Coverstitcher Woes

[Acorn]

I have a Britannia CS4000 Coverstitcher.  It's been a while since I last used it, and I have just got it out to do the hem and neck on a t-shirt.  Every time I start to stitch it is fine for about an inch, and then (usually) the left hand needle thread breaks.  Sometimes it's the right hand one, and on occasion the looper thread.

I know I had this problem before, and that I found a solution (on the internet), but I cannot remember what it was, or find it.  A niggling voice at the back of my mind keeps mentioning the feed dogs.

I have tried tweaking the tension for the left hand needle thread, but that just makes that line of stitching a bit loose - and, as I said, it isn't always that thread anyway.

To cap it all I can't find the manual, and there doesn't seem to be one online.

Any ideas?

[Kenora]

Just a thought - is your thread pooling at the bottom of the spools? Some of the more slippery threads do this and need a net putting over them. The pooling would cause the thread to jolt and break. I used a new/different thread on my looper yesterday and was having a similar issue.

[Lachica]

You have pulled up the thread stand? Guess why I ask?!!!

[Acorn]

@Lachica  Yes (and that is something I've failed to do on my overlocker before now!)

@Kenora No, the thread is sitting beautifully.

I have at least found the manual now though - although I know that isn't where I found the solution before.

[StitchinTime]

With the Janome coverstitchers, there’s a problem that can solved by slightly adjusting the height and/or angle of the feed dogs, but I can’t remember if this is for skipped stitches or breaking threads.

[Kenora]

It's for skipped stitches. 

[b15erk]

Just a thought @Acorn , have you checked your needles?  I was having skipped stitches, and missed stitches, but I changed the needles and all was nearly well.  They still skipped over seams, and the answer to that seemed to be a home made hump-jumper (just a wad of fabric), pushed behind the foot, just before the seam - worked a treat!

Jessie

[Acorn]

@b15erk  That is a good idea - I am going to change the needles tomorrow to make sure they're sharp and correctly sited.  The (newly rediscovered!) manual seems to think that thread breaking is always caused by either tension or needle problems.  I'll completely redo the needle threading as well, just to be sure everything is properly seated.

@Kenora @StitchinTime That was the issue I was half-remembering that involved raising the rear feed dogs.  Google finally gave up the goods and I found it on this little sewing site called The Sewing Place... 

[Ouryve]

You have pulled up the thread stand? Guess why I ask?!!!

This regularly catches me out with Bernie!

[Puzzler]

I see I replied to the previous thread about this. I now have a FB account but is there anywhere else that describes how you alter the feed dogs?

[Acorn]

I haven't seen anything else, but I stopped looking when I realised it was about skipped stitches.  There must have been something else though.

And now I must go and change those needles...

[Acorn]

Well, I put in new needles, checked they were correctly seated, re-threaded, and tested - great.  I sewed the hem of my t-shirt.  Brilliant!  Then I tried to hem the first sleeve, and got right back to the same problems.   

One thing I noticed, which seems very odd, is that when it goes wrong it seems that the thread has broken before it gets to the needle, so the needle appears to still be threaded when I remove the fabric, but is not attached to the reel.  It isn't shredded, but very neatly broken, and it has happened with both needles, although more often the left hand one.

I have lowered the tension to 3, but if I take it any lower the stitches will be loose (when there are any).

 

Oh - it occurs to me that I used quilters' tape for the hem, so I'm going to put some on the sleeve hems, just to see if it makes any difference.  If it does - goodness knows, because I can't use it on everything I do!!

[Lachica]

I have one set of 4 reels of thread which do this on the CS. They're fine on the overlocker. I have another set, apparently identical, which I use only on the CS. What fabric are you using? Is it a dance fabric with a high Lycra content? I've heard these fabrics need particular needles.

[Acorn]

No, it's fairly standard cotton lycra.

I might see if I can find enough alternative white thread without unthreading my overlocker.  The current thread is newly bought, so it can't be responsible for the problems I had before, but then I seemed to have sorted those problems out, even if they are very like the current ones...   

[Acorn]

Well, that was interesting...  :thinking:

I changed the thread and did a perfect sample.  I then started on one of the sleeve hems - it unravelled.  The needles were both still properly threaded, but the thread had come out of the last hole on the looper.   Sorted that out, and have just done both sleeve seams with no problems.  Not even any tunnelling - although that may be down to the tape.

I suspect I've had a number of problems coming together - the thread and the needles, basically - but also I have had trouble removing the fabric when I've finished sewing, and I suspect that is where the looper is coming unthreaded.

I have followed the instructions given by Britannia for removing the fabric, but they don't work because the looper thread won't shift.  Hmm.   

Anyway, I'm hopeful for future coverstitching - I must just remember to come here and re-read this thread when I have the same problems again!