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Some sewing machines are noisy, but you should never hear a knocking or clunking noise while you sew. Here are seven reasons why your sewing machine can make a knocking noise, and what to do about each one.
Contents
Your Bobbin Case Is Full of Lint
Lint builds up in your bobbin case as you sew. It can get in the way of your needle and prevent the hook in your bobbin case from forming stitches properly. This often manifests itself with a knocking noise as your needle enters and exits your bobbin case. Clean your sewing machine frequently to ensure it works properly and does not make a funny noise.
Your Bobbin Winder Is Engaged
If your bobbin winder is engaged, your sewing machine will not sew properly. Be careful not to bump your bobbin winder while you sew because your sewing machine will stop working suddenly or start making a knocking noise. This is more likely to happen on older sewing machines that have an inner wheel on the handwheel to engage your bobbin winder. It can come loose while you’re sewing. Don’t continue to sew if you hear a knocking noise because it can damage your machine.
Your Gears Need Oil
A knocking noise can also be the result of gears and moving parts bumping and rubbing up next to each other inside your sewing machine. When this happens, oil your machine. Follow the directions in your user manual to make sure you apply sewing machine oil everywhere that you are supposed to.
Keep in mind that most newer sewing machines should only be oiled by a repair technician. If there are no instructions on how to oil your sewing machine in your user manual, do not do it. You could damage your sewing machine. Sometimes a deep cleaning is enough to stop the knocking noise.
Your Needle Is Damaged, Bent, or Dull
Over time, your sewing machine needle can get damaged or bent, especially if you are sewing through thick fabric. If your needle gets too bent, it can hit your feed dogs, throat plate, or bobbin case, and break. It might also cause a knocking noise. To avoid bending your needle, try to slow down while you’re sewing or use a sharper needle.
Sewing machine needles also have natural flaws or burs that happen during manufacturing. This means that you will occasionally come across a needle that is bent or damaged before you insert it into your machine. This isn’t very common, but it does happen. It’s a good idea to have replacement sewing machine needles on hand.
Your Needle Plate Screw Is Loose
The little screw that holds your needle plate in place can come loose and cause a knocking noise as your machine vibrates while sewing. If your needle plate becomes too loose, your needle can even hit it. Check to make sure the screw is tight. This is a more common problem if you must remove your needle plate to get to your bobbin case. However, the screw can come loose on any sewing machine.
Your Hook Timing Is Off
When your needle goes down, the hook system on your sewing machine creates a loop to form a stitch. If this does not happen, your hook timing is off. Sometimes a knocking noise can indicate a problem with your hook timing. The loops might still be forming, but your needle might be hitting the hook. Slow down and see if the knocking noise is coming from your bobbin case. You can check by slowly lowering your needle through your needle plate and watching for the moment when it starts to go back up. This is when the loop should form.
You can try to fix the problem yourself or take your machine to a repair technician to have your hook timing reset. This is something that is checked whenever you take your sewing machine in for regular maintenance. You should always turn your handwheel towards you to avoid messing up the timing of your machine.
You Are Using the Wrong Bobbin
All bobbins look similar. However, their dimensions are slightly different from model to model. Make sure that you only use bobbins that are compatible with your sewing machine. If they are too small, they can bounce around in your bobbin case and cause a knocking or clunking noise. If they are too big, they will not spin freely in your bobbin case.
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My machine knocks, when sewing heavy fabric or several layers. It’s a 50 year old Kenmore.. I borrowed my daughters 25 year old Kenmore..it does the same thing. I think it’s the Kenmore brand myself. Any ideas?
I have never owned a Kenmore sewing machine, so I don’t know. If it’s 50 years old, I’d say try some oil.
It could be the thickness of the materia?s you are sewing. You could try using a sharper needle . A microfiber needle, in a larger gauge, like a 14, if you can find one, or even a leather needle in a 12-14 gauge
Agree this is a good thing to try first. My brother ( an engineer ) inherited my Mom’s 30 year old Kenmore , and when he was going to start quilting, the first thing he did was to take off all the covers,clean it out, oil any two metal pieces that touched, and let it sit for a week. Then he wiped off excess oil, put it back together, and it sewed like a dream.
I owned an alterations business for many years, and this is what I would do with any machine that started to get noisy.
I have a Viking Emerald 118. I’ve been sewing masks and for the first time I took it apart to clean the lint and oil it. When I was done it was making a clicking noise. I re-did the bobbin case a couple of times, always arrows adjoining. Re-threaded it. No change. Finally I isolated the sound to the top of the machine. I gently pulled the left side of the case to the left and the clicking went away. Apparently I’d bumped it and the arm that goes up and down was clicking on the frame.
