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Janome L-344 Mechanical Sewing Machine - Page 4 Questions & Answers
L-344 loose stiching
You need to do a tension assembly test.
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Tension assembly test. To do this test. Pull the thread
through the tension assembly and test it to make sure the tension is working
correctly.
(To do this test, adjust your tension setting to normal or medium or 5 or
something in the middle. Raise the presser foot and pull the thread through the
tension. It should pull easily!! Lower the presser foot and pull the thread. It
should pull noticeably harder.)
If it doesn’t work this way then you probably have a piece
of thread or lint stuck inside the tension discs. To remove it, turn the
tension to 0 zero and raise the presser foot.Using a small screwdriver, open
the space between the discs and spray with canned or compressed air. The stuff
should come out. Do the tension test again to make sure you got everything and
then try sewing again.
sewman7
Manuel
all machines thread the same. TTN tension,take up, needle.
Beginning with the spool, guide the thread through the thread guides to the
tension assembly. Pull the thread through the tension assembly and test it to
make sure the tension is working correctly.
(To do this test,adjust your tension setting to normal or medium or 5 or
something in the middle. Raise the presser foot and pull the thread through the
tension. It should pull easily!! Lower the presser foot and pull the thread. It
should pull noticeably harder.) If it passes this test, continue up through the
take up lever,then down through the thread guides to the needle. Make sure your
needle is fully inserted and turned the correct way.( If you load your bobbin
case from the left side,the needle rule is normally FLAT to the RIGHT is RIGHT.
There are some exceptions. If you have a newer style drop in bobbin or your
bobbin case loads in the front then the rule is FLAT to the BACK.
Sewman7
Have A bernina Activa 125
hi
you ended chat session and you dint rate it please rate it....here some suggestionMost likely cause is lint in and around bobbin area. If you are using a standard top tension of 4 or 5 and this problem has developed over time, the most likely cause is lint deposited between the tension disks....... if the top tension is loose, or in the tension spring of the bobbin case if the bottom tension is having troubles. In either case you need to remove the lint......
Raise the presser foot and with a length of scrap fabric, use an action like flossing your teeth to get between the top tension disks......in extreme cases a probe (old needle) may be used very gently to remove thread and lint, but be VERY careful not to scratch the polished surfaces.
I have also written a tutorial on tension balance which may be of further assistance, particularly for bobbin tension issues:
Please TRY the solution BEFORE giving your considered rating.
Ensure that all is clean and free of lint and jams, this is the most likely cause....now for tension troubleshooting .......
This solution is for tension problems...if you cannot form any sort of stitch, the issue is quite different, so please let me know if you need a different problem solved.....
It is quite long, but just work through each section in order.
The "knotting up" can reveal a lot. If you have loose threads on one side or the other, the tension on the opposite side will be the culprit.
QUICK SUMMARY FIRST:
Ensure sharp new needle,
Thread guides and Bobbin are Clean & Clear of lint
Set Top Tesion to 4 ....then....
Balance Bobbin to suit.
TOP THREAD TENSION:
If the looping threads are on the underside as you sew, it is the top tension. Top tension ought to be between 4 & 6 (this variation to allow for the different weights of fabric in your
projects).
IS YOUR NEEDLE SHARP ?
If you are using a needle that has seen quite a deal of work, or you suspect it may be blunt, change it for a new one !
TOP TENSION & GUIDES:
Make sure that when you thread the machine the presser foot is up so the thread goes between the discs and not to one side, top tension between 4 and 6, and that you have threaded through all the guides, including the last one, usually on the needle arm, just above the needle clamp.
It may be there is lint trapped between the discs, this will keep them slightly apart and reduce the actual tension, sometimes dramatically.
If tensions appear correct, and the thread is definitely in the channel between the discs, but still too loose and looping, try raising presser foot and remove your thread.
Now, with a 2" (50mm) wide strip piece of fabric 8 - 10" (20 - 25cm) moistened with methylated or denatured spirit, gently insert the fabric strip and clean between the discs with
a see saw / to and fro action.
In the worst cases, gentle use of a needle to pick & remove the jam may be necessary, but be very gentle and make sure the tension is set at Zero and the presser foot is raised, (to
disengage tension plates).... do not gouge or score the plates, they need a polished surface to work correctly.
BOBBIN TENSION:
Far less common, but if the loose threads are on the top, it is bobbin tension that is loose, it too may have lint in the spring and be giving a "false" tension.
I would not recommend fiddling with bobbin tension without good reason, it may end up with missing small screws and spring pieces, however, you can take the needle plate off to clean
the hook race area (where bobbin case sits)
...this is just good housekeeping, my wife does this every time she replaces the bobbin....
just take it out and clean the bobbin case and the fixed metal hook race with a small brush to remove lint. If there is a significant amount of lint, use a vacuum and small brush to get the worst.
Then wipe all this area with a cloth or cotton bud (Q tip) moistened (not soaked) with methylated spirit, especially if there appears to be fine dirty deposits....oil and lint combine to conspire against you.
If it seems likely that you ......really ....do .....actually .....need .....to adjust the bobbin case, first check there is no lint trapped in the metal spring where the thread is tensioned.
