The Gathering

[gene]

Hello,

My Juki LU-562 has decided to gather the fabric when I sew. If my shop were beside a river I would be singing 'Shall We Gather at the River'.

This would be great for a gathered skirt, but I would really like to just sew straight stitches on flat fabric.

When I turn the wheel by hand slowly, I can see the needle goes down with the walking foot. They both go back, away from me, then they both come up and travel toward me.

When the needle comes up and travels toward me, I can see that the thread is pulling the fabric back toward the needle, creating the ruffle.

What did I do to cause this and what can I do to fix it?

Thank you,

Gene

[Gregg @ Keystone Sewing]

Sounds like the feed timing is off.   The eccentric cam on the back is most likely the culprit.  I'm postning from my cell phone and can better help from a desktop where I can post pics.

[Mike8560]

I'd like to hear about that cam also Greg. When I've had this happen it seemed it was thread tention
how could a cam do it? And gene do you meen a Lu 152 I  have a juki Lu 153

[gene]

Sorry. LU 562.

When I start the bobbin winder, I hold the lift foot up. Once I let it down a bit and there was a grinding kind of noise.

Could this cause the feed timing to be off? And when I start my bobbin, is it OK to let the foot be down?

Thanks Gregg. I hope you can post some pics.

Gene

[morrisman]

I use a small power drill for winding bobbins..I hate the machine running freely and seeing the foot go nuts , wearing it out .

I attached a screwdriver bit in the drill and this fits into the split end on the bobbin winder shaft ..works very well..

MIKE

[fragged8]

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Universal-High-Speed-Bobbin-Winder-/180665573304?pt=BI_Sewing_Machines&hash=item2a1081dfb8

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/EASY-WINDER-BOBBIN-WINDER-A-Portable-Winder-/130532731038?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item1e645b689e

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/BOBBIN-WINDER-THREAD-HOLDERS-The-COMBO-PACK-Plus-/130532732006?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item1e645b6c66

[Mojo]

Richard:

I bought one of those easy winders and was not impressed with it. The winding was loose.

The first machine you listed I cannot say much about because I have never tried one.

Chris

[bobbin]

Gene, are you saying that the presser foot is down (in contact with the feed dog) when you're winding a bobbin?  That's a big, "no-no", and you don't strike me as the sort of person who'd do that, frankly. 

My older machines have a bobbin winder that is installed on the right hand side of the machine; the flip of a lever puts the belt in contact with the winder and the bobbin is wound while I sew.  I "rolls 'em as I needs 'em" and I always have two bobbins in any given color.  I don't use the prewounds when I'm in my own shop.  This is a holdover from years in a manufacturing setting, where thread colors changed frequently.  My two new Jukis have the winder built into the head of the machine and I follow the same protocol with respect to winding bobbins. 

I'll be really interested to read Gregg's reply on the feed timing and the eccentric cam.  I'd love to see pictures to illustrate the points.  I owned a Juki 562 and never had the parts book or the manual for it, so I know virtually nothing about the finer adjustments that can be made to walking foot machines, but would really like to!

[gene]

Here's a pic of my juki LU 562. Notice all the paint still on it? And ignore the magic marker. Some of us have not yet had an expensive mistake to teach us to use only chalk or erasable markers on fabric.

Here's a pic of my feet: regular, single welt, and double welt. I saw a video where a guy was using a Consew walking foot sewing machine. He used one set of walking feet to make his welt cord, sew on a zipper, and sew the boxed cushion. He said he used only that one set of feet for 30 years.  I assume it was similar to a zipper foot like I have on my straight stitch machine. What walking foot do I use to be able to do all these things?

And what is that thing above my question mark used for?

Here's a pic of the gathering that I would like to find out how to stop.

