Timing series part 3:  What if it’s not timing?

What if you’ve checked and rechecked the timing and it looks fine?  It doesn’t necessarily need a trip to the sewing machine doctor.  It means that there’s another problem but most if not all of them are easy to fix, and you can do them yourself.

I’m going to list all of the reasons I can think of here, and I will add as I think of others.  Hopefully though, this will get you started and help you figure out what’s going wrong.

Let’s look at the symptoms:

• The machine won’t pick up the bobbin thread:
  • Make sure that the needle is inserted in the correct direction.  A Slant-o-matic has the flat of the needle towards the back, a featherweight has the flat to the left (should look like a “D” or look the same as the needle plate), various other machines can have the flat to the left or the right.  Check your owner’s manual to be sure.  One day soon, I will post how to tell on most machines which way the needle goes, in case you don’t have the manual for your particular machine.  As a general rule, you will thread towards the bobbin.  The slants break this rule though.  You always thread toward the flat.  Flat at the back, you thread from the front. Flat to the left – You thread from the right.  You can also look at the last guide before the needle.  If it’s on the right side, you thread from the right.  If it’s on the left – thread from the left.
• The machine is skipping stitches
  • Again, check the needle orientation, as mentioned above
  • Improper tension can cause this.  Do a tension test, and adjust as necessary
  • Incorrect size of needle for the thread and fabric combination
  • Change the needle
• It sounds weird and it’s coming from the bobbin area:
  • When’s the last time you oiled the hook / bobbin area of your machine? Check the manual for proper oiling.
  • Check for impacted lint and other things that don’t belong in the area ( broken needle pieces, thread, cookie pieces – yes, I think that’s what I found in the 401A that I used for this timing series!)
  • Make sure that your thread / needle / fabric combination is correct.  This can be incredibly noisy if it’s wrong.  A ball point needle trying to pierce vinyl for example.
  • A dull needle can “thump” when sewing.  Change your needle about every 8 hours of sewing.
• It’s not making any stitches at all:
  • Have you run out of bobbin thread?
  • Has your needle come unthreaded?  I’ve had this happen once or twice and if it happens part way through a seam, you may not notice it’s no longer threaded.
  • Check your threading
  • Change your needle
• It’s breaking /shredding thread:
  • Check for a burr on the hook, the needle plate and anywhere else the thread travels.
  • Check tensions
  • Check that the notch on the spool isn’t catching and messing with the tension
  • Make sure that the spool hasn’t spun backwards and tied itself in a knot.
  • Make sure that the needle is the correct size for the thread you’re using.  Too large or too small can cause damage to the thread .
• It’s smashing needles:
  • This is almost always from pulling or pushing the fabric around.  When the fabric is pulled while the needle is still in it, it can deflect the needle which then smashes into the needle plate.  Let the machine do the work.  You’re only there to guide it.
  • Stitch length is too short for the type of stitch.  When this happens, a big ball of thread will stop the feed dogs from being able to advance the fabric.  The needle starts to have trouble piercing the fabric and thread ball, and it breaks.
  • The needle is too small for the fabric type.

   

How about you?  Can you think of any other symptoms or reasons for the scenarios above to occur if the machine is timed correctly?  Post it below!