Help! Tension suddenly stopped working!

I don't know what happened. I've had this sewing machine for less than
a year, but I haven't used it much. I've been using it lately now and
then, and it's been working fine. And tonight... I finished cutting
the fabric to make the most ruffly bedskirt ever... and... *sob* all
of a sudden... The tension stopped working!

So here's the deal: the tension is too high no matter what I set it
for. It works exactly the same at 0 and at 9. I opened up the machine,
I cleaned it with a lint brush, I lubricated it everywhere I could
possibly imagine, including the tension disks... no use! It doesn't
seem like it makes any difference if I turn the wheel with the tension
#s or not (when I look at it).

So, I've no idea what happened, why it happened so suddenly, and what
to do. If there's no other way, I guess I'll take it to the sewing
machine doctor... But I'm afraid it'll be expensive. I've no idea how
much these things cost. (I live in NYC, so there's a plenty of places
to take it to.) Is that the only way to fix my baby?

On an unrelated note, the needle clamp (if that's what it's called)
hasn't been working super lately. The needle keeps coming out, which
is really annoying. (I had to sew a lot of monster fur - you know, 3"
long nap... Didn't make my machine very happy. It's a $200 machine,
and it wasn't made for that.) Any way to fix it? If not, any idea how
much that would cost? Right now, it's not so bad to take it to be
fixed on its own, but I figure, if I'll have to take the machine to a
specialist to fix the tension, might get this thing done as well.

Thanks so much!

Malia

malia wrote:

I don't know what happened. I've had this sewing machine for less than
a year, but I haven't used it much. I've been using it lately now and
then, and it's been working fine. And tonight... I finished cutting
the fabric to make the most ruffly bedskirt ever... and... *sob* all
of a sudden... The tension stopped working!

If your $200 machine is anything like the low-end $250 White I bought
for my son a few years back, you're lucky it lasted that long. His
machine only lasted 2-3 months.

So here's the deal: the tension is too high no matter what I set it
for. It works exactly the same at 0 and at 9. I opened up the machine,
I cleaned it with a lint brush, I lubricated it everywhere I could
possibly imagine, including the tension disks... no use! It doesn't
seem like it makes any difference if I turn the wheel with the tension
#s or not (when I look at it).

Did you "floss" the tension disks as well? Boy, I sure hope your
machine doesn't have the same problem ours did -- several trips to the
SM mechanic failed to permanently cure the problem.

machine doctor... But I'm afraid it'll be expensive. I've no idea how
much these things cost. (I live in NYC, so there's a plenty of places
to take it to.) Is that the only way to fix my baby?

There's a Yahoo group called wefixit that you might ask this question at
-- they were recommended to people in this group in the past year.

On an unrelated note, the needle clamp (if that's what it's called)
hasn't been working super lately. The needle keeps coming out, which
is really annoying. (I had to sew a lot of monster fur - you know, 3"
long nap... Didn't make my machine very happy. It's a $200 machine,
and it wasn't made for that.) Any way to fix it? If not, any idea how
much that would cost? Right now, it's not so bad to take it to be
fixed on its own, but I figure, if I'll have to take the machine to a
specialist to fix the tension, might get this thing done as well.

You're right that if you had to take it in you might as well get
everything looked at.

Only your local SM mechanic will be able to tell you what it will cost
for a tuneup. Here in the SF Bay Area the most-local-to-me shop charges
about $100.

--
I know God will not give me anything I can't handle.
I just wish that He didn't trust me so much. - Mother Teresa

malia wrote:

So here's the deal: the tension is too high no matter what I set it
for. It works exactly the same at 0 and at 9. I opened up the machine,
I cleaned it with a lint brush, I lubricated it everywhere I could
possibly imagine, including the tension disks... no use! It doesn't
seem like it makes any difference if I turn the wheel with the tension
#s or not (when I look at it).

Grasping at straws, have you completely unthreaded and rethreaded it? It's
possible that the thread has got caught round something on its path.

So, I've no idea what happened, why it happened so suddenly, and what
to do. If there's no other way, I guess I'll take it to the sewing
machine doctor... But I'm afraid it'll be expensive. [...]
It's a $200 machine,

After you get a quote for any necessary repairs, take a look at second-hand
machines. A second-hand machine from a good manufacturer will sew better
than a new $200 machine. It'll be more tolerant of cheap threads and strange
fabrics, too.

It sounds like you've been pushing your poor sewing machine to do something
it's just not capable of.

If you do decide to buy a new-to-you machine, look at Penny's FAQ,
http://www.cet.com/~pennys/faq/smfaq.htm
too see what to look for.

--
Sally Holmes
Wakefield, West Yorkshire, England

malia wrote:

I don't know what happened. I've had this sewing machine for less than
a year, but I haven't used it much. I've been using it lately now and
then, and it's been working fine. And tonight... I finished cutting
the fabric to make the most ruffly bedskirt ever... and... *sob* all
of a sudden... The tension stopped working!

On an unrelated note, the needle clamp (if that's what it's called)
hasn't been working super lately. The needle keeps coming out, which
is really annoying. (I had to sew a lot of monster fur - you know, 3"
long nap... Didn't make my machine very happy. It's a $200 machine,
and it wasn't made for that.) Any way to fix it? If not, any idea how
much that would cost? Right now, it's not so bad to take it to be
fixed on its own, but I figure, if I'll have to take the machine to a
specialist to fix the tension, might get this thing done as well.

Thanks so much!

Malia

Here's a very helpful site -
http://www.mrsews.com/lessondir.html

Look especially at
http://www.mrsews.com/lessons/lession1.html for your tension.

You might also need to clean out the needle area, and
check the screw on the clamp. It may not be able to screw
all the way in.

