Take-up lever not pulling from spool

What you are seeing is called "bird's nesting." There are two main reasons for "bird's nesting."
The first one is the thread not between the tension disks. That allows the thread to be pulled from the spool instead of pulling the thread tight from underneath. Always make sure to always put up your presser foot before you thread the tension disks. I also check the thread after I finish to make sure the top thread has good tension on it before sewing.
The second reason is the thread is not being pulled by the take up lever. Make sure you see it being pulled by the take up lever before you start sewing. If not, rethread it.

Good luck.

This happened to me several times. The way I fixed it was to:
- clean underneath where the bottom spool goes in, usually there is where the dust keep collecting.
- when holding the case spool before inserting it in the machine, make sure the thread that comes out is rolling towards YOU, the normal rolling way and NOT backwards.
- make sure the thread is not loose on the spool due to not enough thread on it.
- you might also want to check the thread on top - going through all the "curves", that somewhere is not being stock, that the thread is NOT skipping any"corners" and do not do any shortcuts when threading.
- there has to be ENOUGH thread on the TOP spool and on the BOTTOM spool.
- lastly, - pull everything out and start fresh with all the threading - top and bottom after cleaning the dust out and maybe any little bits of cut thread left over from the past work.

I'm sorry but that's all I can thing off .... I have been sawing for over 50 years and this is the way I always fix my machine every time, either manual or electric.
One thing is for sure, not all threads are appropriate for sawing machines and if you are trying to saw elastic, then you have to use the correct dial, because the usual one will NOT work and it WILL brake the thread !

I hope any of the above will help ... :)

All Singer models would have arrows/numbers to guide your top threading from the spool pin to top thread guide, for most machine start from your thread spool pin, to a thread guide follow arrow down then up into the take up lever and down to the needle thread guide then into the needle hole. Assuming you have wind and install the bobbin thread into the bobbin case, turn your hand wheel towards you makes the needle bar goes down,keep on turning till the needle bar is fully up again, pull the end of the top thread to pick out the bobbin/bottom thread. With your material/fabric under the presser feet, apply the presser feet lever down, you are ready to sew.

Always start from the thread spool pin, install your thread spool to the spool pin & put on the spool holder, pull end of thread to go thru the top thread guide then down to the tension disc(follow the arrow pointer if there is),up to the thread take up lever arm from left to right and down to the needle thru the needle clam guide(just below its needle clam screw)then enter the needle eye from front to back. Turn your hand wheel towards you to bring needle bar down into the bobbin case, keep turning till needle comes fully up, pull out your top thread end & this should bring up the bobbin thread then you be ready to sew.

check for burrs between the spool of thread & take up lever

Put spool of good quality thread on the spool pin. Thread comes off spool counterclockwise. Raise your presser foot before you do the next steps: Presser foot lifted up now? Great! Pull thread tail from spool toward you and hold thread taut as you put it into first tension disk. Have that thread nice and taut? We shouldn't have any loops hanging down over the machine--okay, Keep threading all of the tension disks. You should be able to actually "feel" the thread fall into slots somewhat. Now when you get to that long silver thing with the hole in the top this is called your thread take-up lever. It should be all the way UP. Turn hand wheel- ( large round knob at end of right-hand side of machine) towards you if need be to raise it. Pull that thread taut from RIGHT to LEFT through the hole in the take-up lever. Take deep breadth here... You're almost done! Pull thread down left side of lever til you get to next disk. Put thread in small bracket located behind needle. Bring thread forward --get yourself 6" of thread-- then put it from front to the back of the eye of the needle. Are you okay? Hope I was able to help. Jimmy

Lift the needle to the highest point by turning the handwheel. Lift the pressure foot to release the tension on the system. Place the spool on the spool pin and put the spool cap on to hold the spool firmly.

Next bring the thread to the thread guide and snap it into the guide. Then slide the thread under the guide and through the slot (use one hand). Next lead the thread down on the right of the tension knob and up on the left. This puts the thread in the tension discs. Next slip the thread into the take up lever. (Bring the thread to the top of the lever and back towards the machine. Then slide the thread into the slot on the take up lever and then back towards you.

