Singer 1831U Will Not Chain

[Lostranger]

We depend on this 3-Thread overlocker to assemble linings for several of the bags we build. It has worked perfectly for the nearly two years I hav owned it. A few weeks ago, I jammed the machine and broke the needle. After I installed a new needle, it refused to chain. My ignorance of the way these machines work is vast. Maybe it jumped time when I jammed it. I have no idea.

I would appreciate any help. I need a troubleshooting procedure that iI have not been able to find. I have several bag orders, and I need to get it going.

James in North Carolina

Hedgerow Leather 

[Wizcrafts]

4 hours ago, Lostranger said:

We depend on this 3-Thread overlocker to assemble linings for several of the bags we build.

Do you have a user's manual and/or parts list. Have you watched it in slow motion while hand-wheeling it? Loosen the needles and reset them all the way up into their mounting brackets. If that doesn't fix it, one of the loopers may be bent, or pulled out of alignment. Also, make sure that it's threaded correctly and all the tensioners are set right. Sometimes, it helps to rethread these a-hole machines to get things working again. For me, it's a love/hate thing with sergers.