WD-40 on the spindle and let it work in. Try to turn it by hand and keep working it until it’s un-frozen. If that doesn’t work, take it to a Brother dealer. We had one of those in the shop last week with tension disks that wouldn’t close, and The Boss didn’t want to touch it.

And he’s been doing this for 30 years. I have a White 3300 embroidery machine, she's been good to me but the last time I stitched something thick it birdnested, so I took the thread out along with the bobbin, checked the bobbin case for thread underneath then put it back and now the upper thread won't catch the bottom thread, been sewing for years never seen anything like it.

It has the plastic type of bobbin and I have looked everywhere online and I am just beside myself that I really messed something up with her. Is there hope? Should I buy a new bobbin case or do you think it's more serious. Hubby's not too happy with me cause I bought a lot of embroidery designs and now my machine is sick. When you turn the handwheel backwards, it makes the thread tangle up in the bobbin area.

Your machine has an oscillating hook system. It has the best stitch quality, but the bobbin and feed dog areas need to be cleaned and oiled about every 3 hours of sewing time.

If you’re machine isn’t picking up the bobbin thread, the timing is off. The first thing to check is the needle.

Is the needle in with the flat side to the back, and is it pushed all the way up? The second thing to check is the threading. Remove both threads and re-thread.

If your needle is in correctly and the machine is threaded correctly and it’s still not picking up stitches, you’ll need a tech to re-set your timing. Hi Iris, That Bernina 930 is an awesome, powerful machine! I have one at home. The sound is probably the needle up clutch, and nothing to worry about. The 930 has it’s own sound, with a “whirr-and-ca-chink” every time you stop sewing.

It’s not as efficient as the needle up clutches on our modern machines, but was a pretty great thing at the time. If it’s not the needle-up clutch, it may have thread wrapped around the inside of the handwheel – I’ve seen that a few times. Or it may have a pin lodged in there somewhere. If you could blow it out with an air compressor, you might dislodge anything that ‘s in the wrong spot. Hi Meg, I’ve got a couple ideas. We can figure things out by process of elimination. So, #1 is it grinding when the bobbin is in the bobbin case?

#2 Is it grinding when the bobbin isn’t in the bobbin case. #3 Is it grinding when the bobbin case is out? #4 Is it grinding when the hook is out? It could be a bad bobbin (which can be replaced for about 40 cents. It could be a bad bobbin case (which can be replaced for about $3.00).

It could be something that’s embedded in the race (which is the ledge that the hook sits on). Sometimes a broken needle gets jammed in the race. If the hook is out and it’s still grinding, it’s probably the driver gear. You can scramble the timing if you loosen the driver gear, so I’d recommend that you take it to the shop for that. Sometimes the top of the race, just below the needle plate, gets broken off. There’s a spot that freezes up on these type of machines, and it has nothing to do with the bobbin area. There’s a shaft at the top of the machine.

Where the eccentric attaches to that shaft, It needs a little WD-40. That can squeal pretty bad when it’s frozen-up. Let me know what you find out. My first thought is that the tire on the hub is too big. But my second thought is that there should be a way to adjust the spring mechanism.

I don’t have one in front of me to see what’s inside – there’s a lot of different kinds of bobbin winders. If you could send a picture of the bobbin winder assembly, I might be able to see how to adjust it.

A lot of times, there’s a screw in a long hole. So you can loosen the screw and slide the bobbin winder one direction or the other. Let me know what you find out. My first guess is that there's a broken gear somewhere.

But, there are so many Singer Fashion Mate models. Some have gears in the bottom and some don't. My second guess is that something may be getting caught in a belt in the bottom or right end of the machine. Lay the machine on it's back and remove the bottom plate. See if you can spot a broken gear or chunk of lint.

Also, remove the top cover and check the gears up there. If it's got a broken gear, you'd be better off putting your money into a new machine. Hi Machelle, If it turns backwards but is hard to turn, it may just need to have the old oil removed and re-oil. We’d remove the bottom and left side (so you can get to the take-up lever), spray a lot of WD-40 on all of the shafts and eccentrics, then remove the gunk with an air compressor and re-oil. If it moves backwards, freely, it could mean a gear is broken, or the loopers are crashing against each other, the needles or something under the needle plate. To check that, remove the needle plate and see if it’s the loopers.

