Sewing machines can be tedious and problematic when it comes to needing repair. Sometimes it becomes so frustrating that you want to throw them out the window and get a new model. But you do not have to go to such an extreme.
Plus, money, as they say, does not grow on trees. And that faithful and sturdy sewing machine deserves another chance.
As with all things, it comes down to understanding the intricacies of your heavy duty sewing machine and giving it some much needed TLC. Like humans, these machines have their faults and issues, which might be due to overuse, improper usage or just simply a broken part.
Fixing Your Heavy Duty Sewing Machine
Understanding how to repair your heavy duty sewing machine will save you on the frustration and too many breakdowns in the future. Like a car, it might simply need a scheduled checkup.
So, how do you go about the repair of a sewing machine? We will take you through the steps.
Oiling Your Heavy Duty Sewing Machine
Take out the needle, lower bobbin or shuttle and the upper thread. While the presser foot is in the upward position, endeavor to keep the machine running for about a minute, at full speed.
Listen keenly and if you hear any difference in the speed then your sewing machine might simply need a bit of oiling.
It is good if you have a manual, use it and refer to the instructions on how to oil your heavy duty sewing machine. If not, we have the instructions here. Continue reading.
First, make certain that you unplug the sewing machine, then if your machine has one, take out the top cover.
- “Remove all thread from the machine, as well as the spool for topstitching and the bobbin thread.”
- “Use a small screwdriver to remove the Singer sewing machine’s faceplate, which is above the device’s foot area.”
- “Add one drop of oil to the parts inside the faceplate–these pieces aid in moving the sewing foot up and down.”
- “Remove the sewing machine’s throat plate. This is the plate that covers the bobbin area.”
- “Add one drop of oil to the shuttle race area where the bobbin thread is housed.”
- “Replace both of the cover plates.”
- “Rethread the sewing machine and replace the bobbin.”
- “Sew several stitches on a scrap piece of fabric to remove any excess oil.”
Make sure you use the chance to get rid of any stray pins, broken needle debris, lint or dust. And a lot of the components of your machine have a small hole so that you can oil them. But remember to use only a tiny drop of oil.
Cleaning the Feed Dogs on Your Heavy Duty Sewing Machine
“Sewing machine feed dogs are metal teeth-like ridges that emerge from a hole in the throat plate of a sewing machine. Feed dogs move as you sew, gently gripping the bottom fabric to help it pass through the sewing machine and produce a high-quality stitch. The feed dogs are visible… just underneath the machine’s presser foot.”
To clean this part of your machine, take out the needle plate held by two screws, using a flat screwdriver.
Depending on the model sewing machine, you may also need to take out the bed’s top plate, where the needle plate is attached. In some models, they are not screwed in and so you can simply snap them out of place. After this is done, you can easily clean the feed dogs.
Get rid of the lint on the interior of the feed channels. To do this, use a narrow tool or an old needle. And do not forget to wipe underneath the feed dogs with the dust cloth.
Reattach the needle plate. Make certain the feed dogs are in the upward point if your sewing machine has a feed drop.
Test the machine and ensure that the feed dogs are moving after you clean them.
Fixing Tension Issues on Your Sewing Machine
Another issue, which you might be faced with is how to clean the tension on your sewing machine. This is a common problem when using these machines.
To maintain an even appearance of your stitches on both sides, you must have proper tension. It also affects how smoothly your thread reels out as you sew. “If both your top and back stitches don’t look the same it may be due to your tension not being right either on the top or bottom. Both the top and bottom tension must work together.”
As a guide, understand that the upper tension dictates what happens with your understitch. However, the bobbin tension dictates what happens with your upper stitch.
Among the tension discs, a lot of broken thread, lint and dust can accumulate. As such, there will be some spacing amid the tension discs. As a result, no force is on the thread causing the thread to loop at the bottom.
Use about an eight-inch piece of thread and create about four knots in it. Go through your tension system repeatedly, in every direction. The lint will be removed.
Do so initially with the presser foot up and then down.
Having the tension dial positioned to four and the presser foot is down will make it easier to sense the tension pulling the thread. Then you will know all is well.
Fixing Bottom Bobbin Issues on Your Sewing Machine
In this next step, we will explore how to take care of those bottom bobbin issues on our heavy duty sewing machine.
First, understand that “a bird’s nest of loopy, tangled bobbin thread on the bottom side of your sewing is one of the most common sewing machine problems that can stop the creative process of sewing.”
But it is not an issue that will shut you down permanently, only for a brief while.
Your sewing machine often comes with a shuttle, a drop-in bobbin or removable bobbin case. To remedy the bottom bobbin situation, simply attempt to twist a bobbin with the bobbin winder.
Perchance, you notice that there is a small hole close on the bobbin spindle, then put a bit of oil there and remove the surplus. Verify that the bobbin winder rubber tire is in good condition and there is no issue there. Replace it, if it is worn out or cracked. You can get this popular sewing machine part easily.
Also, at the time that you are twisting the bobbin, make sure to check that the thread twists uniformly from all sides of the bobbin.
Look underneath your bobbin case. Get rid of any lint and put back the bobbin.
When tugging on the thread, you should notice an extremely yielding tension on the thread. If this is not the case, then lint maybe clogging the area between the bobbin case and small tension spring.
Installing a Needle in Your Heavy Duty Sewing Machine
Even though it may appear simplistic, the steps above are all that a typical sewing machine technician would check. But there are so many other things to learn, especially if you are new to using a sewing machine.
For example, putting in a new sewing needle.
The needle, though a tiny component of the machine, can often be the most problematic part. So knowing how to install it correctly, is an important step.
Add and familiarize the needle with the needle bar. However, do not thread it at this time. You want to take out the bobbin access plate and the needle plate. This is so that you can look at the bobbin area as well as the hook within of the sewing machine.
Gradually spin the hand wheel plus observe the needlepoint while it is going into the sewing machine.
Take care that the needle point does not go into any other component either. Namely the rotary hook, shuttle point, bobbin or the bobbin case. If necessary, use a magnifying glass for better observation.
Once you are sure that everything is in place and working well, then reinstall the needle plate back on the sewing machine. After that, leisurely spin the hand wheel another time to steer the needle through the up-down cycle.
When the needle comes up again, make certain that it goes past the needle plate. In addition, observe whether the feed dogs are not moving with the fabric, pending when the needle goes past the fabric.
If your sewing machine pasts all these tests then it is safe to say that your new needle is properly installed and you can get on with your project.
Keep in mind that, in the case where your upper thread snaps right away, this is often because the needle was put in the wrong position. But, it could also be that you have an old spool of thread.
Test your heavy duty sewing machine and make sure all components are now working correctly.