Bottom thread is good, but top thread is wrong

[Jamesgentry270]

Hey I got new thread and put it on the top and filled a bobbin for the bottom and started to sew and noticed the top stitch looked off. And every time I go to pull both pieces of thread out to cut, the top thread breaks. Almost every time. The bottom side stitch still looks good but I’ll add a pic of what the top looks like. Any help would be greatly appreciated as I know it’s probably on me. It was sewing great yesterday! 

[jrdunn]

Just to help until the experts arrive.  It looks to me like either your top tension is too tight or the bobbin tension is too loose.  It also sounds like your tension release isn't working properly.  Hope this helps.  JM2C, Jim

[Handstitched]

Yup, bottom tension looks loose. And also sounds like your thread is catching on something for it to break ? 

HS

[Hags]

I had this happen a lot when I first started.  Almost always caught on something... Changing thread should not have that big an effect.

[Constabulary]

Or the needle size is too small so the needle hole is not big enough for the bottom an top thread and the thread knot cannot be pulled into the material. Try a bigger needle or smaller size the bottom thread.

[fibersport]

Is your bobbin threaded correctly?  I would take it out and rethread the machine top and bottom, maybe you got something backwards.

[kgg]

12 hours ago, Jamesgentry270 said:

Hey I got new thread and put it on the top and filled a bobbin for the bottom

A couple of basic questions:

i) what size of thread is the new thread? Often times thread from the same manufacturer can have slight variations from batch to batch or comes from a different factory so it is important to check tensions for the top and in the bobbin thread. If you changed to a Chinese made thread all bets are off. I've even seen where they run out of thread while loading the spool and just tied the two ends together to complete the spool.

ii) what size of needle are you using? If the size of the hole that the needle makes is to large for the size of thread being used it will cause the bobbin thread to come to the surface.

iii) did you do a drop test to help with setting the bobbin tension?

iv) are you sure you threaded the top thread correctly? Sometimes when you are in hurry or tired it can happen that you missed something. How I re-thread the top thread is I cut the old thread off close to the top spool guide and tie the ends of the old to the new thread. Then I remove the old thread from the eye of the needle and pull the old thread out from the needle end. That way the new thread follows the threading path of the old thread.

kgg

[Jamesgentry270]

I swapped back to the top thread and re wound the bobbin and it sewed fine. I’m thinking fibersport was right it was probably the bobbin but I will put the new thread back on this evening and try again. All my thread is 138 and the needle is a 23 so everything should be consistent with one another 

[Jamesgentry270]

15 minutes ago, kgg said:

A couple of basic questions:

i) what size of thread is the new thread? Often times thread from the same manufacturer can have slight variations from batch to batch or comes from a different factory so it is important to check tensions for the top and in the bobbin thread. If you changed to a Chinese made thread all bets are off. I've even seen where they run out of thread while loading the spool and just tied the two ends together to complete the spool.

ii) what size of needle are you using? If the size of the hole that the needle makes is to large for the size of thread being used it will cause the bobbin thread to come to the surface.

iii) did you do a drop test to help with setting the bobbin tension?

iv) are you sure you threaded the top thread correctly? Sometimes when you are in hurry or tired it can happen that you missed something. How I re-thread the top thread is I cut the old thread off close to the top spool guide and tie the ends of the old to the new thread. Then I remove the old thread from the eye of the needle and pull the old thread out from the needle end. That way the new thread follows the threading path of the old thread.

kgg

That threading tip is great I’ll def start doing that, and both threads are supposed to be 138 and I used the same needle all along it’s a 23. I am almost positive it’s Chinese thread so that could be a thing. My thread I use to hand stitch is .8 tiger thread but it’s a lot thicker than this 138. Does tiger have a 138 machine thread? I’d love to use that. And I say 138 cause I was told that’s about as big as my 111w can handle 

[Jamesgentry270]

Kgg: what’s the drop test for checking bobbin tension? I’ll try and find a video on it but I haven’t heard of that yet thanks! 

