Problem With Cowboy 797 Sewing Machine

[PMDLeather]

I've had my sewing machine for about six months (cowboy 797). It worked great until yesterday when I tried sewing. (On the leather) The bottom strand wasn't sewing, it was just a string holding the top strand in place. I could pull it out, and it wasn't threaded through a stitch. Has anyone run into this problem and know how to fix it?

Edited Thursday at 03:57 PM by PMDLeather

[Northmount]

2 minutes ago, PMDLeather said:

I've had my sewing machine for about six months (cowboy 797). It worked great until yesterday when I tried sewing. (On the leather) The bottom strand wasn't sewing, it was just a string holding the top strand in place. I could pull it out, and it wasn't threaded through a stitch. Has anyone run into this problem and know how to fix it?

Check any changes to the top tension.  Make sure the thread is properly seated between the tension disks.  What changed?  Increase the top tension if the only thing you did different was sew leather instead of something else, or thicker or harder leather.

Changes in needle or thread also affect the tension.

You need enough top tension to pull the knot up into the leather.

[PMDLeather]

Just now, Northmount said:

Check any changes to the top tension.  Make sure the thread is properly seated between the tension disks.  What changed?  Increase the top tension if the only thing you did different was sew leather instead of something else, or thicker or harder leather.

Changes in needle or thread also affect the tension.

You need enough top tension to pull the knot up into the leather.

I'll try that now. Not much changed, I re-strung the top strand/thread but it's all correctly strung.

[PMDLeather]

8 minutes ago, Northmount said:

Check any changes to the top tension.  Make sure the thread is properly seated between the tension disks.  What changed?  Increase the top tension if the only thing you did different was sew leather instead of something else, or thicker or harder leather.

Changes in needle or thread also affect the tension.

You need enough top tension to pull the knot up into the leather.

Just adjusted the tension, and it's working great now! Thank you!!

[PMDLeather]

@NorthmountNow I'm having another problem 🥴 Once I'm finished sewing, my bottom strand is coming out with two strands of thread, almost like it's getting tangled or something down there?

[PMDLeather]

On the cowboy 0797, once I'm finished sewing the bottom strand comes out with two or more pieces of thread. Does anyone know what's happening?

[AlZilla]

Well, without a lot of context to go on, I'll relate a similar experience with my 111W class machines.

I was having on and off problems where the bottom stitches would get tangled and the workpiece would pull out from under the needle hard. There would be 2 or 3 strands of thread coming out of the needle plate.

Finally I noticed that when that happened, my needle thread was split on the hook. It turned out I was holding my threads back way too hard when I was starting to sew. I only hold back lightly now and haven't had a problem since.

You'll see advice here to "hold the threads back hard". But I think that applies to larger machines, like the CB4500 and such. Maybe someone else will comment.

[kgg]

43 minutes ago, PMDLeather said:

On the cowboy 0797, once I'm finished sewing the bottom strand comes out with two or more pieces of thread.

What size and type of thread are you using?? How thick of leather are you trying on sewing??? What size of needle are you using???

kgg

[PMDLeather]

4 minutes ago, kgg said:

What size and type of thread are you using?? How thick of leather are you trying on sewing??? What size of needle are you using???

kgg

The size and type of thread and needle are the ones sent to me with the machine. The leather thickness is 6-7oz

[Northmount]

3 hours ago, PMDLeather said:

@NorthmountNow I'm having another problem 🥴 Once I'm finished sewing, my bottom strand is coming out with two strands of thread, almost like it's getting tangled or something down there?

Turn the handwheel a little further until the take up lever is all the way to the top before you pull the piece out from under the foot. 

[Northmount]

2 hours ago, PMDLeather said:

On the cowboy 0797, once I'm finished sewing the bottom strand comes out with two or more pieces of thread. Does anyone know what's happening?

You already have this question in another post.  Don't need to clutter up the site with multiple instances of the same thing.  Stick with it instead of starting a new thread.  You can go to that post and see that I answered what you problem is likely to be.

 

[Northmount]

Merged the 2 threads into one since they are dealing with the same problem.