Need Help Looking For Parts And Identifying Why Thread Keeps Shredding.

[Mira Design Group]

Ok, have another sewing machine question on this industrial New Home Machine. I have attached a picture of the machine and the model number. I can't seem to find any information. My google fu is weak for some reason. Any help is greatly appreciated.

Next question is the shredding of the thread. Keeps happening no matter what I have been doing with thread and needle combo. What you see in the picture is size 18 needle and #69 bonded nylon.

[Wizcrafts]

First of all, I have never heard of this brand of machine. It appears to be a standard straight stitch machine with a horizontal axis hook.

S.O.P. would be to insert the needle with the ribbed side on the left and the scarf on the right. The needle system should probably be 16x257. It should be threaded from left to right. You will need to hold back the starting threads or else the top thread may get pulled into the bobbin and get garbled up on the bottom of the material.

I can't tell if you fed the top thread through the check spring, across/down around a bent guide, up to the take-up lever and down through any guides to the needle (left to right). Those things are imperative if the machine is going to sew.

If it is threaded correctly, including the bobbin case having a smooth amount of tension on the bobbin thread, and the bobbin case is snapped into its cutout in the housing, and the top thread is ratted, then the timing, smoothness, or horizontal position of the hook is off. The hook should arrive above the eye on the upstroke, after the loop forms on the right side of the eye of the needle. If the hook arrives too soon or too late, there will be skipped stitches. If the hook splits the top thread loop, it rats. This could happen if the hook is misaligned sideways and splits the thread instead of picking it off.

Another cause of ratted top thread is burrs on the hook, feed dog, or throat plate needle hole.

Last, but not least, try varying the travel of the check spring. If it lets go too soon, the needle may split the thread as it meets the material. Increase the travel to correct this. There is a rounded stop bracket under the check spring. Loosen the screw in the bracket and tap the bracket away from the bottom of the spring, in its rest position. This lets the spring move farther down, increasing its travel. It should hold the top thread taut until the needle is past the material. It must let go and give slack before the loop is formed, or there won't be a loop to pick off!

Edited March 18, 2016 by Wizcrafts

[gottaknow]

Without seeing how your hook timing is and what kind of shape it's in, what I do see is not near enough travel on your check spring for the thread you're using. From the picture, the thread is exiting the check spring at the 10 o'clock position. There should be a set screw on the right side of your tension assembly that goes through the casting inline with the unit. Loosen it up and rotate the unit clockwise until the exit point of your thread is at 12 o'clock. The kind of damage I see is either your needle going through the thread, or the hook.

Regards,Eric

[Mira Design Group]

Wizcraft,

Thank you for the great info. I honestly don't know if it's threaded right because I can't find a manual for it. I've gotten it to sew great with lighter threads and that's one of the reasons I figured it was threaded right. However, for some reason this particular thread combo is giving me these result.

Eric,

I'll have to look into the check spring and how to move it as this machine doesn't have the set screw that your mentioning. I watched it last night as it was sewing and it is definitely going through the thread and then starts doing what you see in the picture.

I was able to get it to run about 24" without any problems but the tension on the top was set to the max and it kept clicking due to the tension being so high. As I backed it off to where the clicking noise went away the shredding cam back. Which makes me believe that the check spring is what I need to make sure is adjusted right when I get home tonight.

I must say this is probably the best form I have been on in years. There's a lot of knowledge for machines I couldn't find anywhere else. I even was able to order a personal leather stamp from one of the sponsors.

Respectfully,

Ed

[Wizcrafts]

Ed;

Analyze how your check spring is installed. There will be some method of controlling the position of the spring at rest, as well as where the thread leave the disk around it. Additionally, there will be a screw in the body that when loosened, allows you to rotate the split shaft the spring rides on. Moving it clockwise usually tightens and ccw usually loosens the spring action. Your spring may have been set to minimum tension to control soft cotton garment thread. It is not a leather sewing machine by design.

[gottaknow]

On some machines, the set screw for the tension unit is on the inside of the casting, requiring removal of the end cover plate. Once it's out of the machine, as Wiz said, there's a small set screw that locks down the adjustment for the check spring. Just wind it tighter and then tighten the small screw. As wimpy as that spring is, you almost can't have enough tension. After you've tightened the tension on the spring, I'd still rotate it up to the 12 o'clock position.

Regards, Eric

[Uwe]

Is that thread some oddball opposite twist thread from a bargain bin? It looks a little like it's unraveling as you sew. Just about every vintage sewing manual has this diagram on how the thread should twist:

Some specialty threads twist the opposite way and they often end up in bargain bins.

[Mira Design Group]

Wiz and Eric,

I was able to get the assembly out. Cleaned it up and set it up as suggested. tried a few more stitches and it sewed great. However, as you said Wiiz, when I tried heavier material the problems came back. I guess it maybe time to start hustling some more so I can upgrade to a different machine. Unless I can find parts for this one. Still at a loss on where to order them as I can't find any info for this thing. What i have noticed is that some of my extra parts from the Union Special 61400A fit. (Bobbin and holder). The only reason I have been using this more is that it has a reverse and my Union Special doesn't.

Uwe,

I was wondering the same thing at first. I used the picture you posted and it looks to be the recommended left twist thread.

[Wizcrafts]

Wiz and Eric,

I was able to get the assembly out. Cleaned it up and set it up as suggested. tried a few more stitches and it sewed great. However, as you said Wiiz, when I tried heavier material the problems came back. I guess it maybe time to start hustling some more so I can upgrade to a different machine. Unless I can find parts for this one. Still at a loss on where to order them as I can't find any info for this thing. What i have noticed is that some of my extra parts from the Union Special 61400A fit. (Bobbin and holder). The only reason I have been using this more is that it has a reverse and my Union Special doesn't.

There's not much future in buying obscure sewing machines, unless you know how to restore and adjust them and have missing or worn parts produced in a machine shop.