Problem With My Cobra 4

[Averya]

I've spent two days trying to figure out what is wrong with my machine. I've adjusted the tensions every way I can, but it still misses stitches, as well as being irratic in the stitch size. It will start out with al nice even stitch then the stitches get smaller, then it will miss stitches. I cannot reverse stitch and have it stitch the same holes. I know either the timing is off or the tension. I love this machine but you need to be a mechanical engineer to figure it out. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you

Avery

[Ken Nelson]

I've spent two days trying to figure out what is wrong with my machine. I've adjusted the tensions every way I can, but it still misses stitches, as well as being irratic in the stitch size. It will start out with al nice even stitch then the stitches get smaller, then it will miss stitches. I cannot reverse stitch and have it stitch the same holes. I know either the timing is off or the tension. I love this machine but you need to be a mechanical engineer to figure it out. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you

Avery

I would suggest you call Steve Monday Morning and I am sure he will talk you through whatever adjustments you need to make. Please be aware that he is known for his superior customer service and I beleive he has earned it. Actually, if you take the manual in hand and start reading and working on your machine, you will find it is not that complicated. I own one of these machines and the service has been outstanding on it. Most of the time I can adjust the problem myself and when I cannot, Steve can trouble shoot it in a matter of a couple of minutes on the phone. Just my 2 cents worth. Ken

[Tree Reaper]

I had a similar problem with the forward and reverse stitches not lining up.

Make a forward stitch then make a separate reverse stitch and measure the distance between the holes to see if there is a difference.

It could be just a simple adjustment on the stitch length in reverse or forward.

Kevin

[Art]

Start over. New needle. Thread groove on the left. Correct needle size for thread. One size smaller thread in the bobbin if you can, otherwise same as top. Thread machine according to the video. Make sure bobbin thread comes off bobbin counter clockwise. Make sure there are no burrs on the needle, needleplate, the hook, or the exterior of the shuttle race case. Make sure you are bringing the thread tension lever all the way to the top before pulling the work out; and NEVER BACK UP.

Art

[rdb]

First, call Steve.

I'm going to assume, though.

My guess, it's a timing adjustment. Break out the manual, and the Allen wrench. Learn how to do the adjustment yourself. After eliminating the things Art says above, more than likely it will be timing.

[TwinOaks]

And just to make sure it isn't overlooked...you are holding the top and bottom threads for the first couple of stitches, right?

[Averya]

Thank you everyone for your suggestions and sharing your knowledge. I have done all the things you have suggested yes to everything Art suggested as well as Twin Oaks). I also took the shuttle apart, cleaned and oiled the machine, etc. I sent Steve an email a week ago but never heard back from him. I'm guessing he didn't receive it, so yes, I will call him tomorrow. I do worry it is the timing but have been hesitant to mess with it.

[Wizcrafts]

Thank you everyone for your suggestions and sharing your knowledge. I have done all the things you have suggested yes to everything Art suggested as well as Twin Oaks). I also took the shuttle apart, cleamy and my friend'ned and oiled the machine, etc. I sent Steve an email a week ago but never heard back from him. I'm guessing he didn't receive it, so yes, I will call him tomorrow. I do worry it is the timing but have been hesitant to mess with it.

Sometimes, just raising or lowering the needle bar a fraction of an inch can help or hinder your timing and thread breakage problems. It is possible that after repeated pounding, the needle bar can get pushed up a little, which changes the timing position of the eye.

You can test this by loosening the needle screw and lowering the needle in its mount, by 1/16 inch. Tighten it up and see if this makes matters better or worse. If lowering the needle improves the stitch reliability, the needle bar itself may need to be lowered to compensate for slippage. There are two Allen socket screws that secure the needle bar in its bracket. The faceplate needs to be removed to access them.

Edited November 11, 2012 by Wizcrafts

[Averya]

Thank you....I will try this. I was having a lot of thread breakage too so maybe you have hit on it. (PS sorry about the typos in my previous message....must learn to proofread)