If it is, take it to the shop and have the timing re-set. If it’s not, check the gears. You may have to remove a lot of the cover to get to the gear. Good Luck with your machine! When that plastic bobbin case gets punctured, you can try to polish it with a very fine sandpaper (about 400 grit). It needs to be smooth where the thread drags across it, and especially at the “bump.” Don’t “sand” it, just gently polish it with a few strokes. If polishing doesn’t work, you may need a new bobbin case.

If it’s looping on the bottom, something is usually amiss with the top tension. Make sure the presser foot is up when you re-thread. When the presser foot is down, the tension disks are closed.

Use a flashlight to visually see if the thread is going between the tension disks. Sometimes it looks like the thread is going where it should, but it goes off to the side.

If re-threading doesn’t work, take the upper tension as high as it will go. If that helps, great! If not, there’s something pretty wrong with your upper tension. It’s time to find a Brother dealer. If the stitch isn’t forming at all, the timing is off. Good Luck to you!

Singer Sewing Machine Merritt 4530

Yes, it would be a good idea to take it to the shop. But It will likely cost more than it would for you to go buy a cheap, new machine from Walmart or JoAnn. I wish I could reach through the world wide web and get my hands on it. It kinda sounds like a gear may be broken.

It kinda sounds like the return motion timing setting may be off. If it’s jamming with thread in it, it could just be that there’s no upper tension, and the thread is tangling. If you can find an honest sewing machine tech, who will tell you what the problem is before they rack up a huge bill, then yes, take it to the shop. Where I work, if we can’t fix the machine, we don’t charge you a penny. I’ve heard of other shops that charge $85 just to look at it. If that’s the case, you may want to put your money into another machine.

Hi, I Have a Brother XR1300. I have replaced the bobbin casing so it is brand new.

I have not been able to sew with it still though because the fabric is being pulled down into the machine. I took it all apart and thoroughly cleaned the machine and it made a few stitches, but jammed again. So I adjusted the tension wheel on the upper thread and it didn't pull the fabric through but it didn't pick up the bobbin thread this time either and the top thread knotted up. So I tightened the tension just a hair again and it pulled the fabric in again and didn't pick up the bobbin thread again. I took the fabric out of the machine and watched the machine again and noticed that the bobbin casing was not moving at all with the machine. It threaded properly but it did not move in order to interlink it with the upper thread.

I dont know what I should do? Can you help?

Hi Laura, The bobbin case shouldn't turn around. The hook turns around the bobbin case. The hook is the point on the metal ring that turns around the bobbin case. If the hook is damaged, that could cause your problems.

To check that, remove the bobbin case and feel the hook point with your finger. If it feels rough, you can gently polish it with a very fine sandpaper (about 400 grit). Another thing that could cause your problem is a damaged needle, or a needle that is too big for the fabric you're sewing on. A size 80/12 universal needle will work for most fabrics and projects. So try putting a brand new needle in and see if that helps. If neither of those are the problem, your timing may be off just a little bit. There are several timing settings.

Needle/hook distance - which is the space between the hook and the needle, when they meet. Thread passage - which is the space between your bobbin case and the little spring on the front of the machine. Needle bar height - the point of the hook should come across the top of the eye of the needle as it comes around on the left side, while you're in a super wide zig-zag.

Loop lift - Does the thread form enough of a loop for the hook to grab it? Feed dog timing - are the feed dogs under the needle plate when the needle is in the fabric? Let me know what you figure out. Hi, I have a Bernina 1001 which I learned recently is a 'classic'. I had it tuned up a few months ago and have used it very little until this week. I'm making covers for a camping trailer with a linen/cotton blend, Coats Extra Heavy nylon thread, and a Jeans size 18 needle. Stitching was all going great until the thread bunched up in the bobbin area today.

When I got it out, a bit of metalic stuff came out. As I looked at the bobbin case more, I realized it looked like it lined the case as another piece came out. It's $65 to get a new Bernina case (ouch).

My question is whether you think I need to do something to prevent this happening again or is this not so unexpected given the age of my machine and the heavier fabric I'm using. Note: The machine has actually been used relatively lightly for Halloween costumes, etc over the years. This is the first 'heavier' project.

