In the last post, we talked about ways that thread nests can be solved from a user point of view. Today, I’m getting into the slightly more technical ways that the nests happen and how to deal with them, or when to take it in for service.
Continue reading Out of the nest – Ditching the Thread nests part 2
One of the most common issues that people bring machines to me for is tension.
The thing about it is that – in most cases – the tension issues are really not something that I need to address as a technician . Don’t get me wrong, there are some legitimate issues – mis-assembled tensioners or severely clogged up tensioners – to name a couple. Continue reading Fly little nestling – Ditching the Thread nests part 1
Possibly the most common reason a machine ends up on my bench is for tension. Usually bird’s nests. The thing is easily 80% of the time, there’s nothing really wrong with the machine that a repair person needs to look at it. Sometimes it’s basic maintenance, sometimes it’s because someone told you at some point “DON’T YOU TOUCH THAT! EVER!”
I’m sure that the people who’ve said that meant well, but today I’m going to show you how to manage that dial properly and what to do when it’s not proper. Continue reading Fragile Tension – Tension does not have to equal stress (Updated with a video)
Timing series part 6: The others
Two things I touched on but didn’t explore in detail are feed dog timing and how the timing on a shuttle bobbin works (Vibrating shuttle or transverse shuttles, also known as bullet and boat shuttles)
Feed dog timing is very straight forward – The feed dogs move the fabric. In order to do that effectively, the needle must be clear of the fabric before they start to move it.
Timing series part 4: Why it’s fairly difficult to throw timing off, and how to adjust timing.
Note: Never run the machine with the pedal if you suspect that the timing is off, while checking or after adjusting the timing until you’ve determined that the setting was correct. Running it at speed if the timing is off can cause massive damage to the hook, bobbin case and also smash the needle which can lead to shards flying around.
Note: The process I show for adjusting timing doesn’t necessarily work for newer machines that are set up a little differently, but the process of checking it still applies. And if your machine is on warranty, please just take it in and have it fixed. Some dealers / manufacturers will void your warranty if you try to change anything.
First, why it’s very hard to throw timing off.
Saturday was Morinville’s Town Wide garage sale. Every spring, the town has a garage sale, where people can rent a table at the Sports center, or just put their stuff out for sale at their homes. The town publishes a list of the “registered” garage sales, and tons of people show up from far and wide to take a peek at people’s stuff.
This year, with my “new” hobby, I set off around town with my treasure map in hand, to see what I could find. I promised from the outset that I wouldn’t buy any more sewing machines, unless they were exceptionally special. No more rescues for now. I can’t even find enough time to work on the ones I have.
At first it was easy. I kept finding late 70s machines to mid 90s. No temptation at all.
Ah, the best intentions… Continue reading Oops, I did it again! – Updated with Pictures