Next lead the thread through the next pair of guides. One is on the machine below the take up lever; the other is attached to the needle holder.

Finally thread the needles from front to back.

First check if there is a slight drag on the upper thread when you pull it through the machine (pulling it under the foot of the machine). Move the tension knob to the right to increase the tension. When you stitch a test piece, your top thread is visible on the bottom of your sewing thread, rotate the tension knob to the right by half a turn (get the dot closer to a higher number).

If there is no change in the tension as you turn the knob, take the machine for service. The springs in the tension system may need to be replaced.

The manual is available from Singer here: http://www.singerco.com/accessories/manuals.html . Enter only the 2517 model (leave off the c). A pdf is available for free; there is also an option to order a hard copy. A picture of the threading route is on page 28 of the pdf (page 26 as the manual is numbered).

I hope this helps.

Cindy Wells

re-thread the entire machine. Pay special attention to the take-up lever and the tension assembly.

Always have the presser foot in the UP position when threading the machine. This opens the tension disc to allow the thread to nestle inside the assembly.

Make sure the thread passes through the take up lever

Make sure you inserted the thread in every thread guide

I always recommend a sharp needle. You may not notice any slight bends, burrs or dullness in the needle which would throw off the timing and the stitch quality.

SPOOL CAP - If you have a horizontal spool pin a spool cap is very important. Its also very important the spool cap covers the end of the spool of thread but make sure its not too big or it will throw off the thread tension.

TOP TENSION DIAL - The setting should be between 3 and 5 on most machines.

The best way to know if you threaded the tension assembly correctly is to put the presser foot in the DOWN position. Now take the thread from the right of the tension assembly and pull. Is there tension on the thread or does it pull out very easily? If it pulls out easily you threaded it incorrectly. Try it again

also check under the needle plate for lint

and in the bobbin case area for lint or loose threads

You may still be threading the machine wrong.

Do you have the manual to look at. If you still think that everything is threaded right. Try looking at the spool of thread, on every spool there is a small slice to hold the thread when not in use. Make sure when you put the thread on the spool holder, put the slice side on first so that it is torward the back, Also when you put the spool cover on make sure it is not to big or small for the spool.

After all this;
After threading the machine and ready, before you begin to sew, lift the foot up with the lever and pull the threads from under the needle they should pull freely, if either the top or bottom thread feel tight you can tell which thread is getting caught on something. Re-check the threads.

Also make sure that the thread is going through the tension disks correctly, they go between the dsks not behind, if this machine has the down and around the tension make sure it is done right.

Hope this helps
moni

From the Simplicity Sew Precious Model SWSP2 manual:

Inserting a new bobbin:

1. Place wound bobbin into the bobbin case.
2. Pull about 6 inches of thread out from the bobbin.

NOTE: Be sure that the bobbin rotates COUNTER-CLOCKWISE when thread is pulled.

1. Pass the thread from the bobbin, under the bobbin case spring, and toward the back of the machine.
2. Slide bobbin cover back into position.

Upper threading:

1. Turn the handwheel toward you to raise the take-up lever to its highest position.
2. Lower the presser foot.
3. Place a spool of thread and spool cap on the spool pin.
4. Place the thread into the first thread guide at the top of the machine.
5. Bring the thread down the right slot of the threading path, then around the tension dial. Push the thread tension release lever and pull the thread up so the thread is secure in the thread tension dial.
6. Bring the thread up the left slot of the threading path and through the take-up lever from right to left.
7. Bring the thread back down the left slot of the threading path and into the needle eye from front to back. (Clip the thread end with sharp scissors fro easier needle threading.)

Raising the bobbin thread

1. Make sure the presser foot lever is raised.
2. Hold the end of the needle thread with your left hand. Turn the hand wheel toward you with your right hand until the needle goes down once and comes back up, stopping when the needle is at its highest position.
3. Gently pull up on the needle thread. The bobbin thread, looped around the needle thread, will be drawn up through the needle hole.
4. Push the thread tension release lever and pull about six inches of both the upper and lower threads toward the back of the machine, placing them under the presser foot.

You can obtain a copy in pdf format for free at:
http://www.simplicityhomecare.com/ftp/whitepapers/SWSP2-english.pdf