adjustment of bottom stitch

[ishkish]

Hello All:

I am trying to figure out if the tension discs on my Consew 105 are shot or not. I do not know the age of the machine and if
being it was an industrial use machine if they have ever been changed.
I can control the stitching on light maerials but if I use it on material for heavy drapes then it seems to go haywire.
The bottom stitch knots and wads very badly no matter what the tension pressure is on the upper adjustment.
Please, anyone's knowledge and experience will be greatly appreciated.

Jerry in NJ

[JuneC]

What size needle and thread are you using? 

What I did early on to diagnose this type of problem with my machine is cut small strips of fabric and sew by turning the flywheel by hand slowly to watch the action of the needle, thread and bobbin.  You have to sew with the throat plate open so you can see what's going on underneath.  That may give you a clue. 

June

[Tejas]

The link below is to a trouble-shooting chart that lists 15 causes and solutions for knots on the underside of the fabric.

http://designer-entrepreneurs.com/blog/illustrations/sewing_troubleshooting_chart.pdf

[ishkish]

Thanks for the replies.
The machine calls for a 16x257 and that is what the previous operator gave me with the machine.

The link that Tejas attached is fabulous and will check the solutions. The underside is looping and I saw that with
the test strips I am doing. This machine with a proper V-belt is unbelievable. It has much better control now.
Even though it is a clutch motor and I am getting it adjusted and acclimated to it, it is a joy to operate.
Just a terrific operating curve of learning now.
Thanks for the information.

Jerry in NJ.

[ishkish]

The link below is to a trouble-shooting chart that lists 15 causes and solutions for knots on the underside of the fabric.

http://designer-entrepreneurs.com/blog/illustrations/sewing_troubleshooting_chart.pdf

Tejas- am at work right now and had to quickly go throught the chart. Fabulous and thank you for that.
will print that this weekend and check through it. Have a terrific day.
Jerry in NJ

[JuneC]

The 16x257 is your needle system, not the size.  The size is the size of the hole.  For instance, if the hole is a #18, then V92 is the absolute max size thread that will work with that.  If you're using larger thread than that, it need to probably be a #22 or greater.  The friction of a too-small needle and fabric on the thread may be more than the machine can overcome if the fabric is heavy. 

Try this.  Thread the machine with white thread.  Somewhere above the needle, stain the thread with a sharpie or marker.  Sew your fabric turning the wheel by hand and watch how many times that mark on the thread goes through the needle, fabric, then comes back up through the fabric to do it all over again.  If the fabric or needle grips the thread, it'll leave a loop below and make a mess by the bobbin.  A larger needle will help solve this particular issue.  Maybe your take-up spring on the tension assembly is too weak.  But of course, it could be something completely different altogether. 

June

[bobbin]

Ditto what June said.  Doing that will clearly show you which of the two available tensions is most out of whack. 

There is an urban legend that  you should only adjust tension with the needle thread (usually home sewers).  That's nonsense!  While I agree that adjustments with the needle thread are easier, they're by no means the only tool available. 

I am also a big fan of adjusting tension while stitching on the bias of the goods.  The bias is the stretchiest part of any woven and if your machine's tension is properly adjusted to accomodate the bias, the stitching will readily "give" (accommodate) in accordance with the stretch put on the fabric.  I think a lot of people (esp. newbies) don't really understand this concept.  Any line of stitching done on the bias should be flat, and the needle and bobbin tension should be properly adjusted.  The line of stitching shouldn't pucker the bias appreciably!  If the stitch line puckers the bias the tension is too tight (will break when the fabric is stretched!).

[Darren Henry]

all very good points so far,but one thing caught my eye;

The bottom stitch knots and wads very badly no matter what the tension pressure is on the upper adjustment.

This makes me want to pull the upper tension discs before I did anything else.  ;)count how many turns you have to back the nut off.Put it back on that many many turns on install. I make it a habit to put them back in 180 degrees from where they came out just in case I missed something.You have to look very closely on them.

[sofadoc]

Just for grins, I experimented with my Juki DDL-555 this morning. It uses the same needle and feet as the Consew 105.

I took some medium weight tweed fabric, and folded it into 4 layers. It sewed fine with an 18 gauge needle.

Then I folded it into 8 layers. It did exactly what Jerry's machine is doing. My conclusion is that 8 layers is simply more than my machine is designed to handle. Gregg once told me that the 555 is rated for a max of denim weight fabric, and #69 thread. He said the machine was ideally designed for the garment industry.

Jerry is doing "heavy drapes". I'm not sure how that compares to my 8 layer experiment, and I'm not sure whether or not the Consew 105 is rated for heavier work than my Juki 555. But since they use the same needle system and same feet, I would assume that they are similar class machines.

Right? Wrong?

[seatbuilder]

Thanks a lot. That chart is invaluable.

[Tejas]

I experimented with my Juki DDL-555 this morning. It uses the same needle and feet as the Consew 105.

I took some medium weight tweed fabric, and folded it into 4 layers. It sewed fine with an 18 gauge needle.

Then I folded it into 8 layers. It did exactly what Jerry's machine is doing. My conclusion is that 8 layers is simply more than my machine is designed to handle.

Sofadoc seems to correct. Based on pictures of the machine, it seems to be a drop-feed machine without a walking-foot.

To increase thread tension to coerce a sewing machine to sew heavy material, Sailrite suggests double-wrapping the tension discs.

To find Sailrite materials that describe this, try the following in google.

sailrite sewing machines double-wrap

[ishkish]

Hello All!!

Wow, I am humbled by the responses. As you may see, I am completely new to this. June, thank you very much for
that explanation. I do have #69 thread and the size of the needle is what was given to me when I purchased the machine.
My next question to all..... do you have any links that I may view,read or books to buy or DVS's that can help me learn this type machine? June, I am doing some heavy material for the my church meaning it is close to the weight of the drapes that the young lady who sold me the machine was using. So I will check the number of the needle.
I am completely grateful to all here.

Jerry in NJ

[Tejas]

Just in case you don't have a user manual, here is a link:

http://www.consew.com/Files/112347/InstructionManuals/105.pdf

[ishkish]

Hello tejas;

Yes, I think you hit the nail on the head. I found my magnifier glass and saw that the needles the operator sent with the machine were two different sizes. I did not know this nor do I remember the operator telling me. One qroup was a
16 the other an  18.
this was driving me nuts. I think what I may have done was mixed up the two and confused myself and got the machine
out of kilter. So I am working overtime this weekend and may not get back to this till next week.
When I am successful I will post as I think the material needs the 18.
I did find a posting that cleared up the numbering system for me.
Thanks All!!