Lost All Bobbin Tension.. Consew 226

[Piedmont]

Urghhhhhh!!!!! I've been cruising, with my new to me machine.. but my bobbin ran out.. I wound another one, and put it in, and now for some reason I have absolutely no bobbin tension.. I didn't touch anything!!! I swear..

I did re-thread the needle side too, but that seems fine.. On the bobbin I can literally just spin the thread out, and I put it in, and it spins counter clockwise like the instructions say..

Here are the instructions..

www.consew.com/Files/112347/InstructionManuals/225.pdf‎

I'm not sure what to do???

Any thoughts?

Thanks

[stelmackr]

Hummm, I did find that putting the bobbin in clockwise verses counter clockwise. changes the tension. Try both ways.

Bob Stelmack

[Sovran81]

You might have accidentally bent the bobbin tension spring when you but the full bobbin in the case. Try tightening the screw on the spring just a touch and see if that helps

[gottaknow]

Sounds like you simply don't have the thread under the tension spring.

Drop the bobbin in so that when you pull on the thread it rotates ccw. Locate the small slot in the front side of the basket where the bobbin sits. Push the thread down into that slot. Leave 4-5 inches. Thread your needle and hold onto the needle thread. Rotate the handwheel towards you and watch the hook pick up the needle thread and slide over the top of the hook. The needle thread will grab your bobbin thread and bring it up through the hole in the feed dogs. Grab the bobbin thread and push down on the bobbin as you pull on the bobbin thread. It should guide the thread under the tension spring. Now when you pull on the bobbin thread, you should feel the tension on it. Have fun!

Regards,Eric

[LTC]

Wish I could fix your bobbin problem...other than checking the spring screw on the bobbin case hasn't come loose, I'm not sure what else might cause that...

BTW, can you please let me know where to buy the hardware for NATO watchbands? I'd like to make a couple for myself for a nice Vietnam era Glycine Airman watch I sometimes wear...

[Wizcrafts]

Not related to your Consew 226, but amazingly, last week, with no warning, the tension spring broke off at the end of the screw, inside my Singer patcher's shuttle. I lost all bobbin tension and had no idea why, until I removed the bobbin case and tried rethreading it. To my amazement, the business end of the spring was gone! Bit clean off at the elbow, just like Amos Moses.

Check to make sure that the entire tension spring is still there and covering the thread hole at the end of the slot, in the bobbin case.

Edited February 20, 2014 by Wizcrafts

[Piedmont]

Thanks ya'll! I'll try those things this morning and see what works! Just a bit weird that it does it all of a sudden, I guess that's just the character of this machine that I'll get to know as I use it more..

And as for the NATO straps.. I use vintasso.com they are literally the only small order size provider of NATO hardware I could ever find.. and he's in Europe somewhere, but very reliable.. I did find some Hong Kong suppliers, but their min. order was 50 or more sets.. so there you go..

Thanks again

Todd

[Piedmont]

Well.. I got tension in the bobbin now. the thread wasn't all the way down in that spring.. so that helped but now I have a totally different problem.. its basically not sewing now!! the needle isn't catching the bobbin thread.. no idea on that one..

any help? the machine is basically just punching holes and the top and bottom threads aren't tieing together??

URghh

[Sovran81]

I had that problem on my 206 which is a side load bobbin. It wasnt snapped in all the way. I have never used a top loader so dont know if thats your issue. Gottaknow or Wiz are sure to know what the problem is. Oh make sure you have a good needle. I know the hook wont pick up the thread if the needle is bent.

[Wizcrafts]

Check the thread path to ensure that you have threaded through the take-up lever and the check spring. Also, make sure that the top thread is firmly inside the tension disks.

Remove the needle and roll it on a flat surface to see if it is bent. Insert the needle all the way into the needle bar, with the scarf on the right side

Thread the needle from left to right.

[Piedmont]

Thanks everyone! I was able to fix my issues.. I really can't believe it honestly, but I did.. I figured out the correct positioning of the thread underneath the bobbin spring, and then I re-threaded the top side, and re-inserted my needle.. after all that I even adjusted my upper and lower tensions and now have a PERFECT!!! stitch.. I really can't believe it honestly.. I feel like I should open up my own sewing machine repair shop now!

But I do feel more comfortable messing with the machine, and I appreciate everyone's support.. Definitely couldn't do it without all the stuff I've learned here..

Thanks!

[Alyskidder]

On 2/19/2014 at 8:34 PM, gottaknow said:

Sounds like you simply don't have the thread under the tension spring.

Drop the bobbin in so that when you pull on the thread it rotates ccw. Locate the small slot in the front side of the basket where the bobbin sits. Push the thread down into that slot. Leave 4-5 inches. Thread your needle and hold onto the needle thread. Rotate the handwheel towards you and watch the hook pick up the needle thread and slide over the top of the hook. The needle thread will grab your bobbin thread and bring it up through the hole in the feed dogs. Grab the bobbin thread and push down on the bobbin as you pull on the bobbin thread. It should guide the thread under the tension spring. Now when you pull on the bobbin thread, you should feel the tension on it. Have fun!

Regards,Eric

Thank you thank you thank you!! You are the first person to explain this weird feature of my consew 226. It worked!! I can't even begin to tell you how many times I had the whole assembly apart trying to figure that one out!