What's wrong with my Janome?

[Vezelay]

I thought recently that my Janome DXL603 was stitching smaller than it should sometimes, and skipping the odd stitch, usually when sewing through a few layers eg zip and double layer of interfaced cotton. Then it would be Ok again so I ignored it. But I did sense that something wasn't quite right.

Today I was sewing through several thick (but not heavy) layers of upholstery cotton and Bosal foam interfacing. It managed 3 seams with just the odd skipped stitch but when I sewed the fourth it skipped massively. I tried
Changing the needle
Rethreading
Increasing the tension
Changing to a walking foot
Swapping the Moon thread for Gutermann
Cleaning under the needle plate (nothing much there, I did that recently)

No change at all.

As a last resort I tried it on my old Singer and the seam was fine! I thought the stitches looked better too - not so tight, more defined, despite the difficulty squeezing the fabric under the foot.

Any idea what my Janome's problem could be? I'd rather not take it for a service if it's something I could easily adjust myself. Could it be the presser foot pressure screw? That's always been a mystery to me and I seem to have tried everything else.

[Radiofan]

This sort of thing is caused by the loop to be caught by the hook, being pulled back upwards by friction with the material being sewn, which has also been pulled down by the downstroke of the needle. Standard tricks to stop this happening are:

Use a needle plate with a small hole so that the material can't go down as much.
Use a non-stretch stabilising material underneath. Paper will do, then tear away.
Use a larger needle so that the thread binds less with the material being pulled down.
Use a speciality needle with stretch fabrics.
More pressure on the presser foot can reduce the distance the fabric pulls up on the loop.
Tune the sewing machine so that the needle is closer to the hook.

[Vezelay]

Thanks @Radiofan , that's a useful checklist.

It seems I have a faulty switch that doesn't properly raise the feed dogs. I can do it manually for now but that hasn't  fixed the problem either. I will try a larger needle (100) first, then try increasing the presser foot pressure. I'm still puzzled why the first 3 seams sewed fine but the last (identical) seam didn't.

[Vezelay]

Seems to be a success using a 100 jeans needle  . Apparently my presser foot pressure is at 6 (max) anyway so hopefully the needle is the answer. I have several more similar seams coming up so I'll see how it goes.

[Ohsewsimple]

@Vezelay I’d say that was a lot to ask of that machine.  I think the old Singer would be better suited.

[Vezelay]

Maybe you're right @Ohsewsimple - I just assumed my fancy new(ish) Janome with all its stitches and gizmos would cope with anything! The 20 year old Singer is a solid basic 4-stitch machine but clearly it still has its uses.

[Ohsewsimple]

Unfortunately not.    . For anything heavy or thick as this would be you’re better off with an old machine, preferably metal bodied.  Make sure you haven’t put the timing out.   

[Greybird]

That's odd, I have had a similar problem recently with my Husqvarna Emerald 118 (made under license by Janome), although not when stitching through anything thick. I think it does fairly often although it's very noticeable when top-stitching. It seems to hesitate and stitch almost on the spot for a while before moving on. I have cleaned out under the needle plate, but it didn't seem too bad.

I decided it would have to go in for a service but I don't really want to be without it this side of Christmas.

[Vezelay]

My service would involve two 120 km round trips @Greybird so I'm not keen either.

@Ohsewsimple (or anyone else) what are the signs of a possible timing issue and how would I test for it?

[Radiofan]

Needle timing: As the needle rises from its lowest point by about 4mm, the hook should pass by, 1-2mm above the eye. Singers have timing marks on the needle bar. You will need to remove the bobbin/case to see the hook.

Feed timing: The feed dogs should rise just as the needle comes out of the material (forward direction).

Regarding thickness, a sewing machine of any worth should be able to handle a few layers of cotton. My Singers will do 6 layers of denim or polar fleece (with zipper between).

[Sara-S]

Sometimes the needle you use is the wrong type for your project, but then sometimes the needle is just worn.

[Celia]

Do also check the feed dogs, we are usually good at cleaning under the bobbin but tend to forget the feed dogs, I have seen several machines with things jammed in around or between the teeth and this will defiantly affect the feed.
On the Emerald 118 do check you have the pressure on the presser foot set correctly for your fabric this can cause your problem on Emeralds @Greybird

[Vezelay]

I did finish my project in the end - the 100 jeans needle (the only one I had above 90) plus walking foot seemed to do the trick (mostly). I've never needed a needle that size before but it was a bulky sew and barely fitted under the foot. It was the topstitching of the seams it struggled with. As I said My Singer sewed better (with a 90 needle), but couldn't fit the thickest fabric. Time will tell if my Janome's not quite right - I've had this trouble with thick layers before so maybe I just need a Pfaff!

Project was a dust cover that fits both my Singer and Janome, a free YouTube Debbie Shore pattern. Some old twice recycled curtain fabric serves a purpose, Bosal plus cotton lining (seen on the bottom edge). Anyway, done!
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[Lilian]

Very nice indeed @Vezelay and good upcycle    Glad you finally managed to sew the thick layers 

[Greybird]

Thank you @Celia - I shall check that. I thought  I had cleaned the area thoroughly but it won't hurt to give it another go!