Skydiving Sewing Machine

[hackish 8]

Ok, the lady's sewing machine nearly went for a skydive today - well maybe it would be a BASE jump through the living room window. How hard could it be to sew a hook knife pouch on a jumpsuit anyway?

So I went to the sewing store and they assured me that a cheap consumer grade omega386 piece of junk would be up to the task.

I haven't sewed since I was in grade school and that was more than 15 years ago. So I carefully followed all the instructions in the owner's manual. Carefully stitched 2 pieces of paper towel together. Like riding a bike right?

Now mechanical and fabrication comes quite naturally but this @#$@# thing does not seem to be my forte. I can hand feed the machine and sometimes it works for a few stitches. Then it ends up in a mass of tangled crap on the underside and then the machine starts jamming or the thread on the top will break.

It still stitches paper and such properly but when I go to the jumpsuit it looks like the upper thread tension is way too loose. I've screwed with the tension on the top and it consistantly makes no difference. The material is just cotton and the jack the ripper pouch is just 2 layers of nylon or 2+ some tape on the edges.

Does this sound like it's just way too much for the machine or some simple toubleshooting procedure I can follow?

If not simple can anyone recommend someone in the deland area who would put a few stitches in this thing?

-Michael

[erdnarob 1]

It looks that your problem is to have not enough tension on the thread. Always start with straight stitches before doing zigzag or something else. Are you sure the small spool (in the table of the sewing machine) is well set up ? Also I found that using E thread on an ordinary sewing machine can make a mess unless you proceed very slowly.

Learn from others mistakes, you will never live long enough to make them all.

[hackish 8]

If there is not enough tension on the top thread is it normal for it to be breaking all the time? I'm just using general purpose sewing thread. Maybe I'll try to get something heavier.

-Michael

[riggerpaul 1]

The bottom tension, on the bobbin case, should be enough that the thread must be dragged off the bobbin. The top tension must be enough to pull some of the bobbin thread into the seam so that the bobbin thread is not just laying on the bottom surface of the seam.

Nylon E thread is quite slippery. You will probably need a significantly higher tension setting than the manual might call for with "regular" (cotton, cotton/poly, polyester) threads.

If the thread is breaking, maybe it has slipped off the arm that pulls up the thread. I have that happen occasionally. Check that the top thread path is correct.

It could also be that you are using the wrong size needle. For E thread, I use a 14 or a 16 or sometimes an 18 needle on my machine, depending on the material I am sewing. Is the thread bunching up at the eye of your needle? If so, use a bigger needle. Also check the needle for burrs. A burr on the needle can damage thread enough to break it. Has the needle possibly been damaged by striking the needle plate?

Many "general purpose" sewing machines are adequate for lighter sewing tasks. Most of a jumpsuit is pretty light sewing. I have several "home grade" machines that can do the sewing that you mention. So, it is not just a given that the sewing machine isn't up to it. Will your machine put the needle down without trouble in the stack of material to be sewn? If so, the machine should be up to the task. If the machine will not punch the needle through the required stack of material without bogging down, then you might need a stronger machine.

[hackish 8]

Thanks for the info. I went up to a #16 needle and used some upholstry thread instead. It did work but there was a tendancy to end up with a few threads coming from the bobbin side. It seems like the thread was somehow getting an extra loop in it. How would you suggest figuring out if the bobbin tension is correct?

-Michael

[GLIDEANGLE 1]

Cool sewing machine resources here:

http://www.usapr.com/sewing_machine.htm

The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!

[riggerpaul 1]

Here's a method I was taught for when you have a removable bobbin case.

Wind a bobbin and put in the bobbin case in the normal way with a few inches of bobbin thread hanging out past the tensioning spring.

Put the case on your open hand. With the other hand, see if gently pulling on the thread will lift the bobbin. If the thread pulls out of the case, you need a bit more tension. If a gentle pull lifts the whole bobbin case, good.

Next, try a sharper pull on the thread. Now, some thread should come out. If it doesn't you need less tension.

The drag from the bottom tension should be just enough so that the bobbin doesn't let too much thread come out too easily. The bobbin tension is far lower than the top thread tension.

The top thread tension should be set so that the machine can pull up the needle thread and pull a bit of the bobbin thread into the stack of fabric. Too little top tension and you get a mess on the bottom of the work. Too much top tension, and you pull the bobbin thread all the way through the stack of fabric.

[jumper03 0]

Quote

Here's a method I was taught for when you have a removable bobbin case.

Wind a bobbin and put in the bobbin case in the normal way with a few inches of bobbin thread hanging out past the tensioning spring.

