Janome 1600P-DB Mechanical Sewing Machine Logo
Posted on Jan 05, 2013
Answered by a Fixya Expert

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Sewing backwards I noticed that my 1600 does not sew backwards very well. The bobbin thread loops and the machine seems to not want to sew and bunches up the fabric. is this normal? I have a Brother 1500s also and it sews well forward as well as backward. I just had my Janome cleaned and adjusted today. Should I bring it back in or is it a normal thing for the Janome?

1 Answer

Debbi's Sewing Machine Repair

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  • Janome Master 7,365 Answers
  • Posted on Jan 05, 2013
Debbi's Sewing Machine Repair
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Joined: Jul 22, 2010
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Try adjusting the top thread tension for the loops
try changing the needle
and see if that help any if not then take the machine back and
tell them what the machine is doing
if the machine was adjusted, then they should have checked the
stitches to make sure that the stitches were normal both forward
and backwards.

Testimonial: "thank you for such a speedy reply. I think I will take it back to the dealer instead of trying to adjust it myself. they should have adjusted for backwards as well as forward sewing. thanks again."

5 Related Answers

bargainbox

Hassy

  • 1388 Answers
  • Posted on Feb 24, 2008

SOURCE: bobbin thread bunching

I agree with brodering about the damage to your bobbin case, it should be smooth all over, as the thread travels across the top surface to form a stitch, and the small step on the underside locates it as the hook spins underneath.

Needle strikes often compromise the surface, as will the hook colliding with the under surface... and although it is possible to gently polish off the damage with fine grain wet & dry (black) sand paper (emery paper) there are limits to the success depending on the degree of damage.

While on the subject, ensure the bobbin case and hook race beneath are clean and free of lint or thread.

For a guide as to setting tensions and the rest, look here

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Anonymous

  • 1 Answer
  • Posted on Feb 26, 2008

SOURCE: threading a sewing machine

What do you mean you are unable to pull the bobbin thread through, elaboration would help solve the problem...
I suspect I'm having the same problem with you if it's anything to do with the top thread looping around in the bobbin holder.

Damn machine!

:)

Anonymous

  • 323 Answers
  • Posted on Jan 17, 2009

SOURCE: Janome 1600P-DB Tension Works For So Long...

It sounds as though the thread is jumping out of the tension assembly. The next time this happens, do not raise the presser foot before you do the following.Cut the thread above the needle and pull on it.If it is working properly there will be tension on it.If it is not working properly, the thread will pull through very easily.If the thread is coming out of the tension , either it isn't threaded correctly or you may need to wrap the thread around the bobbin winder guide to keep it from coming out.If you wrap it around the bobbin winder guide reduce the tension to around 2 , 3 or even less.
Hope this helps.
sewman7

Anonymous

  • 1 Answer
  • Posted on Apr 21, 2010

SOURCE: I just bought a janome mini sewing machine. I

First, in order to get the bobbin thread up, you have to turn the wheel backward, not forward. If you try this, and it is not the problem, keep going.

Next you need to check the needle. There is a screw on the right side of the needle carriage right underneath the underside of the top...unscrew this and the needle should come right out. The flat side of the needle shank should go towards the back of the machine. If it isn't, switch it so that it is and try again.

If this doesn't solve your problem, what has happened is that the gears in the machine have gotten out of alignment. There is an easy fix:

Take off the plate that covers the bobbin chase...there are two screws one on each side. Remove these...you need a stub screwdriver, because regular ones will not fit under there.

Remove the bobbin carriage and the bobbin, making careful note of how they fit back in. Take a picture before disassembling it so you have a reference.

The part that carries the thread around the bobbin is still in the machine. Turn the wheel and you will see it rotate. What has happened is that the needle is not going down in the machine at the right point because someone kept sewing after it jammed and one gear kept going while the other one didn't and now it is out of alignment. These machines have plastic gears and the can slip past each other if you aren't careful not to stop immediately when they jam.

To fix it, you are going to have to do some trial and error. Grab the rotating part of the bobbin chase and hold it firmly. Rotate the wheel forward until you hear it click once. Then rotate the wheel backward again and see if it grabs the top thread. If it doesn't, repeat holding the bobbin chase and turning the wheel forward until it does.

Once you have the gears basically aligned, you will need to reassemble everything. Put the face plate back on and put at least one of the screws in all the way. The face plate holds the bobbin chase in correctly and if you don't fasten it it will not work correctly.

Now try sewing. If it starts to jam, stop immediately, cut the threads and look at the back. If it's a loopy mess, you are going to have to dissamble as before and again grasp the bobbin chase and turn the wheel forward one more click, then reassemble and try again. Eventually, you will find exactly the right alignment and the machine will sew perfectly.

