Toyota SL3404D differential overlock

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try new needles
make sure tension is correct
could possibly be in need of some adjustment

Did you thread in the proper order? Upper looper, lower looper, needles from right to left?

For knits with lycra in, you are best to thread up four threads and seam with the 4 thread marrowing stitch like this, preferabbly with ball point needles in your overlocker, size 80. Use cones of polyester thread, 3,000 metres or 5,000 metres rather than normal thread. (Although if you have trouble matching thread colours you can use a small reel on the left needle as this is the thread that will show on the right side of the garment.)




Start with your machine tensions on 5, both needles in and threaded, stitch length of 2.5 and no differential (set it on zero) and test stitch. Using stretch or ballpoint needles is a good idea too to avoid any deflection and skipped stitches. Then practice serging on some fabric scraps, double layer and look at the seam, if it is tunnelling (pulling up the fabric), then move the cutting blade to the left. Test again and if still tunnelling, then loosen off the tension on the top and bottom loopers by a half number and test again.

If the opposite is happening and the threads are looping off the edge of the fabric, then move the cutting blade to the right to trim less fabric, test again. If still too loose, then tighten up the top and bottom looper tensions by a small amount and test again.

You want the seam to lie flat, the two looper threads to meet right on the cut edge and the needle thread to be just visible from the right side when you press open the seam.

There is always a small amount of adjustments needed on an overlocker when setting up for a new project as every fabric will behave differently. Don't tighten up the tension on the needles much past 5 though, or you may get thread breakage.

If you find that the seam is flutting then you can use the differential feed to adjust for this too.

There is some good overlocking info on Debbie Cosgroves website, www.sewing.about.com, with images which may help too.

Firstly check that you haven't got the thread ****** set for rolled hem, this is sometimes little lever on the sewing plate just in front of the foot. The stitch forms over this ****** for normal overlocking but it is retracted out of the way for rolled hemming. So if you've left it retracted, this will muck up the normal stitch.

Now for a four thread stitch, set all the tension dials to 5, after checking that all the threads are flowing freely from the spools to the tension dials and not catching anywhere. Ensure aerial is fully raised too. Stitch length on 2.5 and differential on 0. Test serge on a medium weight fabric and check the stitching.

Now adjust the cutting blade to fill out the stitch if you are getting looping off the edge. ie if it is looping off the edge move blade to the right a little bit so there is more fabric inside the seam.
And reverse if stitching is pulling up the fabric inside the stitching into a ridge, move blade left a little.

Test stitch again. Now if tension is still out, just adjust the looper tensions in very small increments to tighten up the stitches, only ever 1/2 a number movement on the dial each time and test to see what effect this has. Do top looper if it appears looser on top, lower looper if that one appears to be loose.

If the machine's tension dials have been calibrated correctly, then 5 on all should give you a half way decent stitch and you should be able to just finesse with the blade and minor adjustments on the top and bottom loopers. If you just can't get to this point at all, finger test the tension on the thread below each tension dial by pulling gently and see if they all feel like they are under the same tension, if one is way out then this dial may be faulting. Turn it to zero and see if you can clean it by "flossing" with a piece of clean waste cotton, then turn back to 5, rethread and try again. Sometimes they get a bit of thread or dust in there.

Hope this helps you with the overlocker.

Can you wind the lower cutting blade to the right to cut less fabric and therefore fill out the stitching? On most sergers the lower blade position can be adjusted sometimes with a little knob or dial. You need to raise the top blade out of the way first, usually you put pressure onto it to release the spring holding it up against the lower blade, then swing it up to do this. Then wind the adjustment on the lower blade and move it to the right to cut less fabric then test serge. Your manual should give you more specific information on this and should be your first 'go to".

I would adjust my looper tensions to suit the fabric and width of the stitch I'm trying to achieve so yes, the settings you've been given are average tensions but its okay to vary these too. From left to right, I'd set 4, 4, 4, 4 and test serge again and see if this pulls the looper threads in against the fabric if moving the blade hasn't tightened up the stitching.

Sergers are more variable than a straight stitch sewing machine so its okay to move tension knobs a bit, just turn each a half number each time you adjust, then test serge and look at the stitch formation. Your needles tension should be fine at 4, leave them alone.

I'd suggest if you can find one, go to a "Getting to know your serger" type class as there is lots of techniques such as seaming on a curve, turning right angles, both inside and outside and making rolled hem edges that are very helpful serger skills to learn along with making adjustments and troubleshooting. Or go to you-tube and search some of these techniques for videos. Also www.sewing.about.com is a great sewing resource and Debbie has pages on sergers/overlockers here too.

When I'm starting a new dressmaking project I will spend 10 mins on the overlocker/serger, changing the thread colour to suit the garment, then test serging and adjusting the stitch tensions to suit the fabric. I have 4 cones of thread each in white, black, beige, grey, pink and pale blue and these threads will give a suitable finish on most fabric colours and prints. Then there is wooly overlocker thread, this is a fluffy thread that you can use for rolled hems as the thread relaxes once stitched and "fills" out the closely stitched edge covering the rolled fabric edge and is another whole area of fun to try out.

Often I'll just use a three thread to neaten the raw edges of a seam I will press open. Or I will assemble a whole knit garment using the four thread stitch, so much faster then stitching seams, then neatening. Jersey knits and sergers are made for each other.

As an aside the D on your machine model would denote "differential feed" too - briefly differential feed is adjusting the amount that the two feed dogs move under the foot and means you can "hold back" the fabric as it is stitched (0.5), or "stretch" it out (1.5 or 2 setting). Really handy for loose weave fabrics that stretch as you serge them, you can compensate using the differential feed setting. And in reverse, you can create a "lettuce" or wavy edge by turning the differential feed up.

I hope that this helps you out with your Brother 1034D and hasn't just confused you. Good luck.

Yes, it can. What do you have your differential set at? Try it in the middle and see if it makes a difference.1 is usually for overedging, 2 is usually for easing in a sleeve, etc. I have my tensions set at 4,4,4,4, stitch length at 3 to 4. Do not be afraid to try gradually changing the tensions, but do them one at a time, that is what I did and finally got it.

you might want to get a new thread or a needle
or try checking the functioning places by checking under

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• the factory default settings are 4,4,4,4 and M
• Change the needles
• use a can of air spray ( compressed air can sold in computer stores) to ensure there is no fabric or dust under the needle plate