Hi Peggy, You can get a good quality Bernina bobbin case from Brewer Sewing Supply. Brewer is owned by Bernina.

The part number is, and the retail price on it is $25. You may be able to find it on Amazon or Ebay.

I have never seen a Bernina bobbin case break apart. Are you sure it’s the bobbin case? I have seen a lot of bad results from using the extra heavy thread in any domestic sewing machine. I recommend that you use 100% polyester Guterman, or Omni machine quilting thread from Superior Threads. If you need it to be extra strong, you can sew over it 2 or 3 times or use the forward/backward straight stitch. I'll look for that part. The anodized metallic piece ( that came out in two pieces) seems to have come from the inside back of the bobbin case like a gasket.

One piece fell out when I got the tangle of threads out. The other piece was inside the case when I removed the bobbin. I'll look inside my new bobbin when I get it. I'll get the Guterman thread as you suggest; better than to chance this again. The woman at Jo-Ann Fabrics said the Coats Extra Strong nylon was new but thought it would work although she did recommend the Guterman. I went with Coats as nylon was suggested by sailrite.com where I've been watching a number of great how-to videos. But then they use industrial machines themselves.

I'll report back when my 4 cushions are covered. 1 and 1/2 are done.)'Two are 12 x 60; row are 24 x 60. We were given a roll Schumacher fabric for the project that was picked up for $8 at a garage sale.

My wife's 30 year old Bernina Record 930 recently had a capacitor on the power board fail. With the help of a 930 service manual, I was able to disassemble the machine and remove the PCB, remove & replace the capacitor, and reassemble the machine.

I thought it was sewing sweet & smooth until she pointed out that the machine now takes 3 additional stitches after she removes her foot from the foot control! From Hero to Dunce! I can only conclude that I must have knocked something out of adjustment in the process. Since there is no Bernina service tech anywhere near our rural Texas location, I've been searching the internet without much success. Most have never heard of a 930 adding those 3 additional stitches. Any suggestions?

Hi Gary, I have a Bernina 930, and it is an amazing machine! I believe the 3 extra stitches has to do with the needle up clutch. Sometimes it gets gummed-up.

It’s located at the top, back on the right side of the machine. If you can get it loosened up with some WD-40, that might take care of the problem.

But you’ve really got to get all of the WD-40 out of there when you’re done. My second thought is that the needle up stop on the upper shaft is out of position. There’s a light that shines through a hole that tells the machine when the needle is in the highest position. Maybe the light isn’t getting through the hole. Let me know what you figure out. With your help, I'm a Hero again!

While I was never able to confirm that I had found the 'needle up clutch' or the 'needle stop on the upper shaft,' you did inspire me to 'go back in, full bore.' In may exploration, I reheated a capacitor solder-joint that might have been a 'cold joint.'

But I honestly believe that previously, when I re-installed the PCB board, I had failed to be sure that the lever the fits into the hinged armature core that pushes the lever back toward the center of the machine when the magnetic core is energized had not been engaged properly! Inserted it carefully this time and all is right with the world! Honey is a Hero! Because of your help, it is working great again.

(And now I am permitted to touch the 930, beyond just oiling it!):-). Hi Winnie, The handwheel on your machine will have a little “play” in it. That’s just the way the gears are set up on that particular machine. Unless it’s moving in and out of the machine. If that’s the case, there are collars along the upper shaft that may be loose.

If you need to help the machine get started, it’s just because it’s an old machine, and it’s tired. The motor could be re-built to give it more power. It also may be the foot control that is tired. Sometimes putting a new foot control on it will bring it back to life. But the shafts and linkages will have old oil that has hardened, and that would also need to be removed. I haven’t had much success with reviving the old Singer “Rocketeers,” like yours. There’s a group on the Vintage Sewing Machine Board that are a wealth of knowledge when it comes to the old Singers.

Here’s a link: You might get some good advice from them. Hi Wendy, The first thing that comes to mind, is those darn, plastic bobbin cases. They jump and bind and get all scarred up. Have you taken the needle plate off and looked inside?

If you’ll use a vertical spool pin, it should improve your tension. I know they say it depends on how the thread is wound onto the spool, but those horizontal spool pins really create a drag.

