Frustrating Sewing Machine Problem

Hi folks,

I'm new to this group and plan to check in often. Right now I'm hoping
someone can help me with a problem I'm having with my sewing machine.
I have an old but seldom used Singer model 8602 -- a low-end model with
no special features.

I've been using for a few days to make a window treatment for the guest
bedroom. Nothing fancy -- just straight sewing. The machine was working
fine for the first couple of days. Then, one morning when I first started
to sew, things when haywire. What's happening is hard to describe, but I'll
do my best.

As I sewed, only part of the top thread went through the needle and
fabric. Some of the tread sort of peeled off and bunched up at the
needle. This continued until I either noticed and stopped or until the
thread broke. (I hope that makes sense.)

I should note that I didn't change anything from the day before except
the color of the thread and fabric. And I know it's not bad thread because
I tried four different spools. All did the same thing.

I also changed the needle just in case that was the problem, but it wasn't.

Can anyone help? Thanks in advance.
--
8^)~~~ Sue (remove the x to e-mail)
~~~~~~
"I reserve the absolute right to be smarter
today than I was yesterday." -Adlai Stevenson

http://home.earthlink.net/~sme617

Suzie-Q wrote:

I'm new to this group and plan to check in often. Right now I'm hoping
someone can help me with a problem I'm having with my sewing machine.

Welcome :-)

As I sewed, only part of the top thread went through the needle and
fabric. Some of the tread sort of peeled off and bunched up at the
needle. This continued until I either noticed and stopped or until the
thread broke. (I hope that makes sense.)

I should note that I didn't change anything from the day before except
the color of the thread and fabric. And I know it's not bad thread
because I tried four different spools.

I don't know why it just started happening in the middle of a project, but
it's caused by the thread being pulled in and out of the eye of the needle
as you stitch. A machine works by making a loop of needle thread under the
fabric. You can see the basics at
http://web.mit.edu/2.972/www/reports..._machine.htm-1,
which I still think is an amazingly cool place. The loop of needle thread is
pulled taught by the take-up lever as the stitch is completed. The take-up
lever is the little arm that sticks out of the leftmost front of the machine
and hits you in the forehead if you lean in too close.

If you want to see it in action, thread the machine with white thread. Raise
the take-up lever and needle to their highest points and put a little dot of
dark marker pen on the thread above the last thread guide above the needle.
Now sew very very slowly, and see how many times that little dot goes
through the eye of the needle before it finally get locked into a stitch in
the fabric.

So, how to fix it?

You say you're not using "bad" thread, but are you using Coats & Clark? If
so, switch to Gutterman or Mettler. Change the needle to a demin needle: it
has a sharper point, to better penetrate the fabric, and a larger "scarf",
which is the hollowed-out bit above the eye of the needle. The scarf helps
to protect the thread from being abraded by the fabric as it passes through.


If they don't work you could try a little of a lubricant called "Sewers Aid"
(no apostrophe). You can buy it from Clotilde (www.clotilde.com) or your
local quilt shop may have some. You run three lines of it from top to bottom
of the spool of thread, and put a drop on the machine at every place the
thread rubs.

You could also try a machine embroidery needle. They have even bigger
scarfs, to protect fragile machine embroidery threads.

Some of the old Singers are notorious for have tension problems and being
picky about thread. My Mum had one that nearly put me off sewing for life.
If you plan on doing lots of sewing it might be worth you watching out for
another, second hand, machine such as a basic Bernina or a Singer 301.

HTH

--
Sally Holmes
Wakefield, West Yorkshire, England

Suzie-Q wrote:

Hi folks,

I'm new to this group and plan to check in often. Right now I'm hoping
someone can help me with a problem I'm having with my sewing machine.
I have an old but seldom used Singer model 8602 -- a low-end model with
no special features.

I've been using for a few days to make a window treatment for the guest
bedroom. Nothing fancy -- just straight sewing. The machine was working
fine for the first couple of days. Then, one morning when I first started
to sew, things when haywire. What's happening is hard to describe, but I'll
do my best.

As I sewed, only part of the top thread went through the needle and
fabric. Some of the tread sort of peeled off and bunched up at the
needle. This continued until I either noticed and stopped or until the
thread broke. (I hope that makes sense.)

I should note that I didn't change anything from the day before except
the color of the thread and fabric. And I know it's not bad thread because
I tried four different spools. All did the same thing.

I also changed the needle just in case that was the problem, but it wasn't.

Can anyone help? Thanks in advance.

My first thought is a burr on the needle eye. Change the needle! If
that doesn't work, change the thread: some machines are picky about
thread. I like Gutterman poly and cotton threads, and their silk is
good too.

If you are sewing thick fabric, use a thicker needle. I tend to use
Jeans needles in a 90 or 100 size for decor fabric projects.

--
Kate XXXXXX
Lady Catherine, Wardrobe Mistress of the Chocolate Buttons
http://www.diceyhome.free-online.co.uk
Click on Kate's Pages and explore!

"Suzie-Q" a écrit dans le message de news:
...
Hi folks,

I'm new to this group and plan to check in often. Right now I'm hoping
someone can help me with a problem I'm having with my sewing machine.
I have an old but seldom used Singer model 8602 -- a low-end model with
no special features.

I've been using for a few days to make a window treatment for the guest
bedroom. Nothing fancy -- just straight sewing. The machine was working
fine for the first couple of days. Then, one morning when I first started
to sew, things when haywire. What's happening is hard to describe, but
I'll
do my best.

As I sewed, only part of the top thread went through the needle and
fabric. Some of the tread sort of peeled off and bunched up at the
needle. This continued until I either noticed and stopped or until the
thread broke. (I hope that makes sense.)

I should note that I didn't change anything from the day before except
the color of the thread and fabric. And I know it's not bad thread because
I tried four different spools. All did the same thing.

I also changed the needle just in case that was the problem, but it
wasn't.

Can anyone help? Thanks in advance.
--
8^)~~~ Sue (remove the x to e-mail)
~~~~~~
"I reserve the absolute right to be smarter
today than I was yesterday." -Adlai Stevenson

