Sunday January 25, 2014
I finally went back to trying to figure out why my needle tension was having issues. Three-thread overlock - both wide and narrow - stitches.
Experimenting with the stitch I tried increasing the needle tension for both the left and right hand needles, checking the needle class - Schmetz 80/12s, even going so far as to re-thread the machine a couple of times.
I found that only by holding on to the needle thread could I more or less ensure the tension of the needle thread was sufficient to not pull apart. Even looping the thread once more around the overhead thread guide did not work.
I got close when I upped the thread tension for the needles to at least 7. In some cases even up to 8 or 8.5.
Finally, I felt like I had experimented enough to feel that I had exhausted my options and called the place I purchased the serger from to set up a time to drop off my machine. The owner, a wonderful sole proprietress asked about the thread brand. When I mentioned it was Maxi-Lock, she remarked that she knew that lots of people had issues with that brand and also Sure-Lock because the quality of the thread was such that the tension would shift.
She did not recommend those brands for the needle thread because of the inconsistent quality; in a single spool she felt that the thread tension would change as I sewed!
She reminded me that when I purchased from her in 2012 she provided some good thread - Mettler Serger thread. She suggested that I re-thread and return the tension to normal (Upper, Lower and Needle all at 4) and try it again.
If that did not work it could be that the poor quality thread had messed up the tensioning discs and that they would have to be cleaned out.
I told her I would try her recommendation.
It had been a while since I threaded with the Mettler and I noticed immediately how much cleaner the thread looked. It looks much more like a single filament rather than the 'woolier' Sure-Lock or Maxi-Lock threads.
I tried the 3-thread narrow overlock with all tension discs set at 4. Perfect the first time out. Clean stitch, looper threads met at the edge and the needle thread was tight.
I tried with the wide stitch. Not so tight. I called it a day and moved over to mending a skirt where stitches had come loose.