Put the case on your open hand. With the other hand, see if gently pulling on the thread will lift the bobbin. If the thread pulls out of the case, you need a bit more tension. If a gentle pull lifts the whole bobbin case, good.

Next, try a sharper pull on the thread. Now, some thread should come out. If it doesn't you need less tension.

The drag from the bottom tension should be just enough so that the bobbin doesn't let too much thread come out too easily. The bobbin tension is far lower than the top thread tension.

The top thread tension should be set so that the machine can pull up the needle thread and pull a bit of the bobbin thread into the stack of fabric. Too little top tension and you get a mess on the bottom of the work. Too much top tension, and you pull the bobbin thread all the way through the stack of fabric.

another way to test bobbin thread tension courtesy of weird Wayne - the two hemostat test.

With a wound bobbin in the case, tension should be high enough that if you clip one hemostat to the thread, it will not unspool - if you clip two hemostats to the thread, it will unspool.

Scars remind us that the past is real

[hackish 8]

Wow, clearly there was nowhere near enough tension on the bobbin.

I bought a snowboarding helmet and decided to sew a little pocket in the ear flap for my ditter. It reminds me of the sort of drawing a 4 year-old gives to his dad...

I guess it works... so I'll have to see if I can find the time to take a sewing class or something.

-Michael

[riggerpaul 1]

Quote

another way to test bobbin thread tension courtesy of weird Wayne - the two hemostat test.

With a wound bobbin in the case, tension should be high enough that if you clip one hemostat to the thread, it will not unspool - if you clip two hemostats to the thread, it will unspool.

I like your way better than mine. I think it could be more precise and repeatable.

But you would still have to decide which size hemostat to use.

[riggerpaul 1]

Quote

Wow, clearly there was nowhere near enough tension on the bobbin.

I bought a snowboarding helmet and decided to sew a little pocket in the ear flap for my ditter. It reminds me of the sort of drawing a 4 year-old gives to his dad...

I guess it works... so I'll have to see if I can find the time to take a sewing class or something.

-Michael

Forgive me if I am dense so early in the morning.

Are you saying your machine is sewing better now?

Did you sew the knife sheath onto the jumpsuit successfully?

If so, that's great. I feel good when I finally get something right.

[JerryBaumchen 1,468]

Hi paul,

Quote

the two hemostat test.

Quote

But you would still have to decide which size hemostat to use.

Therein lies the problem I have always had with this type of 'test.'

I'm an engineer who also worked in a hospital as a young G.I. Every medical tool comes in numerous sizes. The real skinny is to determine the correct weight to be used and then run the test. Anything else is just guesswork.

JerryBaumchen

[hackish 8]

Quote

Forgive me if I am dense so early in the morning.

Are you saying your machine is sewing better now?

Did you sew the knife sheath onto the jumpsuit successfully?

If so, that's great. I feel good when I finally get something right.

The machine is sewing but not sewing properly. I managed to sew the sheath on but the underside looks like crap. I've just arrived at Deland so I'm away from home now. If you hear on the news that someone was killed by a hookknife that fell out of the sky it wasn't me... honest! Don't worry it's well stitched on there.

Also got the ditter pocked on well enough too. That stretchy crap is hard to sew and make look good. Sum and short of it I need to do some learning.

-Michael

[jumper03 0]

Quote

Quote

another way to test bobbin thread tension courtesy of weird Wayne - the two hemostat test.

With a wound bobbin in the case, tension should be high enough that if you clip one hemostat to the thread, it will not unspool - if you clip two hemostats to the thread, it will unspool.

I like your way better than mine. I think it could be more precise and repeatable.

But you would still have to decide which size hemostat to use.

I use the same size hemostat that wayne uses. Haven't had a problem yet

Scars remind us that the past is real

[pgburns 0]

That would be "small", (typically, 3.5"), hemostats.

I just had the pleasure of completing the USAPR course last month, and it was one of Wayne's tips shared with the class.

Paul Burns
Maricopa, AZ

[safetyjim 5]

I don't know what might have been said at the course, but Wayne's tips on the USAPR website (see attachment) show hemostats that are 1.5X the span of the person's four fingers. Those are the same length that ParaGear sells as 5" straight hemostats.

(Either that or the guy in the photo has really, really tiny hands...)

[safetyjim 5]

Using an electronic postage scale, my two 5" hemostats are indicated to weigh 1.3 ounces, or 37 +/- 3 grams. If these are the guideline, 20 grams of weight should not unspool the bobbin thread; 40 grams should.

Don't lose that little itty bitty screw when it falls or vibrates out...