http://home.earthlink.net/~sme617


Have you threaded the machine corectly? I know this is an obvious thing to
say but I spent ages cursing my machine the other day only to come back to
it and see that the thread was no longer going through the tensioner. DUH!!!
Claire in Montéal France

On Fri, 14 May 2004 05:01:49 GMT, Suzie-Q wrote:

I'm new to this group and plan to check in often. Right now I'm hoping
someone can help me with a problem I'm having with my sewing machine.
I have an old but seldom used Singer model 8602 -- a low-end model with
no special features.

What size and brand of needle are you using? Most Singers are timed
for Singer brand needles, and you'll get your best stitching with them.
I'd suggest a #14 or #16 sharp for most "regular" curtain fabrics; probably
about a #8 or 10 for sheers.

What it sounds like is that you've either got a burr in the thread path
that's cutting the thread (sounds like you're using a "dual duty" type
thread, cotton wound poly, which I detest), or the thread's not good, or
the peeling process is starting at the needle eye, which can happen with
heavy thread and a small needle. Or it could be an operator error.

Let's try the easy stuff first:
1) first try threading with the presser foot up, so the thread can
properly enter the tensions. When you've threaded, pull both bobbin
and top thread behind the foot. Lower the presser foot and drop the
needle into the fabric with the handwheel *while still holding the
ends of the thread*. Take a few stitches, and then you can let
go of the ends.
2) new needle, correct size and type -- even though you just changed it.
3) then new thread (I far prefer straight polyester or straight cotton
over dual duty type threads)
4) finally-- feel back all along the thread path looking for sharp edges.
You can "floss" all the eyes with a bit of silk thread or a skinny
strip of panty hose fabric, and see if there's any snags or sharp
edges. These can be polished out with crocus cloth or abrasive-
impregnated string, though that's a job I prefer to leave to my
sewing machine mechanic. Check the needleplate hole (the thing
the needle goes through, between the feed dogs) and the bobbin
case for sharp edges or nicks, too (this is usually a busted needle
or sewing over pins issue)... they also can be polished out with
crocus cloth, and I'll do these areas myself.
with fine emery