Bobbin: This is my first walking foot machine. I was holding the foot up to start the thread on the bobbin because it seemed to make sense to me to do that. I appreciate knowing that that is the correct thing to do.

http://i830.photobucket.com/albums/zz228/genejoe/boat/DSCF2183.jpg



http://i830.photobucket.com/albums/zz228/genejoe/boat/DSCF2184.jpg



http://i830.photobucket.com/albums/zz228/genejoe/boat/DSCF2185.jpg



Thank you,

Gene

[sofadoc]

The part above the ? mark is a hinge that goes between the head and the table cut-out. There should be 2 of them.
It looks like in your picture that the middle set of welt feet is a 1/4" size. You can perform all 3 tasks with that set (provided that you are using 5/32" welt cord).
A true zipper foot will only get you a little closer, but it's nice to have one.
The 1/2" set will work for braided rope. The plain hemming feet on the right, I have them, but seldom use them.
I hope Gregg can help you figure out the gathering problem. The 562 is a great machine. Do you simply "push" the fabric, and let the machine do all the feeding?
I always did "help it along" with my right hand. I don't really "pull" it, I just barely keep it tight as it feeds.
If you really want a zipper foot, but don't want to buy one, you can grind the right toe off the hemming foot.

[Cheryl]

Until a few years ago..  the only  set of  feet I had was the 1/4"..  works fine for everything.  

That pic  is sooo sweet.  Looks just like mine!  (Minus the "I love you Mom" scratched in the paint..oh - and mines a bit more worn.

Gene, Have you tried the rethreading thing, cleaning thing and loosening the tension??    Did you change feet recently??

Mine acted like that awhile back,   So bad that I quit using it and moved over to my Singer.  Then one day I  set out to fix the Juki and discovered that the head of the screw that came with the new set of feet was a hair too  thick and was interfering with the  needle bar (or whatever bar that is..)   Changing  to the old screw  fixed it. *shrug*  

Hope to hear more on this.  ( YAY JUKI LU 562's!!!  )

[sofadoc]

After a closer look, I'm not sure about that middle set of feet. Do they look like this?
http://cgi.ebay.com/WALKING-FOOT-1-4-WELT-FOOT-SET-SINGER-111W-JUKI-LU-563-/300441746681?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item45f3b93cf9

[bobbin]

Hey Gene, pat yourself on the back, dude!  Your 562 has a better assortment of feet than I have available "at work"!  And that's speaking for 3 (count 'em!) walking foot machines.  If more than one of us is working on cushions and needs a welting foot.. well, we have to find "other work"!  :)

I don't know about the feed eccentric, but I do know that fiddling with the tensions can improve things.  But there is a point where tension adjustments are maxxed out and it's time to look for another option/machine. 

Walking feet are "the balls"; once you work out the kinks and figure out what sort of fabric is the "cut off point" and tells to you move to the "other" machine, you'll be "happy as a clam at high tide". 

You have a really great "starter set-up", you know!!

[sofadoc]

OK, I looked EVEN closer at the welt feet pic. I see now that Gene didn't necessarily have them laying in pairs.
Looks like the one on the top left pairs up with the lower center to form a pair of double welt feet. The upper & lower right feet look like plain hemming feet.
The lower left & upper middle look like 1/4" welt feet, although I can't see much of a cord groove on the bottom.
While we're talking about the 562, I just got back from Little Rock, where I met with newbie christwo from Tennesee (LR was exactly halfway betwixt us). He needed a walking foot machine. I had an extra 562 that I don't use anymore. So I swapped him even for a DDL-555, that I might use occasionally on light weight stuff.
As we talked, we realized that I bought the 562 the year he was born.
He wants to do cars and boats. I'm just a couch guy, so I know that you guys will help him with questions that I can't answer. It's refreshing to see a young man these days who is enthused about learning this trade.

[JuneC]

"load up load up, load up with silver bullets"
tra la, tra la, tra la la la la la la

hey i'll come to any rockin' bobbin parties anytime, chaps
i can stomp about real good and even wiggle like a cockroach too
bring on the meat pies and tomatoe sauce and heapsa beer and ciggs, many thanx
lock up your daughters
yee ha
8)

Dude, I have no idea what you're takin' but I want some...  ;D

Lordy, I need a break...  Spent the weekend putting brand new glass in a brand new enclosure that some MOOOOORON laid on a burning hot windshield in 90+ degree temps in the hot sun and scorched the HE-double hockey sticks out of.  Blistered 40 gauge Strataglass like it was on the grill!  One of our yard workers - but not anymore  :-\  Anyone want a job?

June

June