Thread keeps breaking - White overlock

Dear zootal,

Are you unthreading the needles before you re-thread the looper? If not, that's your problem. You must unthread the needles every time you re-thread the loopers.

Teri

Why are you lifting the foot? No need to do that. Chain off as the material leaves behind the foot and simply slide the next piece up to the foot, it will grab it all by its self.

It will up to a point, Ron, but there are plenty of fabrics and processes where you need to lift the foot... For example:

Polartec 300 and Windbloc: I find I get a MUCH better start if I wind the hand wheel so that the knives are fully open and lift the presser foot to slide the fabric in.

Joining seams: I often need to join seams and rolled hems exactly: the best way is to wind the hand wheel so the needles are at their highest pint, lift the presser foot, and slide the fabric up so the seam to be joined is right under the needles.

Rolled hems: I often need to join rolled hems as well as seams, and do this the same way... And on some fabrics, when crossing one rolled hem with another, lifting the foot and putting it right where you need to saves a lot of grief.

All this should make no difference to the tension settings if they are working properly and correctly adjusted for the fabric and process.

What do you mean by unthread them? When I rethread the looper, I make sure that the other threads are still correct, and then I bring all 4 threads out the back of the machine and remove any thread stuck inside. This is what I've always done.

Um...because I don't know better, my wife is the seamstress :). But that is what I've always done, and it's always worked before. Something somewhere somehow has changed - neither of use can sew more then one item without the thread breaking, so it's not just something I'm doing.

Sergers being sergers and having a mind of their own sometimes mean you have to change the way you do things. Just for the heck of it, when your thread in the looper breaks before you do anything else , unthread your needles and change them. Rethread your loopers, both of them, and then you needles. First the right one and then your left. Be sure you check to see if your needles are properly seated. When you finish your seam don't raise the foot, just run a chain before cutting your thread. You have nothing to lose and might solve your problem. Be a sport and give it a try. Let us know if that works. IF not we'll all have to brain storm again and think about what else you can try. Juno

Change needles, as in remove the ones in the machine, and install a new set? OK, I'll do this. It won't be until this weekend - too many things to do. But I'll definitely try it - we gotta get this working.

I was having problems with my Janome overlocker this week. The lower looper thread kept on breaking and I tried simply rethreading the lower looper and then both loopers. It was only rethreading in total - lower looper, then upper looper, then right needle and finally left needle that solved the problem. Now it is fine. The thread is moving so fast in these machines that one wrong inter-relationship in the threading paths can cause a major PITA.

Lizzy

I do note that you take the time to manual raise the needles to the highest position. This will have completed the stitch and released the looper threads from the stitch fingers on the foot. OP should note this procedure.

Yes, you've got it, change the needles, as in new ones, and then Completely rethread from scratch. No tying on, just use your manual and carefully and slowly follow the thread paths. I know this can be a pain but in the long run it may solve the problem. Juno

Noted, tnx :). I'll try it this weekend (too many things going on right now).