Sewing machine problems

[badabec]

Hello, a question or two for @mrsbruce. I have my late mother's Jones sewing machine from the mid sixties. She was a seamstress sewing silk ties. She made all her own clothes on the Jones machine. It doesn't do anything fancy, it just sews.
I'm using it to sew two layers of expanded vinyl. Every inch or so it seems to miss collecting the thread from the bobbin. Instead it pulls up the thread from the bobbin but it hasn't formed a stitch.
The other annoying thing it does is the thread between the needle and tensioner becomes very slack. The thread then manages to wrap itself around the needle, causing the thread to break.

Am I just expecting too much for it to sew through two layers of thin expanded vinyl? I tried a leather needle, that made it even worse. Could it be cheap thread?

My mum taught me how to use the machine when I was ten or eleven but she never explained how to use the tensioner. She just said to leave it alone.

Any help or ideas gratefully received.

 

[Brad93]

Hello, a question or two for @mrsbruce. I have my late mother's Jones sewing machine from the mid sixties. She was a seamstress sewing silk ties. She made all her own clothes on the Jones machine. It doesn't do anything fancy, it just sews.
I'm using it to sew two layers of expanded vinyl. Every inch or so it seems to miss collecting the thread from the bobbin. Instead it pulls up the thread from the bobbin but it hasn't formed a stitch.
The other annoying thing it does is the thread between the needle and tensioner becomes very slack. The thread then manages to wrap itself around the needle, causing the thread to break.

Am I just expecting too much for it to sew through two layers of thin expanded vinyl? I tried a leather needle, that made it even worse. Could it be cheap thread?

My mum taught me how to use the machine when I was ten or eleven but she never explained how to use the tensioner. She just said to leave it alone.

Any help or ideas gratefully received.

How is the DS coming along?

 

[gaz1]

you have referenced both ways as poor tension on your bobbins underneath and from the top bobbin

yours is trying to get them tensioned enough so they dont come loose when your sewing the pieces together

ive got a sewing machine and similar to you never got shown how to set up the tensioners properly it was leave them alone i like them at that setting whilst i was allowed to thread the needles

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=jones+sewing+machine+setting+up+the+tensioner

 

[tigdlo]

Every inch or so it seems to miss collecting the thread from the bobbin. Instead it pulls up the thread from the bobbin but it hasn't formed a stitch.

I have a Jones 641 and had similar problems, there was too much clearance between the shuttle and needle, easy enough to adjust on an old machine.

The other annoying thing it does is the thread between the needle and tensioner becomes very slack.

I thought I had a tension issue but I think it was going slack because of missing stitches. One that was sorted I could properly set the tension.

Make sure the needle is the right way round and is threaded from the correct side, this can cause issues.

Are you sure you have threaded the tensioner correctly? Post a photo if you are unsure.

 

[Melvyn Best]

Can’t really help with the tension issue, I just play with the settings on mine until I’m happy but I’m no seamstress. One thing I remember my mum doing ,when sewing vinyl , was to place greaseproof paper over the seam and sew through it

 

[ajlelectronics]

Tension is the same regardless of machine. There are various fancy ways to set it, but the simplest is to get the bobbin tension about right first. That should require an amount of resistance to pulling. Set it about half way if your bobbin case has a range. Then with two pieces of material, sew a length of stitching. What you are looking for is the stitch joined between the two plates of material.

When you have problems, you look to see whether it is the top or the bottom that is loose. If the top tension is too tight, the thread will be pulled up more than it should, which will result in a flat thread on the top plate. If the top tension is too loose, the bobbin tension will pull the thread down under the bottom plate leaving loops there.

The top tension often needs to be set far tighter that beginners would imagine, so wind it up and then back it off in stages once you see the bobbin thread appear on the top plate.

Also check your needle alignment, it is critical.

 

[ajlelectronics]

How to Adjust the Tension on a Sewing Machine: 13 Steps

Having proper tension on your sewing machine is crucial because it ensures your stitching will be consistent and look the same on both sides. But, as important as correct tension is, even well versed sewers avoid the tension dials on their...

www.wikihow.com

 

[tom2207]

try a drop of wd40 on the needle , it may be the material sticking things up , I used to sew webbing with an old Jones , if its sewing other things ok and then wont sew plastic you need a blunt / round tipped needle and a drup of lube , or run a block of wax before the needle , a bit of candle jammed in somewhere will work , old Singer 93s and the likes had a wax bath for the threads to pass through ,,, just a few ideas.

 

[ajlelectronics]

Try a drop of WD40 on the needle.

That won't help unless it is wet! The problem is thread tensions, so putting water dispersants into the mix will just make things worse.

From https://www.sewschool.co.uk/sewing-machine-thread-tension/

 

[MoreWellie]

Not very experienced but I got an oldish failed machine (magic smoke had come out) and found a lot of the oil in the mechanism had congealed so things didn't work properly so I cleaned and oiled (proper sewing machine oil) and it made the world of difference

I then tried repairing a canvas arm from a chair and it also "missed" in a similar fashion and kept breaking. I have now bought some stronger thread (Guttermann M782) but haven't tried again yet so not entirely helpful as an answer

 

[badabec]

Hello, thank you all for the very good advice. I shall check the top tensioner is actually working and give the bobbin 'torpedo tube' a good clean.

I'm trying to sew vinyl tubes that fit between the air blower and the heater assembly on the DS.
The DS is getting quite near to having the engine and gearbox dropped in. The loom I made is fully installed and works. Although you can buy looms, they don't incorporate the extras I wanted. All switched feeds now run through relays, there is a handbrake warning light, central locking, air con and an electric fuel pump to prime the carb.
After the mouse wee damage to the hydraulic pipes, all the hydraulic pipes have been replaced with Kunifer.
Sound deadening and thermal insulation has been fitted.
I reckon on another couple of years...

 

[Melvyn Best]

That won't help unless it is wet! The problem is thread tensions, so putting water dispersants into the mix will just make things worse.

From https://www.sewschool.co.uk/sewing-machine-thread-tension/


View attachment 449596

That’ll help with my sewing but chances are next time I need to get my machine out I will have forgotten !

 

[badabec]

Hello, I dismantled the tensioner and realised the floating spring thingy was in the wrong place. With the spring correctly positioned, tension was resumed.
I cleaned the shuttle etc, removing 60 years of fluff etc. A bit of oil here and there and it runs like a sewing machine!