[MtlBiker]

30 minutes ago, Jamesgentry270 said:

Kgg: what’s the drop test for checking bobbin tension? I’ll try and find a video on it but I haven’t heard of that yet thanks! 

I'm not @kgg but I'll try to answer your question about the bobbin drop test...

Hold the bobbin in one hand and the thread coming out of it in the other.  Let the bobbin go while holding onto the thread.  The bobbin shouldn't drop.  If you "gently" bounce the bobbin the thread should come out of the bobbin.  It shouldn't be too hard to get the thread out but neither should it be too easy.  This takes a bit of practice.  Once the bobbin tension is set correctly, the balance of thread tension adjustment should be on the top thread.

By the way, if you want someone to be notified that you've left a reply for them (as you did above), you need to type the "@" symbol and then start typing the person's name.  Pick the right name from the list that comes up.  Unless you do that the person will not be notified there is a reply for them and will only see it if they happen to visit the thread again.

 

[Jamesgentry270]

19 minutes ago, MtlBiker said:

I'm not @kgg but I'll try to answer your question about the bobbin drop test...

Hold the bobbin in one hand and the thread coming out of it in the other.  Let the bobbin go while holding onto the thread.  The bobbin shouldn't drop.  If you "gently" bounce the bobbin the thread should come out of the bobbin.  It shouldn't be too hard to get the thread out but neither should it be too easy.  This takes a bit of practice.  Once the bobbin tension is set correctly, the balance of thread tension adjustment should be on the top thread.

By the way, if you want someone to be notified that you've left a reply for them (as you did above), you need to type the "@" symbol and then start typing the person's name.  Pick the right name from the list that comes up.  Unless you do that the person will not be notified there is a reply for them and will only see it if they happen to visit the thread again.

 

Awesome thanks! I’ll try that this evening and thanks for the @ tip! 

[Jamesgentry270]

It’s doing it again tonight and I have noticed that the bobbin when set and coming up thru the feed dog hole, is very loose. Like no real tension at all. The top thread has tension. My question is, how do you tighten the bobbin tension? The only thing I remove from the bobbin assembly is the bobbin itself, so I can’t do the drop test. It just falls straight to the floor. Something is off. And there’s a great chance that it’s me! 

[Burkhardt]

What machine is it?

[kgg]

8 hours ago, Jamesgentry270 said:

It’s doing it again tonight and I have noticed that the bobbin when set and coming up thru the feed dog hole, is very loose.

I think you have a Singer 111w 153 machine according to one of your previous posts. Go to your manual page 14 it will explain how to adjust the bobbin tension. If you don't have a manual I have attached a pdf. of the manual as well as better / clearer images of those pages from that manual.

Also here is a link for a needle to thread size chart: https://www.tolindsewmach.com/thread-chart.html

A #22 and #23 needle are for V138 in thinner items or with V92 in thicker materials. You would probably have to move to a #24 for thicker materials with V138 thread.

kgg

111w152.pdf

111w152.pdf

Edited December 14, 2023 by kgg

[Handstitched]

Now we have a clearer idea of what the machine may be , which does help. It may be easier to remove the shuttle to adjust the the tension . From experience,( on my Seiko)  its a little awkward to adjust it while its still in the machine, but it can be done. I have had thread break on the thread guide #15 .

HS

[Jamesgentry270]

On 12/14/2023 at 8:03 AM, Handstitched said:

Now we have a clearer idea of what the machine may be , which does help. It may be easier to remove the shuttle to adjust the the tension . From experience,( on my Seiko)  its a little awkward to adjust it while its still in the machine, but it can be done. I have had thread break on the thread guide #15 .

HS

That’s about where it’s breaking on mine. I don’t have the small thread guide that’s on the needle shaft which I think is #16. I may need to try and find one somewhere. But I feel like something is off either in the bobbin or in the top thread that’s making it sew like in the picture.