u/ClaraFrog

Hi Everyone! Thanks to those who just helped me fix the bird's nesting. It turns out two problems were happening at once, and now that the first has been fixed the second has become much worse.

When I change between forward stitch and backstitch the machine wheel spins and spins but the feed dogs and the needle don't move. It won't go in either direction. Switching direction a few times can get it going in one direction or the other. This is on a Singer 66-16 or 66-18 with a motor.

Does anyone know what might be wrong? Even a search term would be really useful.

Bird's nest Singer 66

UPDATE: Thanks everyone for all the help. It led me to the problem. It was missing a piece of felt that oils the spinning place where the bobbin case sits. It is now making pretty stitches and no longer makes birds nest.

I do still seem to have gear problem when switching sewing direction.

Thank you, thank you, thank you.

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This keeps happening on a Singer 66. It will sew fine for a while, then bird's nests again.

I have tried to oil everything well. I almost wonder if it is related to a sticking gear when it switches between backstitch and going forward?? Right now it is stuck in nest-mode. I think the machine is a 66-16 or 66-18. It has backstitch.

What am I doing wrong? I think that I have the bobbin and machine tension correct, because sometimes it sews beautifully for several yards???

Any ideas?