Got My Boss Today-Merry Christmas

[mlapaglia]

It doesn't what I would call hang up it just requires some extra pressure right at the top of the stroke as that is when the cam on the needle shaft pushes the thread takeup lever into final popsition and pulls the loops of thread into the leather. If you don't feel this when dry cycleing the machine but do when sewing then that is what it is.

Would it vary? it goes for a few stitches when I start with just a click and a small increase in pressure. Then for 5-9 stitches its really hard to push and has this grinding sound.

For what its worth its worse when I use the 4 oz thread spool that came with it. When I use my pound spool it does it but not as bad. They both say they are the same thread and I have the bobbin loaded with the thread from the pound spool.

The small pressure increase at the end of the cycle and the sound make sense. Its the large increase that happens sometimes and the grinding that I am concerned about.

Thanks for putting up with me. Id love for it to be me over reacting but My wife and son agree that its a prettty nasty sound when it grinds. The video does not do it justice.

Should I expect it to sound approximately the same on each cycle and have roughly the same pressure on each cycle During a straight stitch on 8 oz leather?

Thanks

Michael.

Edited December 27, 2011 by mlapaglia

[TwinOaks]

It should sound pretty much the same.

Have you tried sewing with it without thread? Just using the needle to punch holes...that would let you diagnose if it was specifically related to the thread or if it was another issue.

And yes, a lack of thread will make a difference. That last little push, right at the end of the 'up' stroke is what pulls the thread up into the leather. If your machine is pulling thread directly from the spool, it's fighting the bobbin tension, the tension of the thread on the spool, and both tensioners. If you pull that little loop between the double hole thread guide and the secondary tensioner, then you'll eliminate everything but the primary and secondary tensioners.

And there's something tickling my memory....I think it was a post by Particle. There's a screw that holds the thread take up arm in place that was causing him problems.....Denster, Dwight? I'm pretty sure it was one of you that identified and sorted out that issue.

And, you ARE holding the thread snugly behind the machine for several stitches, right? You've got to provide the tension for the first couple of stitches. If you aren't, then that would explain the several 'easy' stitches...the machine is pulling the tag end back through everything, and when there's enough lock stitches to actually hold the thread in place is when you start feeling the difference in the stitch.

[particle]

Listen to my machine at 5:44 and 7:50 of this video:

One thing I notice as I watch my video - I was sewing painfully slow! You notice too many aspects of the machine's operation when you cycle it that slow in my opinion. Plus, sometimes going that slow actually causes my machine to skip a stitch.

I think your machine sounds fine personally... Part of what you may be feeling is the top thread being pulled over the top of the bobbin shuttle - the thread snags on the bobbin thread, then releases and slides over the top to form the lock stitch. Well, I'm no sewing machine expert, but that's my uneducated explanation of it. Also, your flimsy table is absorbing some of the mechanical force when you cycle the machine. As you push and pull, your table is flexing/moving, actually making you work harder. Is your thread breaking? Is it fraying? You said your top/bottom tension looks fine, so I'm guessing not. My suggestion is to relax, find something more sturdy to mount it to, then speed up your cycle rate and do a few projects with it. If you're still having problems with it, contact someone after Tippmann opens up again after the first of the year or post a message on their forum (if you haven't already), but don't harass the tech guys by calling their personal cell phones should you happen to find their numbers - let them enjoy their vacations...

[Denster]

Would it vary? it goes for a few stitches when I start with just a click and a small increase in pressure. Then for 5-9 stitches its really hard to push and has this grinding sound.

For what its worth its worse when I use the 4 oz thread spool that came with it. When I use my pound spool it does it but not as bad. They both say they are the same thread and I have the bobbin loaded with the thread from the pound spool.

The small pressure increase at the end of the cycle and the sound make sense. Its the large increase that happens sometimes and the grinding that I am concerned about.

