I've been doing a lot of sewing over the past week and now the bobbin area sounds really noisy -like metal rubbing. The stitching is fine it sounds terrible. Do I need to oil the machine, and if so, where do I oil to affect the bobbin area. Or, do I have a larger problem?

Perhaps the feed dogs are worn down so they do not move the fabric properly. However, I picked up a used sewing machine at the thrift store and even after service it would still make only tiny stitches. I opened up the area around the bobbin and feed dogs, then applied Tri-Flow Superior Lube every place where metals rubs metal. There may even be red marks that indicate the oil ports, but I suggest concentrating on the feed dog movement. Then I direct heated air from a handheld hairdryer into the internal cavity of the machine. VOILA! She sews like normal now!!!

If you mean noisy like does not "purr like a sewing machine", use it. Mine quieted down but it took a lot of use before it did.

check thread and make sure thread has been in its threading slot in your bobbin case

Have you performed any recent cleaning and oiling? If not, that is probably the basis of your problem. The machine is seizing because the lubrication has dried and is preventing the parts from moving.

Consult your owner's manual, use ONLY fresh good quality sewing machine oil and apply 1-2 drops each place as instructed in the manual.

If your machine is mechanical, you can open the top and bobbin area, gently hand rotate the handwheel toward you, and watch where metal rubs on metal and apply 1-2 drops of oil each place. Do NOT oil plastic, belts, or decorator stitch cams. Then SLOWLY run your machine to get the oil distributed. It should loosen up after the machine has run for a few minutes.

You should oil the hook/shuttle every time you install a new bobbin, do a complete cleaning and oiling every 40 hours of sewing time or (if the machine is in storage) every 6 months.

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it's very possible that the machine is slightly out of time & needs to be service at a sewing machine shop
is the fabric & thread & needle compatable with each other?
did you use every thread guide when threading the machine?
is the bobbin in correctly?
is the bobbin warped?

Make sure thread is not laying across the bobbin when you look down into the plastic slider that covers the top loading bobbin case. The bobbin on mine I observed was loose in the case so that as the machine ran, eventually the bobbin thread would jump out of the stitch finger (the silver piece to the far left of the bobbin case, past the tension slots). I solved this problem and so can you! Take the extra felt spool pin felt in your accessories kit that came with the machine, remove bobbin from case and drop this small felt circle into the bobbin case. Replace bobbin. On the 4423, the bobbin thread goes counter-clockwise and drops into the tension discs, and goes all the back until it falls into the space left of the silver stitch finger. Make sure take up level raised all the way up! Then pull the needle thread toward you until bobbin thread comes all the way up. If you start sewing and you actually can SEE the bobbin thread laying across the bobbin, STOP and tethered because that would mean your thread did not slide all the back behind the silver stitch finger--however, I assure you, if you go one step at a time, you did it correctly! You will be smiling in no time! Why? The felt helps to make the bobbin rest in the correct position to keep it from jumping out of the groove. I hope this helps you.
Jimmy

Hello

Primary causes of upper thread breakage:


-- misthreading: pull all the thread off and thread again, using the manual, step by step. Read each step aloud before you do it. (sounds dumb, but helps.) (And make sure you thread the takeup lever!)

-- thread has wrapped itself around a thread guide or spool pin from one of the breaks. Take the spool off the machine before rethreading.

-- bad or damaged needle. Replace with the right size for the fabric, turned correctly (backwards needles skip stitches)

-- dirty machine, especially in the bobbin case area: review cleaning instructions and do it, using brush and vacuum only

-- bad/cheap thread: should not be slubby or break easy. Try another spool.

-- top thread tension too tight. 4 is normal for most fabrics, most stitches.

Tips;

1) do a light cleaning (brush and vacuum) every day you sit down to sew.

2) replace the needle if you hear it hit metal, if you've got a really bad thread jam, if you see it deflect as you sew (for instance, sewing over the side seam on jeans when hemming). Replace every 3-8 hours of actual stitching time anyhow.

3) buy good quality thread

4) when your machine isn't sewing right, stop; take all the thread off of/out of the machine (bobbin out of bobbin case, spool off spool pin) and give it a quick cleaning. Rethread from scratch, carefully. If that doesn't fix it, do it again, then replace needle and rethread one more time, manual in hand (yah, even if you've threaded it 8 million times before). #4 is curative about 98% of the time. The other 2% often requires professional attention.

I make flannel square quilts for babies, it is a nightmare itself. It makes a lot of lint in the bobbin case and under the face plate, try prewashing the fabric before using it and clean out the bobbin case frequently while sewing. When i dont prewash it, i just open the bobbin area and blow the cotton dust out with my breath or i use the small brush to clean it out

Sounds like either some thread jammed in the bobbin area, or possibly it got knocked out of "time"-as you know a sewing machine is just that-a well tuned machine that has movements that have to occur in sequence. Were you sewing anything heavier than normal? I have knocked my Janome out of "time" twice by sewing something too heavy for the needle or the machine in general. I have also had thread wad up under the bobbin. Re-alignment or whatever they call it is not real expensive but would result in some downtime for your machine.