Bobbin Casing Troubleshooting

Sometimes the bobbin casing can shift and become dislodged. The needle will hit the plastic piece and the machine will come to a standstill. Error messages may come up on your machine and you might even break a needle.

Nicki LaFoille walks you through how to fix the bobbin casing when it shifts out of place, and offers some tips for helping to prevent this issue from happening in the future.

If your needle won’t move because it’s hitting the bobbin casing, turn the hand wheel away from you to raise the needle to its highest position. Turn the machine off and remove the throat plate. Then remove the bobbin casing.

Clean out the area to remove any dust, lint, and debris. Then replace the bobbin casing so the small plastic knob sits against the metal bar in the front. Some models have alignment notches on the bobbin casing and the machine. Be sure the tension screws are facing forward, and the cut-out area of the bobbin casing sits toward the back.

Turn the hand wheel toward you to be sure the needle will not hit the casing, and to be sure the bobbin casing is secure.

To prevent this from happening in the future, when your bobbin thread starts getting low, replace it with a full bobbin, and/or slow your sewing speed. Also be gentle when changing bobbins, to avoid jostling the bobbin casing out of place.

If experiencing other machine issues, check out these useful videos:
Tension Troubleshooting
NSC Gold: Machine Issues
Tips for Cleaning Your Sewing Machine