[sammons]

Rattiac or anyone else.
Machine: Rex #26-188 commercial unit

Was patching up some blue jeans this morning, all well then.....funny scrunching/binding sound. I thought loose thread got bound up bobbin side. I slide material out and there was a rats nest on the bottom side. I pulled bobbin trimmed reinstalled, tried again.....same.

I pulled bobbin back out, got stronger glasses on and found a piece of thread looped around bobbin spindle. Cleared, cleaned, oiled, changed bobbin spool even. Retried, same!😡  Thought maybe needle was getting dull or perhaps chipped/broke. Replaced needle, tested again....Aarrgggg! Same 😡🤬🤬🤬🤬

What the hell am I missing??
Pics of the bottom, bobbin side of any material tried.

Update**** I took the bobbin/carrier back out, went to parts house and got some brake clean. Unplugged machine sprayed down exterior pivot points, then tipped machine on its side to get to all under moving parts.
Spayed all down good, air blowed dry and reoiled everything. Plugged in and ran it wide open throttle for several mins, reoiled, ran again then wipped down everything. Put bobbin/carrier back in, rethreaded machine. Grabbed new shop towel, folded and one little crackle sound, then off to the races it went. It's sewing fine now, but I don't know what caused this?

Maybe something got a bit out of adjustment that i didn't notice or a piece of built up dust/oil somewhere? The machine does get body shop type dust on it from time to time. I always air blow and oil before i use it. Would really like to know what was causing this.

Needed a new coaster for my table anyway.😁

[EDNY]

Great post...outlined the problem and fixed it...so the post is actually a net zero

Crazy - But just yesterday I had my Juki doing blue jean repair!!!!   Had a couple of tears that I just ran back and forth over and reattached some belt loops!

[EDNY]

That nest problem reminds me of what happens when done sewing - if you don't turn the hand wheel back about a quarter turn before lifting the foot and cutting the thread...the next time around the thread gets pulled out of the bobbin and gets caught on the hook.

[sammons]

Yep, i usually do that to free thread tension first. Dang thing is working great now. Seen a video on probables, tension arm not threaded or tension not set proper. It was sewing just fine then all of a sudden just bound up?  One fella said if that 1/2 moon thing around the bobbin carrier gets a nick in the hook, bent needle or it shifted out of place it could do it.  Didn't see any of that.  I guess it could have slipped when changing bobbin spool?   

Hell i don't know what was the cause or what fixed it😁     At least got my jeans patched. Nothing like taking a half day for a couple quick patches.

Well just because i had denim and elastic strip left over i thought i would try my hand at making a mask. Lol  Small material, shakey hands and throttle heavy, i almost sewed my finger tips.  🤯  Real quick i figured out this is not my line of work!     Bit messy, no straight seams but it does fit.😁  Believe i will leave mask making to the professonals. 😜

[RoarsRods]

Glad you got your sewing machine all fixed! If it happens again here are a few tips!
For one he needs a cover to keep all the crap out of the sewing machine!
On that note you could possibly still has crap inside the sewing machine plus also seems like your belt drive timing got knocked out again due to crap building up inside the machine!
I have a Brothers industrial walking foot sewing machine so I have some knowledge of how these work!
Plus if the thread is to large for the needle hole it will hang up and needs to slide with ease!
If you still not not able to fix it then he might need to bring it to a sewing machine repair shop for a tuneup!
RoarsRods the NEWBIE 👍



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[madmike3435]

welcome Rory !!!!!!!!!!!!

Glad to see you share your assorted knowledge.

mike lynch

[sammons]

Thanks for the tips Rory and welcome to the site.  Good looking roadster you have there. Seen some of it on the hamb.

The old machine was pretty clean till 6-7 yrs ago when i started working in my garage in the winter, my bad. Been gonna build cover, never got around to it. Needs a good soak in gas this summer to get really clean.

What is this belt drive timing you speak of? 

[RoarsRods]

Thanks Guys! Yes my Roadster has been a long 14 months ground up restoration/resto-mod build! Now is waiting for upholstery as most company’s suppliers are shut down due to this World Wide pandemic!
Just a simple Naugahyde cover that slips over your machine will work!
On the belt drive timing! You tilt your machine back and there is a cogged rubber belt on the right side! That is the timing drive belt and if tons of crap build up in the machine over time that belt will jump a cog and through the whole sequence off with the timing when the needle eye is  making the slip loop with the top and bottom thread! It only needs to be fractions off and you will end up with a rats nest!
On another note my Brothers LS2-B837 Walking foot industrial machine always when I start sewing I need to hold both threads so it does not get sucked in and will do the same as yours with a rats nest!
Another trick which I have never tried is to start out with the needle plunged into the material and supposedly it would not cause a rat’s nest!
On your last note I myself would never clean the machine with gas and would be afraid to do more damage to the internal parts and bearings of different materials! Plus I would be worried that the gas would leave a coating on all internal parts!
Here are a few pics of my machine and cover!
RoarsRods

[sammons]

Ahh, no wonder i couldn't find it. I was looking for something that wasn't there. 😁  Mine is all mechanical, just two connecting rods.

Thanks!

[chopper526]

Welcome aboard RoarsRods!

[Rattiac]

X2 on holding the thread down tight during the start of a seam. If a thread slips loose at the beginning, sometimes it'll not show until 6-12" down the line and then the rat's nest happens.

As for the machine being super fast , here's a tip.
Lossen the wing-nut where the pedal joins the belt drive. This should allow the belt to slip more and slow it down for more control. Use a tapping motion with your foot will help also.

[EDNY]

My Juki came with a clutch motor..I finally bought a servo motor so I can select the speed. Had trouble multi tasking and the clutch motor getting away from me

My Juki has the large bobbin and have heard where it's possible to keep the bobbin winder engaged while sewing - as the empty bobbin is filled it gives you an idea of how much bobbin thread you have left in the machine?  Sound practical?

[39delux]

I have a Consew 226R and it's design is such the needle drive can not be disengaged to wind a bobbin.  It is designed to multi-task I guess and it would be a good indication of how much tread the bobbin has just by looking at the bobbin on the winder BUT while sewing with one color you must wind a bobbin with another color unless you have two spools alike. 

I've also had a rats nest on the underside.  Cleared, cleaned and oiled...fine.  Don't know why, guess it just wanted attention. 

[sammons]

As for the machine being super fast , here's a tip.
Lossen the wing-nut where the pedal joins the belt drive. This should allow the belt to slip more and slow it down for more control. Use a tapping motion with your foot will help also.

Thanks man! I wouldn't have thought of that. Dad bought this machine 2nd hand back in the early 80s when he sent stepmom to upholstery school. She did a lot of RV furnature and always zipped through it with those long seams. Great idea for slowing it down for my slow speed😁

Ed, sounds like it would work. My table has a 3 spool feeder stand. I only have one spool of black however 😁 I usualy wind up 2-3 bobbins before i start, and try to check bobbin if i am getting ready for a long run.

39, thats my conclusion. Machine just wanted a little attention😜

[RoarsRods]

My first machine was a turn of the century Singer treadle converted over to a motor! Late 60’s on my first car build 36 Ford 3 window coupe! $100 for the complete car minus the motor transmission and gages! Bought a 36 Ford sedan in a junkyard $40 and that had all the parts that I was missing! Finished it in 73 when I graduated! That car  was my first upholstery job and yes it came out nice with that old Singer walking foot machine! Plus had to hand tie all the ends as it had no reverse!
RoarsRods