[Mama_Knowles]

I need some help you ladies for my serger. My kiddo was playing with my serger and when I caught him it was way to late! So far I have done just about everything to try and fix it. I have rethreaded the whole thing, reset the tension, cleaned the whole machine out, put new needles on and it still will not work!

It’s knotting up right after the thread comes of the Chain needles and then the right bottom needle thread brakes. And ideas on what’s wrong and how to fix it?? Any help would be great!!

~Sharon~

[Nicole]

Oh no Sharon,I have threatened my children with capital punishment if they touch my machines!

One suggestion is gently open the silver discs behind the tension knobs with a pin and blow any dust out.

‘Sometimes’ fluff can get caught in there and and cause tension problem.

Don’t thread angry!

If you are getting hot and cross,leave it and come back when you are small people free. You may be missing a looper or hook. Obviously you would have got your manual out and not relying on threading it from memory?

So sorry not to be more help.

~Nicole~

[JohannaO]

Nicole’s probably right- try it re-threading it again when you’re small people free. More than likely, your lower looper thread is under your top looper thread. When you re-thread it, make sure you thread the upper looper first, and then the lower looper goes on top of the upper looper thread.

[Mama_Knowles]

I have retheaded it many times, I am sure right, and it’s still not fixing the problem. It looks like the threads are getting stuck, knotted as they come of the chain plate. I will try takeing apart the tension knobs next and oiling it. What it apears happened is that W put something in it then went to hand turn the needles down and bent a part in it.(I have put 2 new needles on it and the needle gets broke!) We are not for sure though as he won’t say a word but looks really guilty!ggrrrr

[Tamara]

What is it with boys and wanting to check out all things mechanical? I really understand how you feel Sharon as my own son fiddled with my over locker/ serger when it was much newer but luckily it wasn’t huge. Still he is banned until further notice from touching the machines and if I catch them at it, they are banned from the sewing room (which is detached from the house).

Sergers are tricky to re thread but I trust that you, like the other ladies have said have used the manual to try and get things sorted out. Are all plugs plugged in? Threading on my machine requires me to open up the side where the knife is and hook the thread in over a little hook – does yours have a little hook that might be forgotten? You have to do them in order too or else the threading gets bungled and you’ll have to do it again anyway.

If all else fails (and I know you will cringe at this) you may need to call in back up in the way of a professional. But I hope it doesn’t come to that and you can find the solution. Not easy when our young little guys want to “help” or “fix” when it isn’t needed but I’m sure the solution is there and will be found with a clear and calm frame of mind.

Good luck x

Tamara

[Nicole]

Time for a bright light and a torch and see if something is bent.

The needles are hitting something and bending? Is there a piece of broken needle stuck in it?

I hate to say it but it may be best to get it checked out in case you do damage.

Perhaps Father Christmas may leave a new one under the tree as a back up?

[Nicole]

Sharon,I spoke with my husband who has successfully repaired some small problems with my overlocker.

He suggests that you unthread the machine and,with the side open,turn the wheel by hand and see if the bottom looper is bent and catching or bumping into the needles.

If that is the problem,you may be able to gentle bend the looper back,just a wee bit.

[Mama_Knowles]

Thanks Nicole and Tamara! I think that what it is. Two there things were bent as well and hubby fixed them but there is still something off bending the right needle only. (I think perhaps a pencil was put in there) If this doesn’t work I might nbeed some one to fix it, or maybe a new one.

[Tamara]

A thought just occurred regarding the needle. Maybe if you take it out and put it back in, it may not be in position right. Sometimes that happens when I have to change mine and they break! Just try it to make sure it is in position correctly.

Tamara

[rastis]

oh my little boy is a nightmare for touching my machines… just this week i found all my sewing machine feet laid out- and one of them missing!!! not happy jan.

i hope you can get it sorted out… sometimes just sewing on something (if there was a pencil lead or something in there to begin with) which breaks the needles can be enough to send the timing out… even if you can’t see anything in there now… the timing can be a bit fussy on overlockers and sewing with the timing out can cause $$ problems (sadly i learned this the hard way sewing nappies many years ago) sometimes it can be best to have it looked at before you damage something permanently 🙁 bad timing for you though with all the sewing you had planned before christmas… boo 🙁

[Mama_Knowles]

Thank you ladies, hubby wrked out one problem only to have it now not “sewing” at all. The threads are being pulled through but nothing being serged, not weaving the threads. I have rethreaded it, and rethreaded it, and rethreaded it. I have used the book to do this. I will try again durning nap time this morning but it is not looking good and boy is it getting to me!I had so much planned to sew….

~Sharon~

[Tamara]

Sorry to hear it is still having problems. I am assuming you have looked at the dials to make sure they are in check. It sounds like you need backup!

Tamara (so sleepy I was going to sign in your name hehehe)

[Rae Downing]

I have what seems a unique serger problem that I’m hoping someone has experienced and can, if nothing else explain to me. I have a Singer and generally use only three threads. When I’m serging an edge as the needle goes through a thicker portion of the edge (generally where I have a seam I’m serging over) I hear a pop and the needle thread has not broken but I now have the thread looped through the needle as if it were tied off and broken from the spool, but the thread from the spool is behind the needle and unbroken. I can actually continue “serging” but it doesn’t chain. I have to cut the thread that is through the needle (which seems to just be locked into place but connected to nothing) and pull up the needle thread, rethread the needle and continuing serging.

I’ve taken the machine in for serving and it apparently never happens to the person looking at the machine and they tell me everything is fine but I start sewing and I hear that familiar “pop” and it happens again. It also happens with some fabrics and it makes it impossible for me to serge thicker fabrics like canvas or sweatshirt weight material because I cannot even serge anything without this happening every couple of inches.

I’m just so frustrated over this because I cannot seem to find anyone who has a similar issue, I cannot seem to get this fixed and it kills my desire to sew because I so dread the inevitable problem.

[Tamara]

May I ask, what have you tried and what has been recommended to you by the repair person?

I have a Janome and I know that even though mine doesn’t pop, when the machine has come undone somewhere in the threading, it won’t chain well. Sometimes it kicks itself out of a hook somewhere and you wonder how the heck it happens but then I just have to spend a bit of time rethreading.

What thread are you using? Have you had issues with the thread before? Some machines can be very picky about the thread.

If you haven’t already, perhaps it might be a good idea to rethread it and make sure all the dials are sitting on the correct numbers etc and then give it a go. A change of needles might help also.

I hope this helps and you can get serging properly soon.

[brenda1652]

find a local shop and drop it off for repair. This may sound scary but I’m thinking it is probably some small bent thingy and a professional could take care of it with much less stress for you. Many years ago I was sewing up bathrobes for my 4 kids a week before Christmas (for gifts, becuz who doesn’t like extra stress during the holidays!) and I sewed over a common pin (which I had always done). Suddenly the machine was all messed up. I dropped it off at a place I found in the phone book that advertised doing sewing machine repairs, keeping my fingers and toes crossed that this was a good move. The machine was a basic Singer, not a fancy computerized one, but a real workhorse. It was fixed overnight! Turned out the timing was off and timing is everything. It cost $20 and I have never sewed over a straight pin again. A well spent fix. I am thinking your machine’s timing may be off too, something a pro needs to fix.