TOP LOADER:
Drop-in Bobbin case will look similar to this image with the tension screw in the middle of the metalwork....
...the other screw at one end is holding it all together, so beware....it is not a tragedy to undo the whole lot and clean it, but very gingerly and lay the bits out in sequence and orientation, or you risk tearing your hair out !
FRONT LOADER:
....this is a bobbin case from a front loading machine and works in a very similar fashion to the top loader with drop in bobbin, again, if you dismantle it, take care so you can put it all
back properly.
FINISHING UP
GETTING THE BALANCE RIGHT:
When you are certain there's no trapped lint in top tension or bobbin, set the top tension to 4 and the bobbin tension to a point where you just begin to feel resistance.
Try using good quality thread of contrasting colours so you can more easily spot the changes.
Set your zigzag to one width less than maximum (eg. 5 of 6 ...or... 4 of 5 etc) and sew a sample for a few inches and check the result.... adjust the bobbin tension screw very little at
a time, perhaps 1/16 of a turn.
You may find you are playing with this balance for some little while and if you are putting the needleplate on and off each time begin to think it cannot be correct to do this.....BUT....it is,
and eventually, you do get a "feel" for the correct tension and then it happens quite quickly.....as a user you won't be doing it very often unless there is lint built up (or are there small hands at work around the house !?!?!)
OTHER ISSUES:
If you live near the ocean as we do, salt air can play havoc with metalwork inside and out, so to help minimise this, keep a few small packets of dessicant (silica gel) in your machine
case....no case ? then make some sort of cover !
Same applies in any damp or humid environment, keep your machine dry and dust free.
Budget for a proper full service every couple of years (more often if heavily used) and if you don't use your machine for a few years, be aware that old oil will dry out and combining with
dust and form a "clag" like glue (another reason for some sort of cover, even a teatowel !)
FINALLY, A WORD ON THREAD:
If it is worth spending the time, energy and money on making something that you would like to give lasting enjoyment......use quality thread, .......it may seem to cost a little more at the
time, but the results, ease of use and added longevity will be worth the extra, and as a bonus, your tension troubles may be fewer and further between, because there is a more consistent diameter with good thread, and less compensating to be done by your tension plates and less thread breaks !
www.bargainbox.com.au
Need a free manual for the janome 344
I've always been able to get a free PDF downloadable manual from
Janome. They are happy to send you a manual for your specific machine
via email, and they've always been very helpful to me. Here's a link
to them:
http://www.janome.com/index.cfm/ContactUs/Machine_Support
Hope this helps!
I have a Janome model 577 (I know it's old!!) and
If the top tension is on 0 I suspect the problem begins in the bobbin, make sure first of all the bobbin is turning anti clockwise in the bobbin case, when you pull the thread through the bobbin case there should be slight resistence, if it is too loose turn the screw on the bobbin case clockwise about a quarter of a turn to tighten, if it is not making muh difference you may have fluff stuck under the spring on the bobbin casem take a fine sewing needle and slide it under the spring to see if you can get any fluff out, top tension about 4 or 5
Where can I find a Janome kwiknit Knitter CHJ-3 munual?
I have the Janome CHJ-3 Kwiknit Knitter and am having some problems with it. Purchased this machine some40 years ago and used it an awful lot and was always very happy with it. After storage and loaning it out, it now does not work. Needs a service I suppose which I would like to do myself. Does this machine have a sponge bar? Also I can copy the manual and send it to you - please let me know.
Can I download embroidery editor from janome site instead of downloading from cd
You can download the Artistic Designer program from Janome,
https://www.janome.com/products/software/ . However, it will not work unless you have purchased a license key from a dealer. For other Janome software, only updates for supported software are available:
https://www.janome.com/support/general-support/software-support/ . You'll either need the program to have been installed on your computer or to put the CD in an optical disc drive. If your current computer doesn't have an optical disc drive, you can get a USB optical drive from Amazon or any other shop that has electronic/computer parts. USB DVD read/write drives are under $50 even at most shops that don't discount accessories. You may need the USB type C (M) to USB type A (female) adapter with some of the newest models (laptops and tablets).
I hope this helps. Please add a comment with the name and version of your software for further assistance. If your software is no longer supported by Janome, there are some third-party embroidery editing software packages. One is
https://www.embird.net/ .
Cindy Wells
Janome 350E suddenly stopped reading the USB
Your space is not formatted correctly to the size of the hoop. For example if the hoop is 5x7 your design has to fit within that space, and the space cannot be bigger than 5x7. Strange but true and it will fix the reboot and shut down issue.
I've been trying out a New Home, Janome 641 for my granddaughter. It will only sew backwards.
A new old machine for you I assume.For older mechanical only machines, reverse stitch is an exaggerated long stitch length that changes the angle and contact time of fabric to the feed dogs. Try setting stitch length to minimum and straight stitch. Check feed dog up/down is functional (if featured). It could also be the reverse linkage is simply stuck and the machine is in need of a thorough clean/lube.I looked for a manual but so far have not found. I'll append if I find.
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