Need Injector Assistance

[jred]

I had real similar issues with my hand-me-down injector. I changed needles (70/10), and got some higher quality polyester thread. With the new thread I checked the bobbin tension & it was ok (it was too high with the cheapo all-purpose cotton thread). I also found some thread snippets under the tension plate that I cleaned out. It fixed all the problems (looping on bottom, bottom thread pulling up, etc.)

[jbo_c]

Acer. Yes I do hold onto the thread when I start a stitch so it doesn't pull through. Is that good or bad?

I'm using Gutterman's thread. I've used "universal needles".

Still flumoxed. We'll see what it does when I turn it on tonight.

Jbo

[Ramblinrev]

Remove the spool thread from the machine entirely. Carefully look at the spool. One end has a lock mechanism to keep the spool from unwinding. It is either a little slit or a clinch layer that will hold the thread end. In any event when you rethread the machine be careful to have the thread come off the end WITHOUT that lock thingie. That is particularly important if it is the slit type.

Rethread the machine all the way through the needle. Leaving the presser foot UP pull the thread through the needle. to the back of the machine. Then lower the presser foot but leave the thread end loose. Don't put the presser foot on top of it. Again pull the thread through the needle to the back. There should be a SIGNIFICANT difference in the resistance between the two. It should be significantly harder to pull the thread through when the presser foot is done. If it is not then the top tension system is not threaded properly. The tension plates are internal to the machine on that model and you can not visually inspect the thread at that point. If the plates are not aligned properly the thread may bypass the plates and hove no top tension. That is not a good thing. It sounds to me like a machine problem not a user error.

If possible... find out if your daughter had a similar problem with the machine when she stopped using it. If so it almost certainly a machine error and not user error.

[jbo_c]

Thanks for the advice Rev. I'll try that.

My daughter never used the machine. It just sat new in the box before I used it.

Jbo

[nacra533]

Smoke.

Good question on the needle. I don't know how to size the needle for the thread. I have noticed that the eye on my buddy's needles seem to be bigger.

Jbo

If your using Guttermans, it's probably a 30 or 46 (textile size), which means size 9-12 needle. For sil and the light stuff, you can probably go with a 9 or 10, but I just use a 12 for about everything, so I don't break needles in webbing or binding.

Follow Rev's advice on rethreading. Definitely sounds like your not going through the tension disks or the tension disks were not engaged. Was the material thick enough to raise the foot high enough to release the tension disks?


For what it's worth.. and totally unrelated to this post...
I bought a couple larger yellow spools of Guttermans from OWF and it is noticably thicker than the normal store version on the white spools. It says "ticket size" 70. Not sure of the conversion, but I work with V69 (T67) bonded poly on marine stuff and ticket size 70 is no where close to textile size 70.

[Ramblinrev]

Thanks for the advice Rev. I'll try that.

My daughter never used the machine. It just sat new in the box before I used it.

Jbo

For how long?

[jbo_c]

A year or two.