If you’re using a cone of thread, us a spool pin that sits on the table behind your machine, that draws the thread straight up. My second thought is that when the bobbin winder is flipped to the “on” position, the handwheel won’t turn. It’s a clutch that shifts from bobbin winding to sewing. I hope you’re able to get your machine sewing. Hi thanks for your reply. I have taken the plate off looked inside, found a few threads down in the gears, which I removed with tweezers and a crochet hook. That did help with the hand wheel drag.

I do use the vertical spool pin. Got you on the clutch and it's not engaged. For the life of me I can not get this machine to make quality stitches. Tesnion is always off.

I put different colors in top and bottom this morning and ran through the dial starting at zero. The stitch quality is as good as it gets at a 1 or 2, believe it or not, but the bottom thread will still show on the top always. At normal setting of 3 to 4 same thing, thread on the top. When I sew a straight stitch I set it at about a 2 which seems low to me, and stitches never seem tight. Then when I free motion quilt on this machine I have to set the tension all the way up to 7 or 8 to keep the top thread from showing on the backside, and will often shred or break needles at this high tension. Top thread still shows on the back at this setting but not as bad.

These 2 extremes in tension, along with the insanity of thread showing, lead me to believe something is wrong with this machine. I can make this work on my inexpensive Brother machine with inexpensive thread. Please advise with your thoughts. This machine has not been pleasent to sew on.

Have you adjusted the bobbin case tension? Some people will have two bobbin cases – one for regular sewing and one for free-motion quilting (or embroidery). Sounds like for regular sewing, you need to tighten the bobbin case tension. Then for free-motion quilting, you need to loosen the bobbin case tension. It might be worth having two bobbin cases.

The tensions are made adjustable, so you can get a good stitch on different fabrics and applications. When I’m piecing, sewing Velcro, free-motion quilting, sewing on stretchy fabrics, etc., I’m always changing the tensions.

Aurafil thread is a different tension than Guterman Poly or Metler Silk-finish cotton threads. I sew on Berninas at home, but play with lots of different tensions at the shop. Sometimes we get a customer who wants us to set their tension for some particular thread or fabric. Spandex is the worst! Double needle on Spandex is even harder.

But it can be done - on most machines. With some machines, the needle/hook distance (a timing setting) is variable. The needle bar can wiggle forward and backwards as it sews, so there’s no way to control that timing setting. If you can grab the needle bar and wiggle it forward and backward, that’s just asking for a sloppy stitch. Some machines have a huge needle hole in the needle plate – another sloppy stitch problem because the fabric isn’t supported as the stitch is formed. Thread drags on a worn, plastic bobbin case.

Metal is always better. It seems like sewing machines are being made cheaper and cheaper. There are a couple machines I won’t even touch.

The Brother with the thread cartridge, and there are a couple machines out there with plastic hooks. I’ll just tell them not to put any money into the machine and they’d be better off going to a thrift store and buying an old, metal Kenmore. Sounds like you’ve got a very temperamental sewing machine. But you’ve jumped in and have been experimenting with the tensions. That’s a good thing to do. Get comfortable with it, and if it doesn’t work, take it back and get your money back. Any reputable dealer will refund your money on a bad machine.

We took back 2 Bernettes in one day, just a couple weeks ago. They both traded up for a Bernina, which I’m sure they’ll be much happier with. Keep me posted. I recently bought a Pfaff 2056 and had it serviced (oiled and greased) by our local sewing machine repair place.

It came back with the foot pedal not engaging the motor until it's almost flat on the floor then the machine goes 80 mph. I want to call the repair shop to have them take a look at it again, but I want to have an idea of what's wrong with it before I call just in case they try to pull the wool over my eyes. You calmed my nerves when you to explained about my Singer 500A back in November 2017. Hi Winnie, It sounds like foot control was probably cleaned while it was in the shop. Maybe they did the sewing while the foot control was apart, and maybe they don’t realize they put it back together wrong.

I expect they’ll just have to take it apart again, make a small adjustment, then put it back together correctly. Inside some foot controls is a “potentiometer.” It adjust how far the pedal needs to go down before power goes to the machine. There’s also a capacitor that can go bad, and can cause that type of problem. Ave maria lyrics translation english. Some capacitors can be easily replaced, and others can mean you’d need a new foot control. Definitely take it back and have them make it right.

