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SEW AND FIX — FREE SEWING MACHINE FAULT-FINDING CHECKLIST
Check the cheap things in order before you blame the machine
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1. BEFORE YOU START

[ ] Switch off and unplug before you touch the needle area, the bobbin
    or the throat plate.
[ ] Have your machine's manual to hand (or find it on the maker's site).
    It has the exact threading path and settings for your model.
[ ] Look at the back of the fabric. Loops or a nest underneath usually
    point to the TOP thread, not the bobbin.

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2. CHECK IN THIS ORDER

[ ] Rethread the top thread with the presser foot UP, so the thread
    seats between the tension discs. Follow every guide and the take-up
    lever.
[ ] Fit a new needle of the right type and size for the fabric, flat
    side facing the way your manual says, pushed fully up.
[ ] Take the bobbin out. Check it is wound evenly, is the right type for
    your machine, and goes back in the way the manual shows.
[ ] Clean out lint from under the throat plate and around the bobbin
    area with a brush.
[ ] Check the thread: one reel, decent quality, not old or brittle.
[ ] Only now look at the top tension dial, and change it a little at a
    time on a scrap of the same fabric.

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3. MATCH THE NEEDLE TO THE FABRIC

[ ] Woven cottons: a universal needle.
[ ] Jersey and knits: a ballpoint or jersey needle.
[ ] Very stretchy fabric: a stretch needle.
[ ] Denim and thick layers: a jeans or denim needle, slow speed.
[ ] Change the needle every few projects, or straight away if it hits a pin.

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4. STOP AND BOOK A SERVICE IF

[ ] The needle hits the plate or the hook.
[ ] The motor hums but the needle won't move.
[ ] The pedal, lead or plug is damaged, hot or sparking.
[ ] It still skips or jams after every check above.
Do not open the electrical housing or try to adjust the timing yourself.

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5. KEEP IT RUNNING

[ ] Brush out lint after every project or two.
[ ] Oil only where your manual says. Many modern machines must not be
    oiled. Use sewing machine oil, never household oil.
[ ] Keep it covered when not in use.

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Sew and Fix — https://sewandfix.co.uk
General guidance only. Follow your machine maker's manual.
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