ThayerRags

I'd save that for a last resort fix....

CD in Oklahoma

oldsewnsew

i'm not seeing how a sharp aft edge will contact the upper thread but it is sharp and there is a small notch there. Is that wear or normal? I have new needle plate with larger hole. I'll try it tonight. thanks all of you,!

jlhmnj

I commonly find shuttle / bobbin trouble with thread breakage on a Vibrating shuttle machines. I'll wind a bobbin, place in shuttle and strip off the thread by hand. Oftentimes I find the thread catches in the shuttle which would break the thread if in the machine. This could be due to uneven bobbin winding, shuttle problem, or the lint you pulled out. Upper tension problem are much easier to spot since not too much can go wrong.

Once the shuttle gets a notch or knife edge at the edge that wears on the race
It's best to replace if possible.

Jon

Glenn

Jon is right and yes this is normal wear of the shuttle.
Skip

J Miller

Jon, Glenn,

So can you tell visually if a shuttle is worn past the point of no return, or do you base it on thread breakage and lacerations when you run your finger over the edge?

I have about 5 or 6 shuttle machines and all of them have the original shuttles as far as I can tell. So far all are sewing properly. Knock on wood.

Joe

oldsewnsew

what shuttles interchange with NH A183? Am I looking for Boye #5? Are there other mfr part #'s? I haven't located anything yet, but I guess I can keep checking eBay...
thank you again

jlhmnj

Easy to tell if shuttle is well worn. Here are a couple pics of a new and wore out Davis shuttle. I believe when the shuttle is so wore there's a notch in it the bobbin is impeded by the notch as it seems to grab and not unwind smooth.

Jon

Glenn

I missed informed you it is a Boye #3 not five. Sorry I read it wrong.Try Cindy Peters at Stiches in time. [email protected]. Ask her she may have one for sale. She also has an Ebay store.
Skip

oldsewnsew

Thanks. I tried taking a honing stone to the aft end of the shuttle, to dull the sharp edge. If I run upper tension too loose, it doesn't seem to break the thread, or at least not so readily. Of course, it leaves big loops on top, tightening the upper tension just to get rid of the looping on top will eventually see the top thread break. Before it breaks, I increased the bobbin tension a bit to try to get rid of bobbin thread appearing on top.
I will pursue a new shuttle. Is there any other brand than Boye I should search for which is liable to be out there?

J Miller

oldsewandsew,

Thread looping on the top is controlled by the bobbin tension. Thread looping on the bottom is top tension problems.

I think it's ArchaicArcane that has a method of setting the top and bottom tensions on her blog. Miriam has several threads about tension problems here too.

What I do is fill a bobbin, put it in the shuttle and then thread it. Then I hold it by the thread letting the shuttle dangle on the thread. Give a little bounce on the thread. If the shuttle drops just a bit it's good to go. If not I loosen it's tension an 1/8 th turn and try again.
If it drops a lot I tighten it an 1/8 th turn and repeat the drop test.

After I get the shuttles where I like them I work on the top tension.

Joe