Well there's a couple issues im dealing with that are holding up my project progress.

The thread injector im using (singer 6160) which has seen light use and is about a year old, is having issues with well for lack of better term, birdsnests forming behind the fabric and causes the machine to jam up and clog down in the bobbin area. I'll have to lift the lock and rotate the wheel back and forth to free the mess from down below. This usually happens more towards the beginning of the stitch, usually once i've got things going it's ok. I've replaced needles on it, and it helps some, but it still does it more than I think it should.

Another issue with the machine is that when im starting out putting the bobbin back in the machine and wheeling it through to pull the bottom thread up, my needle will take several attempts to catch. It's like the needle goes down, doesn't catch and the needle comes back up.

Lastly if I open up the bottom compartment where the bobbin sits, there are two feet that rotate in and out to lock everything in place. I notice that one of these feet are a little loose and the screws cannot be tightened further.

Given the problems, is it something I'm doing wrong? Does the machine need service? Where should I look to get it serviced and how much should I expect to spend?