Thread keeps breaking in my sewing machine

[Ed the Hunter]

I just got a juki lu-562 walking foot sewing machine. I can get it to sew thinner leather, but when I switch to thicker leather, the thread keeps breaking.   Would increasing the needle size solve this issue?

[Handstitched]

G'Day, 

Have a look at the pic.  Spot the difference?  theres not a lot  in it eh ? That and a Consew 226?

It took me a while to figure out why my thread was breaking when I first got my machine some years ago. ( My STW 28-B is now a single needle set up , not a twin needle ) .

And even to this day, the same problem occurs occasionally .  I use mine for horse rug repairs, medium leathers etc. 

First, my tension was all wrong. I  messed around with the tensioners,  so basically  now ,  backed right off and  totally loose now, that helped . Thats how it is now, don't ask me why,  but it works fine.

The second problem is....I think...... is the take up lever. My machine is just over 50 years old , and the holes for the thread  in the take up lever  are  now a bit worn almost to a sharp edge. So every now and then, if/when the thread is at the right 'angle' (?) it 'catches' and cuts the thread . 

Yeh, I know time to replace it, but apart from that, it runs sweet. 

I also had a look at the tension spring on the shuttle, as the thread was ' codging' up underneath. You can barely see the tension screw  in the pic.  So I adjusted that too,  it was too loose , all sweet now.

There maybe other issues with your machine, but I hope that my experiences  may help.

 

All the best

HS