Sewing Machine problems

[Eujeankilt]

This makes perfect sense. Do industrial machines compensate for this since they have a higher lift presser foot?

Dale

There is your trouble right there. It's not that you overwhelmed your machine it's that you have put so many layers under the presser foot that the top tension is loosened. When you lower the presser foot, the tension disks are engaged. As you layer more and more fabric under the foot you are actually lifting the foot enough to disengage the disks slightly.

Other things to check for:
- a Singer sewing machine needle. If your sewing machine is not a Singer you should NOT use this brand of needle in it. If your sewing machine is a Singer than you MUST use this brand.
- that you have inserted the bobbin correctly, refer to your manual. Most (not all) bobbins are inserted so that the thread comes off the bobbin from the left to the right (when the thread tail is pulled, the bobbin will spin a a clockwise direction)

If your thread is unthreading from your needle as you start to sew, that means your take-up lever was in the down position. After you finish sewing a seam, turn your flywheel so that the take-up lever is in it's highest position, then cut the threads. If you get into the habit of doing this, your thread will never come out of the needle.

[The Wizard of BC]

I can't speak for all models and manufacturers of Industrial machines but my Pfaff machines do not loosen the tension with the raising of the pressure foot over thick fabric. The tension is controlled and loosened from a cam that is separate from the pressure foot bar.

[Dixiecat]

I used to teach a sewing machine use and care class for the local Sears and as I always told my students, the Rules of Sewing Machine use are simple and finite: always keep your machine clean, use good thread and good needles, don't run over pins and don't wash your hair for 24hrs after a perm.

Seriously, when looking to solve issues with your machine always think of TNT: Tension, Needle, Thread.
1) check your tension - a lot of things can factor into tension or affect it
2) change your needle - my dealer told me the story about the woman who brought her machine in because it was chewing up fabric. Turns out, the woman hadn't changed her needle in 15yrs.
3) check the thread path, one small piece of lint or tiny thread can throw off the timing or tension. Try unthreading your machine, then rethread it, and unthreading your bobbin, then rethread it. c



Sigh....an industrial machine....sigh....

I too have a Pfaff, but it's a domestic sewing machine. Although it's a high-end, fancy-dancy, almost drives your car for you (albeit 10yrs old) sewing machine, it's still made for the home market. One thing about Pfaffs though, they have built-in walking feet which are easily engaged and quiet.

One day I'll have my own industrial machine, but for now I guess I'll have to brag about my irons...

[fluter]

And bare foot on the control pedal. No sandals, slippers, socks, nothing between you and the POWER.

Ah yes! Now what I need to know is whether there is a vernier control for the pedal, so that I could make it go r e e e a l l y slow or just sorta slow, and not jump to "uncontrollably fast for a novice."

Maybe I just need to get another pedal, so I can take one apart and see what's what...

[sydnie7]

Older machines have a classic carbon stack potentiometer. Newer ones have a solid-state equivalent. Have to say I like the newer ones better. . . more vernier-like. If you've got an older, balky control, you can take it apart and clean the stack for better performance -- check springs and pivot points while you're in there, of course.

[Smayniac]

An out of adjustment or wildly abused industrial is as bad as a home machine. I have access to an industrial Singer at work and it gets so far out of whack that it frequently isn't worth the trouble to bring my project to it from the old black Singer at home.

Bob

[Bugbear]

Ya, I can see how a bad foot control on a sewing machine would cause lots of problems. I've had to throw on potter's wheels that have jumpy controls and painted the walls mud.

Somehow a sewing machine seems more dangerous...

[Dixiecat]

Now what I need to know is whether there is a vernier control for the pedal, so that I could make it go r e e e a l l y slow or just sorta slow, and not jump to "uncontrollably fast for a novice

Try to find out if your machine has an 'electronic' foot control replacement. These days only very low end mechanical sewing machines will have the older non-electronic types of foot control.

Sometimes it's the simple things that drive replacing your machine. I made the jump to computerized when I realized that buttonholes were important.

[fluter]

Try to find out if your machine has an 'electronic' foot control replacement. These days only very low end mechanical sewing machines will have the older non-electronic types of foot control.

Thanks for the hint! This is BTW a "very low end mechanical" machine but that's what I asked for ... I think the real solution is practice.

[sydnie7]

[snip] I made the jump to computerized when I realized that buttonholes were important.

My sister's Bernina, which she uses for machine embroidery, networks to her PC but has a small screen on the machine itself. You tell it you want a buttonhole, then place the button up against the screen and the machine calculates the buttonhole dimensions automatically. . . scary.

"HAL, please lift the presser foot. . . HAL? HAL??"