Thanks for putting up with me. Id love for it to be me over reacting but My wife and son agree that its a prettty nasty sound when it grinds. The video does not do it justice.

Should I expect it to sound approximately the same on each cycle and have roughly the same pressure on each cycle During a straight stitch on 8 oz leather?

Thanks

Michael.

The 4OZ spools have a tendency to add considerable resistance to releasing the thread and a lot depends on how they were laid up. I've got some off colors that I only have on 4OZ and I do what twinoaks recommended. It will really mess your stitching up if a loop sticks on the spool and you don't catch it. It happens occasionaly with the one pound spools but I can generally feel it and correct it before it's a problem but then I've been sewing with my two for a long while. Also twinoaks and particle made some good points in their posts.

[mlapaglia]

Listen to my machine at 5:44 and 7:50 of this video:

One thing I notice as I watch my video - I was sewing painfully slow! You notice too many aspects of the machine's operation when you cycle it that slow in my opinion. Plus, sometimes going that slow actually causes my machine to skip a stitch.

I think your machine sounds fine personally... Part of what you may be feeling is the top thread being pulled over the top of the bobbin shuttle - the thread snags on the bobbin thread, then releases and slides over the top to form the lock stitch. Well, I'm no sewing machine expert, but that's my uneducated explanation of it. Also, your flimsy table is absorbing some of the mechanical force when you cycle the machine. As you push and pull, your table is flexing/moving, actually making you work harder. Is your thread breaking? Is it fraying? You said your top/bottom tension looks fine, so I'm guessing not. My suggestion is to relax, find something more sturdy to mount it to, then speed up your cycle rate and do a few projects with it. If you're still having problems with it, contact someone after Tippmann opens up again after the first of the year or post a message on their forum (if you haven't already), but don't harass the tech guys by calling their personal cell phones should you happen to find their numbers - let them enjoy their vacations...

:wacko:The cell phone request was for an on call person. I really did not make that point clear in my post. I totally understand home time vs work time and always tried to keep them separate in my life too.

I found a small burr on the shuttle that was catching the thread as it crossed over. I got some green polishing compound and worked on it for a while and now the whole thing actually works. I will admit to getting hypersensitive to the sound and feel of the machine. I was just frustrated. I took a deep breath, and a break and then found the shuttle issue. Its all fixed now.

I thank you and Denster and TwinOaks and leather legion and 50 years leather and anyone else I forgot to mention for all the great help. Now I can relax and just play with my new toy.

Thanks again

Michael.

[mlapaglia]

The 4OZ spools have a tendency to add considerable resistance to releasing the thread and a lot depends on how they were laid up. I've got some off colors that I only have on 4OZ and I do what twinoaks recommended. It will really mess your stitching up if a loop sticks on the spool and you don't catch it. It happens occasionaly with the one pound spools but I can generally feel it and correct it before it's a problem but then I've been sewing with my two for a long while. Also twinoaks and particle made some good points in their posts.

Thanks for all the info. Read up one post where I explain how I got it fixed. It was mostly through all the information I got from you and everyone else.

Thanks again

Michael

[Denster]

You're welcome. Glad it's working.

[TwinOaks]

Excellent!!!

Now.....get to stitching!!!!

P.S. You'll find your scrap bin invaluable for matching thicknesses when you need to adjust the tensions.

[mlapaglia]

The fix I had didn't hold for more than a day. It went back to being almost impossible to push the handle at times. I set it aside until today. I called Tippmann and they are sending a new machine. They agreed there is something wrong with mine.

I can not complain with that kind of customer service. It is as good as I have heard. By Friday I should be up and running.

Thanks for everyone's help and hand holding.

Michael

[TwinOaks]

Sorry to hear that the machine is a lemon, but it's always good to hear about superb customer service.

I'm sure you've already seen it, but if you haven't, the thread by Particle asking about the back side of the stitching is worth a bit of time.....It should help you with your tension settings/adjustments.