I just had to make this fix on my own machine...I didn't want to take it in for repair because the bench fee alone would cost as much as the machine did!

There are some great video's on YouTube for help with threading the machine...look for StampTV and you should find them. Good luck!

Anonymous

  • 1 Answer
  • Posted on Sep 08, 2010

SOURCE: I have a Janome MB4 and have had so many problems

Hi!
I was having the same problem(s) and I loosened the tension on the bobbin case and switched to prewound paper bobbins and everything sews beautifully.
Hope that helps!
-Donna Jo

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My thread keeps looping on bottom Have changed tension, needle rethreaded and changed bobbin nothing helps what am I doing wrong?

not sure if this will help you...Check Your Tension Settings. Looping underneath the fabric usually occurs when there is not enough tension in the needle thread to pull the bobbin thread. Sometimesthread buching can be caused by something as simple as the tension dial being inadvertently turned.

WHY IS THREAD BUNCHING UNDERNEATH MY FABRIC ? ' eBay

www.ebay.co.uk/gds/WHY-IS-THREAD-BUNCHING-UNDERNEATH-MY.../g.html..
or you could go to this link and see if it helps you out.. thread keeps looping Google Search
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Basic Tips for All
  1. Always turn the handwheel TOWARDS you (counter clockwise) as turning it in the opposite direction (away from you, clockwise) may knock the timing out requiring repair from a service center.
  2. Always be sure your presser foot is in the DOWN position before sewing. Sewing with the presser foot in the up position will cause your thread to tangle and your bobbin to jam.
  3. Change needles regularly (after 16 hours of use) as dull/weak needles can cause damage to your machine and fabric. Only use SINGER needles on your SINGER sewing machine.
  4. Always be sure you are using the correct bobbin for your machine. Class 66, Class 15 and Class 15J bobbins look very similar. However, using the incorrect bobbin class in your machine can cause damage.
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Sewing bobbin

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Janome 5900 sewing backwards!

Most likely, the bobbin thread is not in the bobbin tension. Rethread the bobbin and try again.

Loops on top of the fabric almost always mean too little tension on the bobbin thread; loops on the underside almost always mean too little tension on the top thread. Just backwards of most people's first guess. See http://www.picturetrail.com/sfx/album/view/22521551
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Can't set the tension on needle or bobbin to match

1. make sure your machine is threaded right.2. set the tension between 3 and 4 and play with the tension as you need it to adjust it.3. make sure the bobbin is threaded right.make sure to visit the site below; it has solutions to multiple problems and instructions how to thread the needle or bobbin. Good luck.htt://Fix Looping/Knotting Thread Fix Knotting/Bunching Thread Looping Bunching & Knotting Thread
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I teach sewing. A student had a problem with bunched threads on the underside of the fabric. I have tried figuring it out and every so often the thread stops looping. While sewing on the cg550 singer...

Make sure you have the correct bobbin, 66 class. Check the bobbin case. These machines use the apollo bobbin case that tend to get broken and then the thread hangs up.
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Machine is making a clunking noise and producing a bunch of looped up thread on the underside of the fabric every time I try to sew. How do i fix this?Thanks for the advice - Kate

1.check to see if the needle is in backwards
2.check to see if the needle is bent--lay it on a table & see
3.check the bobbin to see if it's warped
4.make sure it's threaded correctly-sometimes the thread on the thread take up lever can come off--it does on my mechanical sewing machine & I've been sewing & working on sewing machine for 23 years
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Thread bunches up under the fabric

For normal everyday fabric, tension should be 3-5.
If it is looping on the bottom, the problem is the threading of the machine. If it loops on the top then the problem is with the bobbin.
5helpful
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Bobbin problems

Any time you have looping on the bottom, it is almost always related to the upper tension and not anything in the bobbin area.
A good way to troubleshoot this is to turn the machine off, blow out the upper tension disk assemblies with canned air, (the machine needs to be off because most canned air uses butane as a propellant. Butane + electricity = bad;) replace your needle, and rethread your machine. Once you've threaded it to the point where you're about to put the thread through the needle, "floss" the thread forward and backward to ensure that the thread seats correctly into the tension assemblies.
Set your tension to around 4.5 for most applications, and drop your presser foot. Give the thread a gentle tug to see if the tensions have engaged the thread, then thread the needle.

If doing this does not address the problem, you probably need to have your tensions professionally calibrated. This is also true if the needle is in fact hitting something in the bobbin area. This is usually caused by the machine's timing being out of alignment, which is not something that can be fixed at home.

Good luck,

-R
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