MainiacMatt

People can knock carrying a "mouse gun" all day, but I sure as heck wouldn't want to be shot by one. The mouse gun you carry is more useful than the big gun that sits in the safe because it's too large to conceal or to heavy to carry comfortably.

kgg.... thanks for that

progress report.... I received the new needle bar thread guides I ordered on Amazon. They are stamped metal and when installed don't center properly on the needle. After wasting a lot of time attempting to bend one to align correctly, I went back to the OEM part which I had damaged. This appears to be a MIM (metal injection molded) piece and it's much harder and precisely shaped. That explains why it snapped when I held it in pliars attempting to file a sharp edge off at the gap. I reinstalled the OEM part and found it would still guide the thread under most circumstances, so I'll continue with it until I can find a source for a OEM replacement. I received a spool of 92 weight thread from Superior and was able to get the tensions dialed in to get a good (centered) stitch on two layers of 4 oz. chrome tan (both with the original ebay thread and the new Superior thread). I sped up, did tight curves, and didn't break the thread. The top thread (regardless of brand) breaks when I attempt to back tack with the reverse lever. The top thread (regardless of brand) breaks when I attempt to sew four layers of my leather. After several hours of fussing around, I got frustrated and called it a day. My conclusions: It's not the thread It's not the tension settings It's not sharp or burred edges (at least not above the deck) The only adjustments I haven't checked above the deck are the thread control spring range and tension, the presser foot height, and the presser foot movement distance. I suspect the problem is being caused below the deck. My hook timing appears to be spot on and the clearance between the hook and the needle at the scarf is with one sheet of paper ( ~.003" to .004"), where .02mm to .1mm ( or .0007: to .004") is the spec. I have yet to look at the thread release finger clearance.

Warning.... thread necromancy to follow. I just learned that The Maine Thread Company sells both Eddington Thread (8 oz. spools) and A&E thread (16 oz. spools).

Ordered thread from Superior. We'll see how that goes.

Thanks for all the replies.... The spool with the blue painters tape on it is not feeding the machine, I'm just storing it on the thread stand. I purchased the 92 bonded nylon thread off ebay for $7/4oz. spool, so I'm sure I can do better. I used Coats and Clark on the leather cushions I made long ago (not this machine) but I don't think they make anything this heavy. What brands/suppliers are recommended? Prices on Superiorthreads.com are $20/lb. for 92 Bonded Nylon, but no brand name is listed. thethreadexchange.com has Amann and A&E for double that price. Sailrite has Sunstop brand at $20/4oz spool. I have no idea what brands are considered to be better, or who the best retailers are. The only sharp edges I could identify were on the clearance v-cut in the front of the needle bar. So I dusted them with a tiny grinding wheel on a Dremel tool. The gap in the needle bar thread guide has a sharp corner on it, so I fiddled with that and a diamond hone, but managed to break it. I ordered parts on Amazon, but won't see them until Tuesday. So I won't be able to do anything further until then.

Backed off Bobbin tension another 1/4 turn and dialed in top tension firm, but not crazy tight… stitching is much better… top Bottom still shredding thread whenever I back stitch

It’s always the top thread that breaks. It will always break when I press the back stitch lever

When I try bobbin drop test the bobbin is ejected 1/4 way out of case by spring and seems to bind a little, so I don’t feel like I’m getting an accurate take on tension

Starting like this… Sorry pics all posted sideways

I’m pretty sure I’m threading correctly I think thread is breaking at needle, or at needle guide

third pic is bottom side after cranking to tension very tight Thread is all same dark brown color. Sunlight makes it look like two shades. needle is #20 size Bobbin is inserted CW

Attempting to sew 3-4 oz. Chrome tan with size 92 bonded nylon thread on new to me Consew 206. top stitches bottom bottom after cranking down tension and then I start breaking thread… I’ve disassembled, cleaned, and reassembled the tension mechanism, but the problem still persists. Bobbin tension didn’t seem excessive, so I backed off the tension screw just 1/4 turn. No joy! Any advice is much appreciated.

This is a Form 3 SLA (stereo lithography.... uses laser to cure resin) printer. The layer resolution is quite a bit finer than FDM (fused deposit of molten plastic), but the supports can be a PITA. The resin I used is called Tough 2000, as it's intended to be strong enough for functional parts (as opposed to form only prototypes). On the non-functional surfaces, I just trim the supports and lightly sand the surface, so you can still see the striations from the print layers and pimples from the supports. But when I turned the critical surfaces on the lathe, the finish was very, very, smooth. I'm hoping to try printing some custom graphics for use as embossing tools some day. There's several YouTubers doing so and the results look promising.