Halfway through working today the Bernina 950 has stopped picking up the bobbin thread. I changed thread for some decorative work and when I switched back to the cone of white it bunched up the thread underneath. this is not unusual with this machine and is usually cured with a de-fluff. I have cleaned her out, given her a drop of 3 in one oil, changed the needle and the thread cone but still no joy. Any ideas? I have emailed the company who sold it to me in May but as they have gone home for the evening I thought I would ask you all while I wait for a reply
Claire, I believe I sent you a couple of other ideas, mostly involving needle and thread mismatch. However, I just reread and was struck by your mention of 3-in-1 oil, which, in my experience, goes sticky after a bit and will gum up a machine badly. Can you get plain old sewing machine oil?
I concur and can provide the correct oil if needed. albeit shipping to France will be expensive., Surely there must be a local sewing machine shop that sells lily white sewing machine oil
I didn't get any other messages Kay but not to worry. I will have to take the 950 to my service guy. I have had a very hectic week with many markets both day and night ones and orders, last market for 3 days tomorrow so on Monday I can have a lie in!
I will have to wait until Tuesday to call and see if he is in his shop or on holiday. I think the timing is out, that's what the bernina service chap on the phone thinks and as he's in the UK and I am in France I can't get him to come out!!!.
I hadn't realised 3 in 1 was a problem I have to admit I have always used that. The machines do get a regular service so I suppose it hasn't had time to get sticky and cause too many problems as they get a proper clean when they get serviced. I will get some proper sewing machine oil when I take the 950 into the shop. I will keep you updated.
Meanwhile I have pressed the 1030 back into service, I now know I have become used to the 950 despite only having it for a few months as the
1030 seems slow I am grinding my teeth willing it to go faster, hey ho just what we get used to I guess.
Loops on the bottom of fabric sounds more like an upper tension problem or a mismatch between thread size and needle size issue to me, not a timing problem. If you want to explore this a little further, there are some good diagrams here:
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Home machines like these are usually timed with a size 80/12 needle, so that's what I'd use for comparison purposes. Though I will happily retime an old black Singer or similar machine, I leave timing on the new ones to the pros. If you were a newbie, I'd be urging you to rethread the machine with the presser foot up so the thread could get in the upper tension. (BTW, I don't recall if I ever mentioned the photos I took here;
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-- you know all that sort of basic stuff, but it's handy to know about the photos when you've got a newbie trying to tighten bobbin tensions because there's loops on the bottom of the fabric.) Here's some more stuff on needle/thread mismatches and "tension headaches":
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and in my experience, almost any symptom other than sparks and fires in a sewing machine can sometimes be fixed with a new needle.
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(Ron, I'm so glad you've kept that series up!)
It's not quite as bad as some other oils... but not good. I once was given a Singer 15-91 that I cleaned up and sent on to a local shelter for their clients to use. That poor thing had been oiled for about 5 years with extra virgin olive oil "because it's so pure"!. Poor machine stunk from the sticky, polymerized oil and was just about frozen, but I gradually got it all cleaned up, Sewing machine oil is a light mineral oil that's designed to evaporate (over long periods of time) without leaving a sticky residue like 3 in 1 and similar. It's also less likely to stain fabrics irretrievably. The other "oil" I hate to see used on sewing machines is WD-40. Though it has some lubricating ability at first (well, so does water!), it quickly evaporates and the machine goes dry and wears badly or freezes. It's a solvent, not a lubricant.
I know what you mean. I switched back to my Viking 350 because I had some specialty feet I wanted to use. Even flat out it felt like a slug compared to my Juki.
Yes the looping I cured quite quickly , it was when I had cured the lopping that it decided to stop picking up the bottom thread!!! Oh joy. If you want to explore this a little further, there are some good
Good info ,thank you for that I am hoping for sometime to read through everything today. last week really was relentless. Monday; I had a client coming over to order a dress for her daughter, they come every summer from Holland on their holiday. By the end of the appointment she had ordered 2 dresses , 3 cushion covers and a dress for herself, for Friday as they are only here for one week this year! Monday of course was the day that 950 went bad while I was trying to finish some reversible aprons for the stall, also on Monday I had 2 mobile home rentals arriving so had to make beds. Tuesday; another mobile home rental so clean and change everything, plus finish aprons and set up night market (luckily in our local town so not far to drive) Had a good night at the night market, got home early at midnight as there was a thunderstorm, sold lots, great, now short of stock for the stall! Oh heck. Wednesday; 6 am off to regular weekday market for the morning and again had good sales sold the last small reversible aprons, grit teeth and think of the ones have out on exhibition, oh well, sew all afternoon make 2 girls dresses for Dutch lady and cut out her dress. Thursday; 1st thing the woman running the exhibition calls to say she's running short of stock for both statues and clothes. Rush off to Bordeaux, 4 hour round trip to do the walk through for No1 sons student apartment back at 3pm, at 4pm my Dutch lady comes for 1st fitting several alterations needed as we are using a pattern she loves and we have used before but this time it's a woven not a jersey! Got to re-cut the top , bother. Husband goes off to a weekend of markets at 7pm I eat and start sewing until 11pm , fall into bed. Friday; up at 6.15 2 hours in the workshop with statues, send both sons off to exhibition with the stock for both stalls. Finish cushion covers and Pink dress for Dutch lady, fingers crossed it fits now. Go back to sewing aprons as I have none left myself in the smallest size. Manage to make 5. Dutch family come by everything is fine , wave them off keep sewing. Good thing the boys can cook. Saturday; off to the usual morning market, sales are good horray! home at 3pm eat , clean mobile-homes from people who left on Friday for people coming today. Cutting it fine this time. Take clothes stock out of car restock car with 2nd hand stuff as Sundays market is statues and
2nd hand stuff so no point trying to sell my clothes, too much competition from 2nd hand children's clothes. Mum comes round for a cup of tea, breathe. Sunday all day market, sales are good, fall into bed what a week.
This week should be easier only 2 markets and some sewing for them. DH due back home today hope he's not to tiered. Got to clean and change the
2 mobile-homes but I know the people won't arrive until 5pm so I have some breathing space . I'm glad not every week is like that. I will keep you updated on the 950.
I have to wait until the 28th to take the machine in for fixing , in the meantime back to aprons on the 1030 the expo rang again they had a run on aprons, now where's that extra day in the week I ordered?
I like to wear the bib aprons that will cover me when I am chopping vegetables and pouring liquids. I make mine with pockets on the front to help me when I am cleaning and need to take something to another room. They really save my clothes from getting so dirty! Glad your aprons are selling so well! Barbara in SC
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