My Sewing Machine Needle is Hitting the Plate

A sewing machine requires regular maintenance and calibration because it is a machine. When properly maintained, your machine should operate without any problems. You may begin to experience problems with the machine if it is not properly maintained.

A frequently seen problem with sewing machines is the needle striking the needle plate. This might lead to breaking or bending of your needle, which is an extremely annoying issue.

Why, therefore, is the needle of your sewing machine contacting the plate? Your needle is striking the needle plate for three basic reasons. The first is that the selected stitch and presser foot are incompatible. It’s possible that the needle you’re using next is already broken or deformed. Thirdly, it’s possible that your needle plate is not mounted correctly.

How Do You Realign a Sewing Machine Needle?

The smallest amount of misalignment in your sewing machine needle might cause problems with the tightness and formation of your stitches. The needle must be positioned precisely in the middle of the needle plate. This is very crucial. You might eventually need to reposition the needle to ensure that it is positioned correctly.

Before you begin, make sure you are realigning the needle correctly by consulting the sewing machine’s instructions. Since every sewing machine is different, it’s vital to be aware of what needs to be realigned for your particular machine.

The needle can usually be adjusted on most sewing machines. This implies that it is simple for the needle to inadvertently be bumped out of position. It may also require realignment to accommodate various stitches. You’ll be able to detect if the needle isn’t correctly positioned in your sewing very soon.

One of the most frequent reasons for needing to realign your needle is improper installation during the initial installation. You must take great care to ensure that you are realigning your machine needle correctly in order to avoid having to do so anytime soon.

Look for any probable issues first, then attempt to realign the needle. Verify that the cloth is suitable with the needle and that it was inserted correctly. Additionally, make sure the needle is not bent.

The needle bar’s height must be adjusted first. This can be accomplished by visually following the needle up the bar until it passes through the head hold and then continuing up until the clamp with screws is visible. This is referred to as the adjustment screw.

Once the needle is as low as it will go, take hold of the hand wheel and rotate it in your direction. This way, it shouldn’t come into contact with anything. When the hook is ready to be passed beneath the needle, rotate it just a little bit more. The hook must go above the eye and behind the needle.

The machine must then be adjusted to the default needle position. While some machines will automatically return to the middle position, others will require further assistance to do so. The needle must precisely enter the needle plate in the middle of the needle hole in order to be in the center.

Also Read: Can I Sew With a Fishing Line?

How Do You Fix a Needle Plate?

It is necessary to take the needle plate out of the sewing machine before you can fix it. To start, push the needle position button twice to elevate the needle. By doing this, you can be confident that the needle won’t irritate your skin or get in the way of your work.

After disconnecting the cord from the power source, turn off the sewing machine. By doing this, you can prevent accidentally hitting the power button and turning it on while working. The needle, presser foot, and holder should then be removed by raising the presser foot.

Take out the flat bed after removing those components and putting them somewhere secure. Make sure to remove the embroidery attachment if there is one. After that, the bobbin cover needs to be taken off.

Using a finger from your left hand, locate the notch at the back of the needle plate, and place a finger from your right hand toward the bottom of the needle plate latch. Lastly, position your left thumb close to the needle plate’s front. Slide it in your direction to remove it.

You can fix it once the plate has been taken out. Fortunately, repairing your needle plate won’t be too difficult. Most of the time, all you’ll need is some strong adhesive. The fractured needle plate parts should be glued together and allowed to dry together.

If you’re not comfortable repairing the needle plate yourself, you can try mailing it to the manufacturer for repair or looking for a repair shop in your area. In this manner, you can be certain that your needle plate is fixed correctly and will be less likely to break in the future.

Why Does My Sewing Machine Needle Keep Hitting the Foot?

Your sewing machine’s needle may be repeatedly striking the foot for three basic causes. First, there’s a chance the stitch and presser foot you select won’t work together. You will need to attach the appropriate presser foot for the stitch you are attempting to generate in order to fix this problem. It could also be helpful to change the stitch’s width.

Make sure the problem has been fixed by rotating the hand wheel counterclockwise. Next, ensure that the needle stays away from the presser foot.

You may then be using a crooked or broken needle. The first thing you should do if you’ve noticed the needle striking the plate for the first time is to check the needle. Replace your needle before continuing to sew if it is damaged or bent.

Lastly, it’s possible that your needle is not correctly inserted. Always double-check that all the parts are correctly installed before starting to sew. Any loose parts, particularly the needle, may cause issues with your machine.

Not only should you check that the needle is installed correctly, but you should also make sure that the needle is the appropriate size, width, and length for the fabric and stitch type. Make it a practice to inspect every component of your sewing machine before you begin.

Frequent inspection will allow you to ensure that the correct needle is being used and will also give you the chance to stop the needle from entering the foot.

Final Thoughts

Your sewing machine’s needle may be striking the needle plate for a few different causes. It’s possible that the needle is broken, that it was installed improperly, or that you are using the wrong presser foot for the stitch you want to accomplish. Make sure your sewing machine is in good working order to avoid needle strikes.

It can be really annoying when the needle strikes the plate. Fortunately, there isn’t much of a repair. Most of the time, the issue can be resolved by raising or changing the needle. In more severe situations, the needle plate may need to be replaced entirely.