Thank you so much for the advice that oil the gears of a sewing machine can be difficult, so if it isn’t in the user’s manual, get professional help. About a week ago, I was talking to my sister, and she mentioned that she is trying to sew a quilt to give to our mother for her birthday. However, yesterday she said that her sewing machine started making weird noises. I will have to tell her your tips and help her look into repair services in the area.
Thank you,this has been helpful. I have an elna 7000, which I love. It had some issues with a click sound out of the bobbin area, and the thread would nest after a little while sewing. I had brought it in to a sewing service guy, and he said my plastic foot with grooves underneath was the problem. Well I am using a metal foot and I am still having the same problem. So I checked the looping and believe the timing is off. It doesn’t form a stitch whilst the needle is heading up. I really hope I haven’t destroyed the machine. The fellow who looked at my machine oiled it, and this particular machine doesn’t do oil. I am really 😞. I have been blotting oil from the take up area. Like I said I am really sad.
Wow, that repair technician should know better than to oil your machine. I’m sorry. You might be able to fix the timing yourself. That’s something the technician should have looked at as part of a regular service. I wouldn’t take your machine back to that place again!
i have a old kenmore ventage sewing mechine and it makes a clicking noise
i removed my needle, all the bobbin stuff, cleaned the whloe mechine and oiled
ran the mechine without all the above items and still makes that noise?
sounds like its coming. from the feed dog area?
my stiching looks good .
doe anyone else have this problem before i take in to a repair man?
Yes,I have a older Kenmore and it is doing the exact same thing ,so I have narrowed the problem done to the bobbin shuttle.I have even changed out the bobbin shuttle but unfortunately it is doing the same thing.I will keep tinkering with it till I get it right.
I thought I was going crazy that my Kenmore 1040 was making a “clacking” noise from around the bobbin/feed dog area, too!!! I’ve tried EVERYTHING. I guess it’s just a thing it does 😛
I made a comment above about the elna 7000. I brought my machine to another fellow, who has some experience with almost every machine ever invented. He set the timing, but said that the noise was still there. I started sewing with my machine at home and after a while, like an hour or so, the machine quit making the clicking noise. I think my machine wasn’t running enough. And I think the timing needed to be set. I am very happy with the outcome. It runs smooth. 🥰
I’ve just recently cleaned and oiled (per the manual) my 1976 Kenmore (original owner), except did not oil the different stitch gears as that is not indicated and I think I read you shouldn’t. My straight stitch is great sounding, but my zigzag makes a bit of a knocking noise that seems to be coming from inside the top somewhere. I’m hoping that it doesn’t mean the gear for that zigzag is going. Called one of the only places around that repairs, and they right off the bat informed me that you can’t get gears, and I might need a new machine for only $400, which they happen to sell (not sure what kind). That kind of scared me off, so have not taken it in for any service (afraid what they might do, really). Bobbin workings seem fine, also dog gears and hook timing, as well as a brand new needle. It was never a quiet machine, but concerned as it is only on the zigzag, and can’t remember if it has always been that way! I’ve used it on and off for all these years. Any ideas out there? 🙂 Thanks!
I have this exact same problem. My stitches look good on both the straight and zigzag stitches. The noise is a bad clicking on the zigzag stitch. I have a Singer 600e. The noise seems to be around the paddle bar in the top. Would appreciate any replies on this problem.
Just purchased a Singer Sewing machine 4411 Heavy Duty and used it for the first time yesterday and it has a knocking noise coming from somewhere around the inside of machine up by where you put thread on the bobbin. Not happy!
my quantum sewing is making a clanging noise . I have tried everything they told me and it does not solve the problem. Any ideas
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I have a Janome 6600p that is clunking at the top of the rotation and sometimes the presser foot lever is very stiff and then the foot doesn’t go all the way down until I start to sew. It seems to be something mechanical as I’ve unplugged it and taken the left cover off so I can see what’s happening when I turn the hand wheel. Any ideas would be very helpful. It’s a long way to a repair shop and I really can’t afford it. Thank you.
I was cleaning my Janome 3160QDC this evening. (maybe my #1 error was that I didn’t turn the power off because I needed the lighting). After I removed all the lint, I replaced the bobbin case (arrows matching) and for some reason decided to insert the threaded bobbin at this time before putting the plate back on. Foot accidentally hit the pedal and needle went down causing the bobbin case and bobbin to jump about. Now I have this clicking sound. I’ve looked the bobbin case over and haven’t found any damage. Haven’t tried sewing with it yet – kinda concerned. Any thoughts?