Broken Machine

Why do things seem to happen in small random patterns?  First broken was the pizza-cutter-on-steriods, and now it is the main workhorse...

Yup, thats right.  I have broken the walking foot machine...

Warning: Sewing geek out about to occur...

The problem is, I use #21 titanium harpoons needles.  Titanium needles are fantastic as they are super strong... much stronger than plain steel needles.  Ordinarily you would run thicker needles for thicker lays.  However given the strength of titanium, you can run narrower gauge through the same thick lay.  What this results in is smaller holes or perforations in the fabric.  And this is a good thing.

Titanium's strength is fantastic as mentioned above.  Except when you have such a thick lay that the needle flexes and hits your feed dogs.  Then the needles strength works to it's disadvantage... rather than snapping, it flexes, permanently bends, and (excuse the language on this, but...) fucks shit up.  Yup, I am a tad upset!

So, I was sewing a small batch of Scary-Big-Backpacks (more on that in the coming week!), and sure enough, needle flex and bending occurred.  I changed the needle thinking everything was still hunky-dory.  Nope, not to be... Problems are now happening.

On thin lays the machine runs fantastic, except when run at fast speeds.  Then the thread starts snapping.  Not a good thing!  And to make matters worse, during a thick lay, a clicking occurs.  Also definitely not a good thing.

The sewing machine is definitely broken, and there is nothing to do except call in the experts...

Enter the boys from Sewing Machine Exchange.

One look at the machine and the problem is identified.  Out comes the screw driver, and off go the feed dogs.

Seems the dogs had shifted slightly due to the needle strike, and were causing all the issues.  A quick sand down to remove burrs, an adjustment of the mechanism (it took longer than this explanation!), and the machine was good as gold!

Now it is back to new again, and we are on the road to pumping more gear out!

Hurrah!