Dropped stiches on a regular basis

[esantoro]

After a few months of solid stitching, my 441 started missing stitches. I don't clean out the race and shuttle and underneath the needle plate as often as I should. I took a gander down there and a good bit of thread dust and oil had bulit up on the needle guide, which takes place of the feeddog, when running with the nylon needle plate. Yesterday I was doing a bunch of experimenting with various combinations of 26 and 25 needles and 346 , 277, and 207 thread.

I cleaned out those areas mentioned and even removed the needle guide, as I never thought it did much anyway except give the needle something to crash into. A year ago , I was running dogless/guideless, but eventually put it back in under the spell of some mystical belief that it was a good thing. The sun, moon , and stars are now in a different alignment and the voices have told me to remove the guide once again. And all is well.

How many of you run dogless/guideless when using the slotted needleplates?

Ed

[Bree]

Another thing to watch carefully is the threading... 2 full turns around the lower tensioning disks... COUNTERCLOCKWISE. That one is EASY to screw up.

[esantoro]

HAve you solved your problem, Kevin? I'm anxiously awaiting the results.

Ed

[esantoro]

Another thing to watch carefully is the threading... 2 full turns around the lower tensioning disks... COUNTERCLOCKWISE. That one is EASY to screw up.

Bree,

When you take a bird's-eye view of the lower tensioning disc, do you see one strand or two strands of thread on the top of that disc?

ed

[esantoro]

You jinxed me, Kevin. You've made me concerned about the occasional missed stitch that I encounter, so I started running some tests with this or that piece of hardware (needle plates, feed dog, needle guide) installed, not installed. I opened the refrigerator door five times with my right hand, making sure to close it with my left. I turned counterclockwise, walked backwards to the machine...............It didn't work.

And then...I remembered.....I remembered back to a time when manuals were written to be read....And I remembered that the manual had something about the beveled edge of the inner race/spacing ring. It read: "BE SURE THAT THE BEVELED EDGE GOES IN TOWARD THE MACHINE."

About a year ago, during the antediluvian era, I had asked about this beveled edge. Consesus was we weren't sure it mattered.

The opening and closing of the refrigerator door, the turning counterclockwise, the walking backwards toward the machine -- none of that worked. Reading the Manual for the first time in a year did. It does matter very much that the beveled side of that inner race/spacing ring face inward toward the machine. I floored the machine to see her do what I know she can. She's mine again.

Give that inner race/spacing ring a check.

Now I've got to go fix my refrigerator door.

Ed (who's still not getting out)

Edited December 22, 2008 by esantoro

[okiwen]

I have not solved my problem. My wife has had a run of surgeries and I was switched to day shift for the Christmas season which between the two stopped all work. I will report once I have found the problem. It is not the bevel however. I took the ring out to clean the race and put it back in the same way it came out.

I hope to get back on the machine asap. The refer. door is a very good suggestion as well. I am willing to try all that might solve the stitch skipping. Maybe I need to downshift as I enter the turn as well. This would give me the power to leave the corner without the hand assist.

You jinxed me, Kevin. You've made me concerned about the occasional missed stitch that I encounter, so I started running some tests with this or that piece of hardware (needle plates, feed dog, needle guide) installed, not installed. I opened the refrigerator door five times with my right hand, making sure to close it with my left. I turned counterclockwise, walked backwards to the machine...............It didn't work.

And then...I remembered.....I remembered back to a time when manuals were written to be read....And I remembered that the manual had something about the beveled edge of the inner race/spacing ring. It read: "BE SURE THAT THE BEVELED EDGE GOES IN TOWARD THE MACHINE."

About a year ago, during the antediluvian era, I had asked about this beveled edge. Consesus was we weren't sure it mattered.

The opening and closing of the refrigerator door, the turning counterclockwise, the walking backwards toward the machine -- none of that worked. Reading the Manual for the first time in a year did. It does matter very much that the beveled side of that inner race/spacing ring face inward toward the machine. I floored the machine to see her do what I know she can. She's mine again.

Give that inner race/spacing ring a check.

Now I've got to go fix my refrigerator door.

Ed (who's still not getting out)