kenny Report post Posted July 24, 2011 Hi All, Just wanting to get some opinions from those more experienced than myself. Im sewing soft 3oz leather motorcycle jackets with a Mitsubishi walking foot machine. The issue im having is that i'll set my thread tension to sew a 2 layer seam but as soon as i hit another seam join where it may go from 2 layers to 3 or 4 layers then back to 2, im getting a change in tensions and the bobbin thread comes up through and is visible from the top. It looks terrible and i cant seem to find a way to fix this issue except by altering the tension when i reach these points then re tensioning after they have passed which is really just pot luck. Is this normal or should i be able to vary through multiple layers and achieve a nice even stitch the whole time without touching the machine in the process? I hope this makes sense and i'd love to hear any suggestions you may have! Thanks in advance Kenny Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kevin Report post Posted July 24, 2011 Sometimes if there's not enough pressure on the presser foot, the layers of leather separate and the thread kind of catches and pops when the needle comes out. Maybe. Kevin Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ferg Report post Posted July 24, 2011 I find that my machine doesn't tolerate Barge cement too well when I am sewing upholstery leather with a pre-glued seam. Assuming that the thread gets caught by the adhesive so as the needle withdraws it is sticky and causes some problems with the tension. In my experience you should not need to reset tension simply because you cross a seam with additional layers. You may need to adjust for "Middle of the road" tension. ferg Hi All, Just wanting to get some opinions from those more experienced than myself. Im sewing soft 3oz leather motorcycle jackets with a Mitsubishi walking foot machine. The issue im having is that i'll set my thread tension to sew a 2 layer seam but as soon as i hit another seam join where it may go from 2 layers to 3 or 4 layers then back to 2, im getting a change in tensions and the bobbin thread comes up through and is visible from the top. It looks terrible and i cant seem to find a way to fix this issue except by altering the tension when i reach these points then re tensioning after they have passed which is really just pot luck. Is this normal or should i be able to vary through multiple layers and achieve a nice even stitch the whole time without touching the machine in the process? I hope this makes sense and i'd love to hear any suggestions you may have! Thanks in advance Kenny Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Art Report post Posted July 24, 2011 Hi Kenny, Tension sets the position of the lock in the leather. This may vary a little but is generally consistent. I suggest you decrease the top tension just a little to move the lock a little lower, not so much as to show the top thread on the bottom, but almost. Also, if you are sewing fast and the needle gets hot, it is possible for the thread to stick to the needle. If you have a lube pot, give that a try, or spray silicone thread lube on the spool. You will have to reset your tensions when using lube. In the factories, they soak the whole spool in lube for 10 to 20 minutes, sometimes more, then let it drip dry. Weaver and others sell those little magnetic lube pots which work ok, sometimes you have to duct tape them to the machine to make them hold. Art Hi All, Just wanting to get some opinions from those more experienced than myself. Im sewing soft 3oz leather motorcycle jackets with a Mitsubishi walking foot machine. The issue im having is that i'll set my thread tension to sew a 2 layer seam but as soon as i hit another seam join where it may go from 2 layers to 3 or 4 layers then back to 2, im getting a change in tensions and the bobbin thread comes up through and is visible from the top. It looks terrible and i cant seem to find a way to fix this issue except by altering the tension when i reach these points then re tensioning after they have passed which is really just pot luck. Is this normal or should i be able to vary through multiple layers and achieve a nice even stitch the whole time without touching the machine in the process? I hope this makes sense and i'd love to hear any suggestions you may have! Thanks in advance Kenny Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kenny Report post Posted July 25, 2011 Kevin - I think there is enough pressure on the presser foot so i've kind of eliminated that one for now Ferg - Although im using tape from time to time i tried what you suggested and eliminated the tape and used a new needle but still no difference. Art - If anything most of my stitching is very slow so its definitely not over heating. Ok what i've done is attached some pics of 2 stitches where ive simulated the problem area by stitching over an additional 2 layers half way down the seam as indicated by the green lines. The first pic clearly shows the underside thread showing through after the foot passes over the high point of the layers while the second stitch shows the result of loosening the top thread, although not bad on the top the second pic of the underside shows what happened to the bottom stitch. One thing i have noticed is that the problem only happens when the foot is coming down off the higher layers of leather so what i mean is that the back of the foot is still elevated on the 4 layers of leather but the needle is actually stitching 2 layers - that is when the bottom thread shows through. Should i be using a different machine or foot for this type of top stitching work? Thanks for your previous replies, i really hope i can get this thing fixed!! Kenny Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kenny Report post Posted July 27, 2011 Anyone? I just need to know if this is just a problem with the operator (me) or if there is a problem with the machine that is causing this. If so i'll get a professional to look at it! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