Good luck to you! I've got a Universal KTBR.

It was cleaned and repaired this past summer and sewed beautifully - until I accidentally pushed the foot control to fast. After that it wouldn't pick up the thread from the bobbin. I meant to bring it to a repair shop but months after putting it away, I pulled it out just to play around and it sewed perfectly again! Except then I did the same exact thing - hit the foot control too hard accidentally and now. Same thing, sigh, won't pick up the bobbin thread. Ever heard of something like this? Hi there, I hope to tap into your knowledge today.

My machine is only a few years old (Janome Sewist S52S) and usually runs lovely but recently when I put my foot on the pedal it makes an odd noise and sometimes doesn't go, then when it is going, sometimes it goes fast then slow without me changing the pressure. I expected the bobbin area to be full of lint, it was, so I cleaned it out, oiled it and it worked OK for about an hour, then did it again. And still does. Any idea please? Thank you, Julie.

Hi Julie, There’s a couple things that come to mind. If a machine is making a strange noise, and going fast then slow, it could be gummed-up on the inside shafts. If that is the case, we’d need to go in deep and remove the old oil, and re-oil. Janomes have a reputation for frozen needle bars. In some of these machines, they use a grease that’s more like wax.

It’s like they put it in there on purpose so you’d have to bring it to the shop. It doesn’t stay grease, it becomes a wax that has to be dissolved and chiseled out. It could also be the belt. But not very likely if it’s only a few years old.

If you have small children in your home, it could have a pin (or 20) stuck in the mechanisms somewhere. Little kids LOVE to put pins inside any hole they can see. It’s just part of their learning process. My 3 year old did it. You would not believe how many machines we get with a ton of pins inside. Whenever you have a drop-in bobbin, you have to consider if the bobbin case has been damaged.

If it makes a “thump” noise every time you make a stitch, it’s the bobbin case. Sometimes we can polish the bobbin case and make it work again. Other times we have to replace it. You also have to wonder, on a lower end Janome/Brother machine, if the hook is plastic and damaged. If the hook is plastic and damaged, throw the machine away and buy another one.

It’s not a machine that you want to pay the price of the machine, just to have it serviced. And you don’t want to send it to the thrift store, just to frustrate someone else.

There’s my thoughts. Let me know if there’s any other questions. I have a Husqvarna Viking Emerald 183, which sews beautifully, except for the bottonholes. The 2 sides look nice, but they don't meet. The machine sews the bottom bar tack, then moves up the left side, then skips about 1/8 inch, then does the top bar tack, comes down the right side, and does another bar 1/8 inch short of where it started.

I tried adjusting the 'stitch balance' dial on the right side of the machine, even taking that cover off to see what was going on. But while turning that dial moved a bar inside, it didn't have any effect on the stitch. Can you shed any light on this? Hi Mary, That is pretty strange.

Trying the stitch balance was a great idea. Is the needle going down in that 1/8” area, or does it completely skip over that area? If it’s just skipping over that area, I would suspect that there’s a computer glitch in the buttonhole system. If so, you’d need to take it to a Husqvarna/Viking dealer. If the needle is going down, but not stitching, you might try a bigger needle (size 90/14), and make sure it’s pushed all the way up, with the flat side to the back.

When you make buttonholes, there’s usually some stabilizer between the fabric, and I wonder if the thickness or the drag of the stabilizer, might make it skip stitches. Let me know what you figure out. After closer inspection, what is happening is that the machine makes the bar tack on the bottom, then zig zags up the left side, then moves to the right and does a straight stitch down but ends it short of the bar tack 1/8', then zigs up the right side, past the left side by 1/8', and does a bar tack.

So it is forming a perfect buttonhole except that the sides don't meet. I have tried different fabric thicknesses, different sized needles, and different lengths and widths of the buttonhole.

I saw on another forum that a woman has the same model machine, and the same problem. She even posted pictures of the same malformed buttonhole.

She finally said it is now working. She said she thinks the buttonhole foot was hanging up on the accessory case, and removed it for a quilting extension table, and also that she now uses only the vertical thread spool.