Patience. You can probably do all that a basic
clean-and-oil at a shop would do, and do it better since
you care about the end result. Plus you don't want to
sell yourself a new machine. ;-)

--

Joanne @ stitches @ singerlady.reno.nv.us
http://bernardschopen.tripod.com/
Life is about the journey, not about the destination.

"Sally Holmes" wrote in message ...
malia wrote:

So here's the deal: the tension is too high no matter what I set it
for. It works exactly the same at 0 and at 9. I opened up the machine,
I cleaned it with a lint brush, I lubricated it everywhere I could
possibly imagine, including the tension disks... no use! It doesn't
seem like it makes any difference if I turn the wheel with the tension
#s or not (when I look at it).

Grasping at straws, have you completely unthreaded and rethreaded it? It's
possible that the thread has got caught round something on its path.

So, I've no idea what happened, why it happened so suddenly, and what
to do. If there's no other way, I guess I'll take it to the sewing
machine doctor... But I'm afraid it'll be expensive. [...]
It's a $200 machine,

After you get a quote for any necessary repairs, take a look at second-hand
machines. A second-hand machine from a good manufacturer will sew better
than a new $200 machine. It'll be more tolerant of cheap threads and strange
fabrics, too.

It sounds like you've been pushing your poor sewing machine to do something
it's just not capable of.

If you do decide to buy a new-to-you machine, look at Penny's FAQ,
http://www.cet.com/~pennys/faq/smfaq.htm
too see what to look for.

This is so obvious, I'm sure you've checked: is the thread from the
spool wrapped around the spool holder?

Help! Tension suddenly stopped working!

(malia)
snip
all of a sudden... The tension stopped working!
So here's the deal: the tension is too high no matter what I set it for.
It works exactly the same at 0 and at 9. I opened up the machine, I
cleaned it with a lint brush, I lubricated it everywhere I could
possibly imagine, including the tension disks... no use! It doesn't seem
like it makes any difference if I turn the wheel with the tension #s or
not (when I look at it).
snip
---
Are the feet making contact with the feed dogs? If you tightened
the tension screw for working with the fur, did you remember to release
some of the tension? (Turn screw counter-clockwise--adjust when foot is
in the down position).
Are you threading the machine with the foot up, so that the tension
discs are open to receive the thread? Bobbins should be wound with the
foot up, at an even rate of speed.
Try a new needle & new bobbin, and be sure you have checked under/around
the race for threads and lint.
Your bobbin case spring may be damaged. Is the bobbin running freely
in the bobbin case? Be sure you are threading the bobbin case properly.
It would, as another post noted, be helpful to now what machine you
have. My Bernette 230, for example, will not stitch properly if the
bobbin winder cover (located on rt.end of the machine) is left in the
'up' position after you've wound the bobbin. Nothing in the manual
mentions this quirk.
---
On an unrelated note, the needle clamp (if that's what it's called)
hasn't been working super lately. The needle keeps coming out, which is
really annoying. (I had to sew a lot of monster fur - you know, 3" long
nap... Didn't make my machine very happy. It's a $200 machine, and it
wasn't made for that.)
snip
Malia
---
Oops! Bad news, needle drop. You may have a screw loose snort uh, I
mean, you may need a new screw. clamp.
This could be the source of the problem. Dropped needles get burrs,
and get bent and dulled. Needle problems are one of the main causes of
bad stitching. Do you tighten the clamp screw with a screwdriver, and
does it still fall out?
Cea

Help! Tension suddenly stopped working!


quote/unquote::
Drum roll. please
...causes of bad stitching. Do you tighten the clamp screw with a
screwdriver, and does it still fall out?
=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A 0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=
=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A 0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0Cea
And, we all know Duh that sergers needles are the ones which go in
with tiny screws....ya can't tighten a regular needle clamp with a
screwdriver, but a little pair of pliers might do the trick.
Cea bows and waves

a machine i had years ago had a spring that went in the top tension.i
know a lot of machines these days do not have the same type, but, it
is a thought that this could be the problem and if so will only cost
pence to fix.

wrote:


Help! Tension suddenly stopped working!


quote/unquote::
Drum roll. please
..causes of bad stitching. Do you tighten the clamp screw with a
screwdriver, and does it still fall out?
Cea
And, we all know Duh that sergers needles are the ones which go in
with tiny screws....ya can't tighten a regular needle clamp with a
screwdriver, but a little pair of pliers might do the trick.
Cea bows and waves

The needle clamp on my Lily has a screwdriver slot... So does the one
on the Viscount. I use a screwdriver to tighten it all the time.


--
Kate XXXXXX
Lady Catherine, Wardrobe Mistress of the Chocolate Buttons
http://www.diceyhome.free-online.co.uk
Click on Kate's Pages and explore!

On Tue, 16 Mar 2004 20:49:46 +0000, Kate Dicey
wrote:

The needle clamp on my Lily has a screwdriver slot... So does the one
on the Viscount. I use a screwdriver to tighten it all the time.

So do my Necchi and my White Family Rotary. (I'd have to
move several things to look at my Monkey Ward.)

I don't usually tighten a needle clamp with a screwdriver
because the heads of the screws give me a good grip. (Wide
and flat on the Necchi, large and knurled on the White.)
I've been known to need a screwdriver to *loosen* the
screws, though, and I can't imagine a machine so cheap that
it would leave out that little slot.

(But I can't imagine a lot of the trash that people are
passing off as sewing machines these days. Whenever I'm
asked by a newbie, I say "Buy second hand -- you want
something that has been tested for "infant difficulties".)

Joy Beeson
--
http://home.earthlink.net/~joybeeson/ -- needlework
http://home.earthlink.net/~beeson_n3f/ -- Writers' Exchange
joy beeson at earthlink dot net