Babylock a-line sewing machine seizing up which sewing. Machine will sew fine then will slow down, then stop. Cleaned the feed dogs. Needle is new. Seems like it needs some lubricatio.

To fix the drive for the feed dog on a BabyLock Model BL4-428D sewing machine, you will need to follow these steps:

1. Unplug the machine: Make sure the machine is unplugged from the electrical outlet.
2. Remove the needle plate: Carefully remove the needle plate by releasing the thumbscrew that holds it in place.
3. Locate the feed dog drive: The feed dog drive is located under the needle plate, and it is connected to the feed dog by a small gear.
4. Check for wear and tear: Inspect the feed dog drive and gear for signs of wear and tear, such as stripped gears or a loose drive belt.
5. Replace the drive belt: If the drive belt is loose or damaged, replace it with a new one. Make sure it is correctly installed and tight.
6. Replace the gear: If the gear is stripped or damaged, replace it with a new one. Make sure it is correctly installed and tight.
7. Reassemble the machine: Carefully reassemble the needle plate and thumbscrew.
8. Test the machine: Plug the machine back in and test it to make sure that the feed dog is moving properly.

The feed dog lever on the Babylock 5260 serger is located on the right side of the machine, near the front. It is a small lever that can be moved up or down to raise or lower the feed dogs. To raise the feed dogs, you will need to push the lever up. If you are having trouble locating the lever, you can consult the machine's manual or contact a Babylock dealer or repair technician for assistance.

Do the feed dogs move above the surface of the needle plate? If not, then the feed dogs have been dropped for darning or they have seized from lack of oil.


Wheel on right side that controls the needle up and down is very tight...

Are the feed dogs moving at all--like moving toward the back of the machine, dropping down below the needle plate, moving forward, rising, and then moving toward the back of the machine? Make sure the stitch length is set high enough to actually move the fabric--not set at zero or near zero. If the feed dogs stay below the needle plate, then most likely they have been dropped for darning.
If the feed dogs are frozen, not moving, and it is an older mechanical machine, they may be seized due to old oil.

Wheel on right side that controls the needle up and down is very tight...

Or, the feed dog mechanism is broken.

Old oil has dried and is causing parts to seize. Feed dogs are a frequent indicator of this condition. Stitch selectors also tend to be affected. Eventually, the needlebar will seize and the machine will totally stop.

Wheel on right side that controls the needle up and down is very tight...

Please provide the make & model of your machine.

Check that the feed dogs have not been dropped, as for darning. Also, make sure the stitch length is set to at least #2 which would insure there is enough feed dog movement to pull the fabric.

If it's an older mechanical machine, it could be seizing due to old dry oil. If this is the case, it should be addressed before the machine suffers damage. If the needle has been hitting, the needle MUST be replaced because a bent, damaged needle can cause further damage, ie sewing machine timing could be knocked off and require service. Sewing machine timing is usually knocked off when a needle strikes where it should not.

Hello Mary
The Viking 6690 features a 'Presser Foot Pressure Dial' located on the left side of the sewing machine head. It is probably turned down to the thin end of the wedge or may even be parked on the rectangle ... this will cause the feed dogs to stay down. Turn the dial toward the wider part of the wedge symbol. The feed dogs will come up as the sewing machine makes a stitch.

Please let me know how this works out for you.

Happy stitching.

the needle only sews,, it's the feed dogs in the needle plate area that feed the fabric thru the machine, if the feed dogs are in the up position then the machine will sew, if the machine is not sewing then the feed dogs need to be checked to see if the feed dog lever is up or down, look in the manual to see where the lever is and check it, if the lever up the then feed dogs will need to be checked to see if there is something's wrong with them at a sewing machine repair shop.

Look at the feed dogs (the serrated metal strips on either side of the hole the needle goes down thru). If they aren't moving when you turn the handwheel or not protruding above the sewing surface (needle plate) then 1 of 2 things has likely occurred.
#1 - your machine is equipped with at feed-dog drop selector (drops the dogs down for free-motion sewing) that you have activated (intentionally or not) or
#2 - you have enough lint debris accumlated under the sewing surface to stop the dogs from coming up properly or move all together.
Have the machine professionally serviced. A good servicing will resolve 60% of the problems that sewing machines incur. You should have the machine serviced at least every 100 hrs of sewing, more often if you use cheap thead, cheap fabric or metallic threads. All of these leave a lot of debris inside the machine.

Make sure you are using a brand new needle--a dull/damaged needle will skip stitches.

As for the feed dogs, if it is a mechanical machine it's possible the machine is seizing from old dried oil.

Wheel on right side that controls the needle up and down is very tight...

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