Removing a broken needle from sewing machine
 

Do any of you have a suggestion for removing a broken sewing machine needle?
With it stuck in the fabric, needle in down position, I am so afraid of harming my machine.
I finally broke the needle again, on purpose, in order to remove it. Is this bad?
Marilyn

Why couldn't you hand turn the wheel to pull the needle out of the fabric?
I've broken several needles and not had any problems getting the needle parts out.

Marilyn, I have no idea how you would do this. It sounds like you found a way though, and if that worked, thank goodness! I would be worried too though. I can't visualize how you managed to break the needle again to remove it though. You must be creative. I hope your machine still works... Something made the needle break, right?

Dina

Duh, Peckish, turning the wheel by hand makes so much sense! I like to think I might have done that automatically...but I sure didn't think of it when Marilyn asked. :)

Dina

I also have had this happen. When the wheel won't move, you just have to disassemble as much as you can and then get your little bitty pliers and either pull straight down or straight up on the part of the needle that's left. I've never thought about breaking the needle again and would be afraid to do that because I might bend the shaft. No one ever told people who sew that they may have to act as serendipitous mechanics! froggyintexas

The problem was that I could not hand turn the wheel, therefore there was no room to work. I was able to very
carefully remove bobbin & bobbin plate etc. to give more room & eventually wriggled the fabric out from under. But the
needle originally broke low towards the hole in the needle.

Thanks for any further suggestions.
Marilyn

Sounds like you did the best you could, my next thought was to remove the bobbin & cover. I think your needle must have broken in a spot that I've never had to deal with. Glad you got it out!

this is what I would do also would loosen the screw take out the needle, and the foot

When I get a broken or bent needle good and jambed I sometimes just turn the machine off. Like rebooting a computer (which some sewing machines really are) the mechanism sort of resets it self and rises up high enough to unscrew the needle and remove it.