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zigzag question

Mary E
 

I wonder if anyone else has had this issue. When I use the regular bobbin case, my zigzag stitches tend to be inconsistent in tension, with some tight and others the bobbin thread showing. I tried adjusting the tension as per the manual and even stitched out a set of test runs but the tension makes not difference. So then I switched to the yellow dot bobbin and got perfectly tight tension the first time.
Any ideas why this is happening? I sew for a home designer and the zigzag stitch around the label has to be perfect.
Mary E
Jim Stutsman
 

A couple of things to check:

  1. Remove the regular bobbin case and inspect it top and bottom. Look for any kind of roughness. Sometimes a broken needle pierces the case and causes a bump. This will appear like whacky tension and may make a clicking sound as you sew.
  2. Look at the regular case from the top. You'll see a thin metal spring running from the 6 o'clock position to about the 8 o'clock position. Sometimes thread lint will ball up at the 8 o'clock end, forcing the spring out a bit. That cause the tension to be off. Use the thinnest, finest needle you have to gently tease the lint ball out from behind the spring. This will restore normal tension.
Mary E
 

thanks Jim. I checked for scratches and there were none, and thoroughly cleaned out the bobbin case. I used a beading needle to go through the spring coils, and although I didn't see any lint, the tension on the zigzag is much better. I have it set 2.2
Mary

On Tue, Mar 13, 2018 at 9:26 AM, <onlinesewing@...> wrote:
A couple of things to check:

  1. Remove the regular bobbin case and inspect it top and bottom. Look for any kind of roughness. Sometimes a broken needle pierces the case and causes a bump. This will appear like whacky tension and may make a clicking sound as you sew.
  2. Look at the regular case from the top. You'll see a thin metal spring running from the 6 o'clock position to about the 8 o'clock position. Sometimes thread lint will ball up at the 8 o'clock end, forcing the spring out a bit. That cause the tension to be off. Use the thinnest, finest needle you have to gently tease the lint ball out from behind the spring. This will restore normal tension.
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