When turning the handwheel towards me to start sewing, only the tip of the needle goes into the needle plate hole but won't go all the way down. It goes in reverse but it won't go forward.

Make sure the presser foot is up when seating the thread through the upper tension. Now, it's time to draw up your bobbin thread. Turn the handwheel (TOWARDS YOU ONLY, never turn the handwheel away from you) and hold the needle thread lightly. Tug on it as the needle goes down and then comes up again.

This may be a timing/needle bar height problem. Remove the needle plate and watch the tip of the hook as you turn the handwheel towards you. As the needle rises your hook should pass just above the eye of the needle. At no time should the needle hit the bottom of the hook assembly. This requires some special tools and skills to fix find an expert in your area.

The bobbin might have a bunch of thread off it inside the compartment here the bobbin is. Also, make sure it's thread correctly, that can goof things up to.

the machine needs to be taken to a sewing machine shop & be
checked to see if it has jumped time,, a sewing machine shop
technican has the tools to retime the machine & the foot needs
to be filed to get rid of the burr on it.

Remove bobbin, presser foot, needle. Tip machine back on towel gently. Unscrew plate--don't lose screws! Do not service in presence of children and curious pets. Put foot pedal next to you on tabletop. Use Zoom Sewing Machine oil. Any part MOVING that are NOT gears get one drop oil. Any DRY ONLY gears get dab of Singer sewing machine lubricant. Replace screws. Secure screws. Open left front compartment & one drop oil @ top of needle bar. Open race shuttle (where bobbin case fits in). One-half drop oil of on oscillating hook (bottom left - hand corner...smear that oil around! Insert NEW needle all way UP in needle bar groove, flat needle shank toward back. Turn handwheel towards you and raise. Raise presser foot so that threading locates all tension slots a's you pull thread TAUT from spool to each tension slot and left to right through silver, metal take-up lever, and down to tension bracket, pass needle, then pull 6" thread towards you and thread from FRONT to BACK of needle. Place bobbin into case and "thread" it. Set presser foot on DOWN position. Turn handwh towards you, dipping needle into needle plate. Make loop with bobbin thread, pull towards you. Place a good 7" underneath presser foot (both threads). Let machine RUN on 24" scrap to distrubute oil/lube. That's it! Jimmy

Which make and model sewing machine do you have?

None of my sewing machines need the wheel to be loosened for bobbin winding. The Singer Touch & Sew bobbins are filled in place. Use the handwheel to get the needle into the highest position (just turn the wheel). Wrap the top thread around the screw that holds the presser foot; open the slide plate part way and press the bobbin wind button. Hold the top thread and then begin winding by stepping on the foot pedal.. The thread should break after a few winds.

The Kenmore and the Husqvarna Vikings both get wound at the top. Place bobbin on winding pin. With the needle up and metal presser foot in place thread the top thread up to the bobbin (through the guides) and up through the hole in the bobbin. Slide the bobbin winding switch over towards the bobbin. Hold the thread tightly and begin winding (step on the foot control). After a few winds are on the bobbin, cut the thread that you were holding flush with the top of the bobbin. Continue winding the bobbin. (The newest Viking in the group has a computer screen; on that one, do not press OK until done winding the bobbin.)

However, if the handwheel is not turning and the needle is down, first find out why it isn't turning properly. This could indicate a tangle of thread somewhere in the system. (The older Husqvarna sewing machine in my home has a non-functional handwheel. The machine will still sew but you have to use the needle up/down switch that forces the needle to stop in the up position before you run out of bobbin.)

Please add a comment with the specifics of your sewing machine and I'll be glad to add additional information.

I hope this helps.

Cindy Wells

The needle height is best checked by rotating the handwheel until the needle goes down through the stitch-plate (Make sure you're using a zig-zag stitch plate and not a straight stitch plate) and just starts to come back up again. Stop there. Gently push the needle bar to the right until the needle is at its furthest-most travel right (next to the right-hand edge of the needle slot). Tip the machine backwards slightly and drop the bobbin door; take the bobbin out. Open the hook/shuttle retainer, but leave the hook/shuttle in the hook race. The point of the hook/shuttle should be somewhere near the top, just below the stitch plate. Slowly rotate the handwheel until the point of the hook/shuttle passes just behind the needle; The point on the hook/shuttle should be just above the thread hole in the needle - if-so, the needle is at the right height, assuming the machine is properly synchronised. If its at the wrong height, you would need to have the needle-bar mechanism adjusted to put it right (relatively simple) - you cant just try and fudge it by adjusting the needle height using the needle securing screw. If you need help with re-setting the needle bar to get the right height, I can help, but you really need to be sure that the machine is properly synchronised first, so this may not be the total solution. Hope this helps.

• Take the side plate off and also take the needle plate off
  
• Take the presser foot off, and put a new needle in the machine.
• Make sure that the needle is in the lowest position and look at the needle bar for the two timing lines. Locate the top line.
• Then, turn the handwheel toward you until the top line is where the bottom line was. Note: At this point, the tip of the hook should be directly in the scarf of the needle.
  

1.Remove the machine needle plate.
2. Remove the bobbin case.
3.Insert a new needle.
4.Turn the handwheel towards you by hand, and watch the
needle going down.It should go down all the way, and start coming Up again, WITHOUT TOUCHING ANYTHING.

Check, and let me Know.

Thread the machine and the bobbin. Turn the handwheel towards you with your right hand and hold the the top thread in your left hand pulling slightly to the back of the machine. When the needle goes into the needle plate keep turning the handwheel untill the needle picks up the bottom thread and by pulling the top thread you shold be able to pull the botoom thread through the needle plate.

Practise makes perfect.

Regards

Dupina