But I always use the vertical spool, and I tried with and without the accessory case, and also supporting the buttonhole attachment, but nothing seems to help. I wonder if this is a computer problem common to the Emerald 183. If this costs too much to fix, I wonder if I would be better off buying a new machine. This is very frustrating.

I really appreciate your ideas. One other thought Are the feed dogs coming up high enough to carry the fabric through? That is usually pretty easy to adjust. BUT, that machine’s feed dogs come up at an angle, so better traction isn’t guaranteed.

Yes, I think you’d be better off getting a new machine. But to get a good one, you usually have to spend over $500. Or find a used machine on your local Craigslist or through your local newspaper. Avoid buying on Ebay.

I’ve seen too many bad Ebay machines. My favorite inexpensive NEW machine is the new Bernette 35. They are only about $300, and they do an awesome buttonhole. Plus, you have control of the stitch width and it has a metal oscillating hook that won’t jam like a drop-in bobbin machine. Keep me posted. My name is Annette, and I'm a sewing machine mechanic.

I've been working and training for about 5 1/2 years, and I really love it! In a 'different lifetime,' I enjoyed tinkering with cars-replace the spark plugs, adjust the timing, pack the wheel bearings, replace the head gaskets, etc. Although it was fun, I am not a muscle bound man. I can't do brakes or shocks, and the weight of a tire is just too much for me. Sewing machines are just my size.

I have a Dear Husband (of 31 years) and am a mom to 3 really great young men.

The Singer Merritt 2404 sewing machine is the first sewing machine I bought with my own money. When I came home from college I thought as a big girl I needed my own sewing machine. Someone I knew was having an estate sale and had listed a Singer sewing machine. I didn't know a lot about Singer sewing machines since I grew up in a Necchi household but I figured Singer wouldn't have lasted if they were junk. My grandma wasn't sold though. I didn't take her opinion into account though, she did everything by hand and had never used a sewing machine.

It has served me well and my step son loved it so much we bought him one of his own for Christmas. At first, he thought I had passed mine on to him and I just giggled.

While I don't use it as often as I once did it still holds a very special place in my heart. This post may contain affiliate links. Purchasing items from the links cost you nothing more and adds a few pennies to the fabric budget. I was pretty sure this machine died about six years ago. I could only get it to straight stitch and not very well. So I went off and bought a new computerized sewing machine and put it away. Paul wouldn't let me toss it though.

After he tackled a few other machines he dug out the Singer Merritt and took it to the spa. It didn't take him long to have the machine back up and running. The cams not working was user error. I wasn't pushing them down far enough to get them to engage the follow arm. The follow arm is what goes around the cam to make the pretty stitches.

This is the 'newest' of my vintage machines and if you use 25 years as for how old something has to be to be vintage it just barely makes it. It was made in the 80s and mine was born in Brazil. It does have nylon gears and for the most part, I shy away from those. The plus side is that there are some metal replacement gears out there. I really should buy one and replace the one nylon gear in it. It's belt driven and in theory could be turned into a treadle machine. I haven't seen one but I have seen one as a hand crank.

It makes all kinds of fancy stitches, 30 to be exact if you have the cams. I have all but a few and I suspect that they were part of an add-on. I struggle with getting the cams in right but hubby has no issues whatsoever. He can just hold his mouth right better than I can. For some reason, Singer didn't number the stitches in order, if you zoom on the picture you'll notice the last stitch is number 37 but there are some numbers missing.

I put it off to the fact that this machine was designed in the 70s probably. All of the stitches it can make if you have the disks. You can purchase the cams on Ebay.

They run about $7 a piece so if you are looking at a machine like this make sure the cams are with it or at least the cams you'll want. Cams To put the cams in you just raise the top, where you saw the thread, and just pop it in there. I did a little looking to see what they were going for on Ebay. I've had mine for a long time so I wanted to see what pricing was like now. They currently run between $50 and $150 on Ebay plus shipping. Like I've said before I shy away from them being shipped because I've seen some horror stories.

They run about $60 on Craigslist in my area. So I'd say a fair price would be around $70 nationwide. Don't forget to check out our other. You can get the from Singer as a FREE download.

I don't know about you but I like to have cute saying hanging around my sewing area. I've made this great printable that has just a little bit of truth to it.