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bobbin tension (Moderated by Deepika)
Posted on: 11/5/06 6:49 PM ET
Experienced sewers probably know about this already, but I thought I would share it, since it saved me quite a bit of money!
I have been having trouble with sewing knits lately. I was using a ball-point needle, had the tension turned up, tried stretching the fabric, oiled my machine, brushed out the lint etc., but the stitches still came out looking terrible. The only stitch that was halfway acceptable was the elastic stitch, but it was looping on the bottom and the zig zag on the top didn't look like a zigzag at all. The thread also kept slipping off the bobbin feeder (don't know the proper name, sorry!) and making big snarls of thread underneath the fabric.
I actually took my machine in to be serviced, but I was so horrified at the price I was quoted that I took it come again, to see if I could sort the problem out with some more fiddling around. I tried using different colours of thread on the bobbin and top threads, and saw that while the thread from the bobbin was looping, the thread from the top was pulled in almost a straight line (when it should have been a zig zag pattern). I guessed that the tension was out of synch--that while the upper thread tension was too tight, the tension on the bobbin thread was too loose. I knew that adjusting the upper tension didn't help, so I looked up how to adjust the bobbin tension on the internet.
It turns out there is a tiny screw on the bobbin case, next the the space where the thread comes out. If you turn it clockwise, it increases the bobbin thread tension, and if you turn it anti-clockwise, it decreases it. All I did was turn it a quarter of a revolution clockwise (the site I looked at recommended turning it only by small amounts at a time) and my problem is solved! No more looping underneath, and the top actually looks like a zigzag! I can even do straight stiches on my knits now without looping.
I have been having trouble with sewing knits lately. I was using a ball-point needle, had the tension turned up, tried stretching the fabric, oiled my machine, brushed out the lint etc., but the stitches still came out looking terrible. The only stitch that was halfway acceptable was the elastic stitch, but it was looping on the bottom and the zig zag on the top didn't look like a zigzag at all. The thread also kept slipping off the bobbin feeder (don't know the proper name, sorry!) and making big snarls of thread underneath the fabric.
I actually took my machine in to be serviced, but I was so horrified at the price I was quoted that I took it come again, to see if I could sort the problem out with some more fiddling around. I tried using different colours of thread on the bobbin and top threads, and saw that while the thread from the bobbin was looping, the thread from the top was pulled in almost a straight line (when it should have been a zig zag pattern). I guessed that the tension was out of synch--that while the upper thread tension was too tight, the tension on the bobbin thread was too loose. I knew that adjusting the upper tension didn't help, so I looked up how to adjust the bobbin tension on the internet.
It turns out there is a tiny screw on the bobbin case, next the the space where the thread comes out. If you turn it clockwise, it increases the bobbin thread tension, and if you turn it anti-clockwise, it decreases it. All I did was turn it a quarter of a revolution clockwise (the site I looked at recommended turning it only by small amounts at a time) and my problem is solved! No more looping underneath, and the top actually looks like a zigzag! I can even do straight stiches on my knits now without looping.
Posted on: 11/7/06 1:46 AM ET
In reply to Tricotrin
Hello Tricotrin Thank you for your post. I'm sure this info will be very helpful. You were very self-reliant to look up the info on the net, then solve the problem yourself. Just wondering-does your sm manual not mention the bobbin screw? Also, what internet site did you find the info? It seems to be an informative site.
Posted on: 11/7/06 6:24 AM ET
In reply to Tricotrin
Hi Tricotrin. I had this exact problem a couple of weeks ago. I, too, googled the problem and found the answer at this site:
http://www.secretsof.com/content/616
Don't you just love the internet? That screw must have loosened over time. A simple fix!
http://www.secretsof.com/content/616
Don't you just love the internet? That screw must have loosened over time. A simple fix!
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