How do I adjust the needle position for straight sewing?

Just as a test try selecting a straight stitch and short stitch length. Then advance hand wheel a couple turns leaving needle at the highest position. If feed dogs remain higher than needle plate, power machine off wait a few seconds, power on. It should power up to a straight stitch with nominal width and length. Rotate handw heel if necessary for needle maximum up. If dogs are still higher than needle plate... not sure. Comment below and I'll search for model specific issue.

There should be an adjustment to move the needle, however, would recommend having a technician do it as getting the needle in the correct position is paramount for preventing misalignment causing broken needles.

If the needle is hitting something, make sure you have the machine set for straight stitch and the needle is in the center position. If it is still hitting and breaking, then the machine is out of adjustment and needs to be repaired.

I think the needle mechanism is out of adjustment. In the center position, is the needle centered over the hole in the needle plate (check with a plate that has the single hole for straight stiching, not the slotted hole for zig-zag sewing). Take it to a professional for a tune up.

You may only be able to adjust this one or two spaces. When you have the straight stitch selected, try moving you stitch width slide wider. If you needle is in the correct position, you should see it move as you slide the lever.

Sewing Machine Tech

In case of adjusting sewing machine timing, there are twomain parts that you should follow.To adjust the hook needle timing on the rotary hook, first,remove the bobbin, bobbin carrier, and covers so you can see the movement ofthe hook. This may involve removing the needle plate for top loadingassemblies, or removing the hook cap from the front of the machine. Itoften requires the removal of the lower covers to reach the componentparts. Adjust as needed when doing sewing machine repair.Set the machine to a straight stitch at the defaultposition. Different models have different default positions including themost common far left and center positions. If no problems are perceivedin needle bar positioning, the default position will suffice. If thereare needle bar position issues, these need to be adjusted prior to adjustingthe timing. Follow proper sewing machine repair procedures.Rotate the hand wheel toward youuntil you see the needle reach its lowest position and begin its rise. Now lookfor the point of the hook as you continue rotating the hand wheel. Thepoint of the hook should strike inside the needle scarf above the needleby about 0.5mm. Sewing machine repair is vital for smooth operations.Check to see if the hook fails topick up the thread. Double check the needle bar positioning including thehook needle spacing. If these are appropriate and the point of the needlestill fails to pick up the loop thread, proceed to adjust the timing of thehook. Maintain regular sewing machine repair. Look for the lower drivemechanism. It may be a lower shaft with gears on either end. If this isthe case, look to the right end of the shaft for a gear with adjusting setscrews. Loosen and manually adjust the position of the hook. Tightly hold thehand wheel while turning the drive shaft to set the proper position. Retighten adjusting screws. Some models have timing beltsthat control the timing of the sewing machine. Look for a belt connectedon each with to drive gears. Look for work cogs on the belt. Inmost cases, you can reset the timing belt, without replacing it. If,however, the belt requires replacement you will need to do so. Loosen the drive mechanism on the right side to free the movement of the belt.Manually adjust the position of the hook to the needle and re-tighten set screws. This knowledge is vital for effective sewing machine repair.Once the timing has been reset,conduct thorough test sewing on the sewing machine to make sure everything isworking properly.Hope this will help you. Good Luck.

Some machines are not designed to sew the straight stitch with the needle in the center position. Some are left or right position to do that and it is simply the way they were designed. Linda at Relics

Hello,

First, check the position of your needle.Machines with zigzag capability allow you to adjust the position of your needle left, right,or center. If your needle is not in the correct position, it may be hitting your needle plate. If that doesn't work,change your needle plate.
If you've been using a straight stitch needle plate (a plate with a small hole, often used for sewing fine, delicate fabrics), switch to a needle plate with a wider hole.

I hope this helps.

This machine has a built in needle position adjustment.
Check your owners manual.

NEEDLE BAR HEIGHT
With the pattern selector dial set at maximum zigzag width and when the point of the rotary hook exactly meets the right side of the needle in ascending travel of the needle bar from its lowest position, at the right needle drop position, the distance between the upper edge of the needle eye and the race of the rotary hook should be 3.3 ± 0.3 mm.

You also need to look at the timing

HOOK TIMING
With the needle bar swung to the right at the maximum zigzag width, the amount of ascending travel of the needle bar from its lower position to the position where the tip of the rotary hook exactly meets the right side of the needle should be 1.7 ± 0.3 mm.