Thread Injector Woes

[lemonsbw]

After a good bit of perusing through the vast knowledge you all have I made my own hammock. While I was using the thread injector I kept having a problem of it pulling up multiple threads from the bottom causing it to jam. I'm using an unknown weight of nylon I got on the cheap from a local store but it's about the weight/feel of 1.9 rip without the calendering. I'm using 100% poly thread. The injector is a not heavy duty so I thought it would be fine but still jammed on even just doubled over pieces of fabric. Any suggestions on how to resolve this issue? I got this one done but looking for some advice on the next adventure! I used the double sided fabric tape on one side (doh, learned my lesson on that one!) and I'm wondering if it just gummed my needle up. Thank for the input in advance!

[XTrekker]

After a good bit of perusing through the vast knowledge you all have I made my own hammock. While I was using the thread injector I kept having a problem of it pulling up multiple threads from the bottom causing it to jam. I'm using an unknown weight of nylon I got on the cheap from a local store but it's about the weight/feel of 1.9 rip without the calendering. I'm using 100% poly thread. The injector is a not heavy duty so I thought it would be fine but still jammed on even just doubled over pieces of fabric. Any suggestions on how to resolve this issue? I got this one done but looking for some advice on the next adventure! I used the double sided fabric tape on one side (doh, learned my lesson on that one!) and I'm wondering if it just gummed my needle up. Thank for the input in advance!

I'm no expert but I have found that increasing the thread tension fixed this very same issue on my machine.

[The Old Boot]

Try these suggestions:

Put in a new needle, particularly since you used the old one with sticky tape. Pay attention to how the needle goes in and make sure that it's seated all the way.

Wind a new bobbin making sure that the tension is okay when you do. I usually have my thumb and forefinger on the thread as it winds to make sure that the thread winds okay and I can control it winding evenly on the bobbin.

Make triple sure that there's not any pieces of thread or other junk caught in the bobbin area.

Check to make sure that you're threading both the top and the bottom threads properly. Even missing one spot on the top threading can cause a problem.

Play with some scraps to make sure it's all good before you go back to trying to sew the hammock. It's much less frustrating.

[The Old Boot]

I'm no expert but I have found that increasing the thread tension fixed this very same issue on my machine.

The tension MIGHT be out of whack but playing with the tension is last resort.

Once your tension is set right on a decent machine, you shouldn't have to play with it. I've not adjusted the tension on my machine in a decade and I sew everything from noseuum to my blue jeans (4 layers in spots).

[Ramblinrev]

The tension MIGHT be out of whack but playing with the tension is last resort.

Once your tension is set right on a decent machine, you shouldn't have to play with it. I've not adjusted the tension on my machine in a decade and I sew everything from noseuum to my blue jeans (4 layers in spots).

Quite the contrary. That is true for the bobbin tension but the top thread tension is easily adjusted and should be the _first_ thing you adjust. Threads hanging from the bottom of the fabric almost always indicate a need to increase the spool tension settings. Leave the bobbin alone, unless you know exactly what you are doing and exactly why you are doing it. (Read my Bobbin tension thread in my sig for more on this.) If you are having trouble with bird's nests and loose threads under the fabric bump your top tension up by a full number or two and check the stitch balance on some scraps of the same material. Different fabrics and different thread sizes can, and often do, call for different top thread tensions.

Edit: This is not to say Old Boot is not wise in the above suggestions. All those are very good ideas, particularly the new needle. But I would suspect the culprit is the top tension and if you do all the rest, but don't get the tension right you will not solve the problem. BTW tension problems are more common with cheap machines than with a better quality machine for any number of reasons.

[lemonsbw]

Thanks alot for the info! It's a pretty cheap, and old (bad combination) machine but free so can't beat that! I've got my 1st one sewn and am only about $20 in materials into it. I figured that was a good price for a first try. Thanks again!

[samjaynes]

Quite the contrary. That is true for the bobbin tension but the top thread tension is easily adjusted and should be the _first_ thing you adjust......

+1 Rablinrev is the expert of sewing, and has the tenure to prove it. Often I have been in a hurray, and missed these small adjustments that can make live easier. I second reading his topic on bobbin tension. Too often we assume if we can thread the bobbin thread - then we are good to go. But that area can get a lot of build up, especially after someone has sewn cotton, canvas, etc.

I just refurbished a 1952 Singer 201-2 and it was amazing to see how dirty that thing was - but how prestine the gears were still.