Thread Injector issues. Can anyone help me out?

[bigsig11010]

Im having thread injector issues. My thread injector is a Singer 301A . When I back stitch at the beginning or end of a run I end up with a tangle from the bobbin. when I lift up the foot I have to pull hard to get the material to move and then I get 3 threads coming up from the bobbin thread hole. I can easily identify the bobbin thread because it will pull out easily. the other two which I believe result from a loop somehow are very tight and I usually have to wrap the thread around something to pull it out. it does fine other than that. Im not sure what Im doing wrong. Im attaching a pic of what Im seeing. This is after I have slid the seam ripper underneath my work and cut the thread. 20160425_173341.jpg20160425_174943.jpg20160425_175008.jpg

[Wkerber]

At first I was going to say that your tension was too low, but saw from the picture that it was set at 5, which is generally more than needed. That thread looks really heavy, at least from the picture. What size thread and what size needle are you using? Also, what material are you sewing with?

[dperk]

I have seen a problem like this once before and it was because of moving the fabric out of the way without the needle at the full highest point.

Does it sew nice stitches until the end? Are you making sure the thread take-up bar is at the very highest point before you raise the foot and move the fabric?



Also, since you thread that machine from right side to left, are you making sure the groove down the needle is to the right and is large enough for the thread size?

[Ramblinrev]

you may be starting the stitch line too close to the edge of the fabric and finishing too close to the edge. Line the fabric up with the back of the presser foot when starting. A couple of stitches forward and a few stitches bace and then strainght ahead until you reack the end of the seam line. At the end of the stitch line you need to make sure the take up arm is at its highest point. That releases the loop and draws it tight. If you getting the fabric bunched down into the hole in the throat plate at the end of the line you may be using a dull needle or the wrong needle. Make sure you are using a "sharp" point needle or a universal point at the very least. I ball point needle will not pierce the fabric properly and will force it down inside the throat plate.

Edit: in the picture of the whole machine your take up arm is near the bottom. Not a good place for for pulling the fabric away. If you need to turn a corner it is acceptable to stop the needle in the fabric and pivot. But otherwise it should be come second nature to complete the stitch cycle so the needle and take up arm are all the way up.

[squidbilly]

When I back stitch at the beginning or end of a run I end up with a tangle from the bobbin. when I lift up the foot I have to pull hard to get the material to move and then I get 3 threads coming up from the bobbin thread hole. I can easily identify the bobbin thread because it will pull out easily. the other two which I believe result from a loop somehow are very tight and I usually have to wrap the thread around something to pull it out. it does fine other than that.

Squidbilly's wife and a Singer 301 machine lover (I have quite a few and one of each model/color).

I agree with dperk in that you are probably not raising your needle to the highest point before trying to remove your thread at the end of your sewing. Here is what I do to prevent rat's nests from occurring:

1. This shows where I am "running on" to a scrap piece of material - 20160425_194815-1_resized.jpg

2. Ready to sew. I have sewn onto the scrap fabric and 2-4 stitches past the fabric edge. 20160425_194918-1_resized.jpg

3. The purple fabric is the actual piece being sewn. You can see the 2-4 stitches between the run off fabric and the purple fabric. 20160425_194953-1_resized.jpg

4. I have sewn 2-4 stitches past the purple fabric, therefore, "running off", and sewing onto a scrap piece. If you look closely at the black fabric, you can see I have used this scrap before. 20160425_195028-1_resized.jpg

5. You can see all three pieces in this picture, showing how it will look when you finish sewing. 20160425_195106-1_resized.jpg

6. Here is a close-up of the back where I started sewing. I am a quilter, so my stitches are very close, but you can tell there are no rat's nests. 20160425_195751-1_resized.jpg

7. I clipped the stitches between the purple fabric and the black scrap. I leave the black scrap under the foot to prevent the feed dogs from indenting the pressure foot (or you can just leave your foot up). All I have to do to start sewing again is turn the machine on, and run off of this scrap onto whatever fabric needs sewing. 20160425_195151-1_resized.jpg

Sorry for being so long-winded, but I figured other thread injectors might be curious to see how to prevent rat's nests.

Please note, you can reverse at the beginning and the end of your fabric (the purple fabric in the pictures).

[FourRingCircus]

I agree, get the needle to the top and it should be OK. I used to struggle until I understood the mechanics of it all. If you do the last little bit by hand rather than using the pedal, you can actually sometimes feel the pop as the thread comes off of the bobbin casing underneath. That when it should loosen up and pull out easily.

This isn't the exact same one I was looking for, but still a good illustration:

http://www.theatlantic.com/technolog...-a-gif/281403/

[5shot]

The needle should always be on the way back down (just past top dead center) to ensure that the thread releases properly.

[bkrgi]

I was having a rats nest problem with my 401. Ended up being the bobbin was warped slightly on one side. Put a 'straight' bobbin in and problem solved. These are the plastic bobbins.

[Bubba]

I agree that it looks like the take up arm is not all the way up when you are removing the work. If not all the way up, the top thread is still partially around the bobbin.

[Ramblinrev]

I am a quilter, so my stitches are very close,

This is an interesting technique. With no criticism intended it might be helpful to note some differences between quilting and most gear making. The biggest difference, beside stitch length is the width of the seam allowance. Commercial fashion patterns provide a 5/8" seam allowance. Most gear patterns, at least that I create call for 1/2" seam allowance. The standard seam allowance for quilting is 1/4". If you look at the picture of sewing the fabric you see she is tracking right along the edge of the presser foot. (nicely done btw) Here is the difference it makes. In quilting where the seam allowances are so tight, it is crucial to sew right to the edge. In normal gear making you have some leeway there. If you don't get right to the edge it's not all that critical as long as you have a good overlap where stitch lines cross.

So if the above seems somewhat complicated and time consuming, rest assured, with DIY gear the run off pieces are not that important. Unless you happen to be piece quilting your quilts. Then you will need to pay close attention.