Have been on the fence about buying a serger for awhile now, but always said if a good one came my way at a decent price wouldn't turn it down. Well things finally went my way and now have a Bernina 335DS five thread serger! Price was too good to pass up (under $150), and from my research the Bernina 334/335 series are a good dependable line of sergers.
Am dying to play with my new toy, but really wish to wait for my local repair guy to take a peek and my new baby and give it a check up. Sadly he is out of commission for the next two weeks! Drats! Guess will use this time to read the manuals, and order in lots of serger thread.
Does anyone have experience with this type of serger who care to share some tips and suggestions?
Thanks for listening,
Candide
"Never keep up with the Joneses. Drag them down to your level. It's cheaper." Quentin Crisp 1908 - 1999 _+_+_+_+_+_+__+_+_+_+_
Congratulations Candide. Once you start using it, you won't understand how you got by without one. I don't have any experience with that particular brand but I just moved up from a 4 thread to a 5-thread. I still think they are a pain to thread however. Happy serging!
Pssst! Why do you think I'm anxious to have my sewing repair guy to "tune up" my machine! *LOL* Once it threaded can pretty much "follow" what has been done. To me that is allot easier than trying to follow diagrams from a manual. From what one has been able to find out, yes five thread sergers (IIRC Elna also made one), are not the easiest machines to work with, but I do lots of projects on canvas and items that require strong seams. This requires a five thread safety stitch. Otherwise would have had to "serger and sew" seams.
You should be able to tie on new thread once it is threaded the first time. I rarely completely rethread my sergers. Follow your manual instructions for this. But generally speaking what you do is cut the thread just off the top of the cone (the cone that is threaded into the serger already.) Then Put the new cone on the rack. Tie the end of that cone's thread to the end you cut (where it's dangling down from the thread tree.) Now, set all your tensions to zero and raise the presser foot. Tug on the thread chain from the previous thread (oh, always leave about a 6" or better thread chain after you serge something....duh! Should have said that first! lol) Ok. Pull the thread chain directly back towards the back of the serger, never out to the side, always straight back. When the knots come to the needles, cut the knots off (knots won't go through the needle eyes.) Once the new thread is pulled through the loopers, all you have to do is thread the needles. Nifty huh?????? It saves A LOT of time.
Hope that all makes sense!!
Sharon
---if only you could see my hands flapping while I'm explaining it would be so much easier!! lol
Just spent more time than I should have this evening playing around/getting to know my new toy and noticed the previous owner left three threads in place, all different colours. So in essence she did what you are suggested, just cut the threads off at the cones, and left everything else. Would have been nice if she left the thread cones, but guess one cannot have everything! *LOL* Will pick up some cone thread this weekend if the weather warms up.
Thank you for your instructions regarding "rethreading" a serger using previous threads. Read up on that tip in the group archives, and it may have even been one of your posts. My Singer "The Complete Photo Guide to Sewing" shows step by step pictures of the technique of rethreading via previous threads as well, so I'm well off then, aren't I?
As usual these eBay goodies arrive when one is swamped with work/other projects so cannot sit down for a long play session just yet. Hopefully will clear some time this weekend for myself, get some thread and see what is what. Am thinking it would be better to try the machine before taking it in for a tune up in case there are one or two things I want to call his attention to/question him about. Nothing is worse than taking a machine in, waiting for it to come home only to realise one or two problems you really meant to have addressed never came up in the conversation! *LOL*
Thankfully the serger came with two Bernina owners manuals, so at least have some night-time/coffee break reading.
Candide
"Never keep up with the Joneses. Drag them down to your level. It's cheaper." Quentin Crisp 1908 - 1999 _+_+_+_+_+_+__+_+_+_+_
Never try to teach a pig to sing. It's a waste of time and just annoys the
Candide the seller was doing you a favour in leaving thread in different colours.....this is a good way for you to see what thread (looper) does what and so much easier to trace than all the same colour.
Tying new threads is a good way and one I always used on my previous overlocker, but since I've bought the Compulock it threads SO easily that I don't do this now, but do recommend it for hard-to-thread overlockers.
Good luck with your new toy.....they do make your garments look so much more professional. Try and do a rolled hem, this is ONE feature I just love on the Compulock and use it all the time. So neat and tidy!!
Here is my hot serger tip for the day. You can find 4 (or 5) bobbins with the same color and use those on the serger, so you don't have to buy cones in more than 3-4 colors (I use mostly white or black). This tip does not apply to wooly nylon (which I discovered a few years ago thanks to Kate!) Wonderful stuff for lettuce hems and rolled hems.
Sharon, an addendum to your tie-off method: When I first got a serger, I struggled with re-threading, especially the lower looper. Somewhere (I don't remember where) I learned that if you
*gently* pull out the needle thread(s), (raise the presser foot and hold the tail, pull the needles thread(s) until they are out of the needle eye), it makes pulling the tied-on looper threads
*much* easier. You can now pull one looper thread at a time through the path, because you can gently tug on *one* of the threads at a time and see which one to pull.
Since the needle path is simple on my sergers, I use that method a lot. BUT...it is also important to learn how to thread the
*entire path for all threads*, because eventually a thread *will* break while you are pulling it through, and you'll *have* to thread from scratch. Ask me how I know this.... ;-]
My serger is an older one...but I'm used to it and I love it. I've had it about 15 years and have never had to have it serviced. I did change the knives once, though. I also "tie off" the threads to rethread, but I've learned how to pull all the threads through....even the ones through the needles! I do, however, hold my breath during this operation. I once tried wooly nylon on a rolled edge on napkins. They are the only ones I have that "curl up" when they come out of the dryer. The ones done with regular thread come out nice and flat. Anyone know why?
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