Serger Adjustment My serger was loosing power. I found an answer on your site regarding the stitch length adjustment cam. My husband took the cam out and cleaned it. The problem of slowing down is now gone. But now it sews with huge thread loops on the back side of the fabric. I have not changed any of the tension knobs, etc. Your post ends with "adjust feed dog timing". Could the feed dog timing have caused this problem? If so, how do I adjust it?

Features:

• Needle Threader
• Needle Up/Down Setting
• Adjustable Stitch Length and Width
• Adjustable Presser Foot Pressure
• 3 Thread Serger
• 4 Thread Serger
• 5 Thread Serger
• Differential Feed
• Coverstitch
• Rolled Hem

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Manipulating the tensions on a serger creates the different stitches. Therefore, it depends what stitch you want to make that determines how you set the tensions. For a basic 4-thread overlock, usually setting the tensions at the midway point is standard, however, some tweaking of each may be required to get them balanced. What helps is to thread with four different colors making it easier to see which thread's tension needs adjustment.

The Anatomy of The Best Serger Tension My Tips Bonus Unpick it Serger...

How to Adjust Thread Tension on an Overlocker Singer Australia

You can download the Bernina serger workbooks that may help you set up your machine for specific overlocker stitches:

Bernina Mastery Workbooks

Just guessing the machine may need cleaning and oiling. Consult the owner's manual. Sergers usually require frequent oiling (more than sewing machines) because of the speed and complexity of moving parts in a serger. Apply 1-2 drops of fresh, good quality oil for your machine--some brands use a specific weight oil.

If in doubt, take it for service. It could probably use a very good check-up by a professional anyway. At least then you will be starting out with a tuned up, working machine.

cleaning your serger (avoid using compressed air as sometimes it will force lint and debris farther into the machine!)

Cleaning Your Serger

Serger Cleaning and Oiling

Serger Troubleshooting For Any Serger Serger Machine Series Ep 4

Since your issue is with the stitch width function, you may want to focus more on that mechanism and work at getting it released. Sometimes applying heated air from a handheld hairdryer will loosen stuck mechanisms.

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Try setting up your machine with the 4 different thread colors as the guide--use yellow thread in the yellow guide, blue in the blue, etc. This is a good way to figure out what is not working with your tension dials. To start out with a 4-thread stitch, set the tension dials at the midway point on each and then test your stitch. You should be able to see which thread colors are off. If one color is wrapping over the edge of the fabric, then that tension is too loose and the opposite thread may be too tight. The tensions are correct when the threads meet in the middle of the fabric. It's a matter of sitting down and playing with it to see what happens when you make changes to the settings. Also, one particular setting that works on a particular fabric may not work on another, so learning how to test and adjust is a big part of using a serger.

As for stitch length, that is mostly a personal decision. The shorter the stitch length, the closer the stitches will be.

The anatomy of perfect serger tension Sew McCool

Serger Tension Made Easy Do It Better Yourself Club

There are many web sites and videos that could be helpful.

A serger does not have a bobbin,they use loopers instead to form a chain stitch. I'm very familiar with the baby lock and they are a simple machine. Email me and I will try to guide you to the solution, chances are it not an adjustment problem but a dry feed cam. my email is [email protected]

Serger thread breaks
1. Is the serger threaded correctly?
2. Is the needles inserted correctly?
3. Is one of the needles bent or damaged?
4. Is the tension adjusted too tightly?
5. Is the tension adjusted to accommodate thickness of thread being used?
6. Are you using inferior quality thread?
7. Is the thread feeding of the cone/spool freely?
8. Is the needle size correct for the type of fabric being used?
9. Are the needles being used the correct one for the serger?

Your serger needs service. (clean, oil, adjust, etc.) It may be that the motor is not lubed well enough and as it is being run it heats up and expands which causes it to bog down and stop. I would take it in for service and "mention" this issue while you are there.

Here is the info about this serger from the baby lock's website. It says the stitch length is a dial. I couldn't find the manual for download, but they say they stand behind their products with support. I would follow the customer support link at the bottom of the page and request a user manual. It looks like they sell an instuctional video and optional workbook too. Might be worth the price to help you get the most out of your seger. Hope this helps!

http://www.babylock.com/sergers/previous-models/eclipse-lx/

There are really not any #s you can set to give a good stitch. You have to just use the #s as a guide. Most sergers from the factory will give you something decent around 4 across the board. Start there and make slight adjustments as needed. It also depends on the stitch and type of material used.

Your problem is probably the stitch length adjustment cam (located on the left side of the machine) To fix this problem you will need to remove the small plastic cap (with red arrow) covering the screw securing the cam. It is usually also necessary to remove the connecting rod/sleeve that the cam rides in. Once both of these parts have been removed, you will need to carefully separate them and resurface the inside of the sleeve. This can be done with a very fine (500grit or higher) emery paper. Once the cam fits inside the sleeve without binding, reassemble using sewing machine oil or lithium grease and adjust feed dog timing.