Broken bobbin thread

[mcm747]

Okay, I rarely have problems but today is different.  I can't seem to get my groove on.  My thread keeps breaking.  The bobbin is the culprit.  I found about an entire bobbins worth of thread wound around the shaft BEHIND the bobbin casing.  That took about 35 minutes to clean out.  Then I changed needles, cleaned thoroughly and I still can't sew very far before the bobbin breaks again.  My tension looks good.  My stitches are fine.  I tried changing bobbin casings.  Same problem. I am using King Tut on top and Magna glide bobbin on the bottom.  I started with a 4.5 needle and switched to a 4.0 when the problems kept on coming.  No better no worse.  I am doing a digital pantograph and I can't stop in the middle!  I need to get at least this row done before I turn off the machine.  Any suggestions? 

[jimerickson]

Basic question:  Do you have the bobbin in backwards?  Have you tried a different bobbin?  Maybe there's something wrong with the one you're using.

Was the thread tangle in the bobbin basket, or behind the hook?  I've found that sometimes bobbins are over filled and that can cause problems.  Does the Magna Glide bobbin turn effortlessly in the bobbin case?   Does the anti-backlash mechanism work properly?  Jim

[RunningThreads]

Magna Glide?  You mean the ones with the magnet?  You have the backlash spring removed and the magnet side against the bobbin case right?

 

Nigel

[mcm747]

Thanks for all the great suggestions.  I called my APQS rep and she helped me a ton.  In the process of adding the Butler I thinks some of my thread guides got skewed. I think Jim's comment about the thread nest behind the hook could have been an overfilled Magna glide bobbin.  A couple of them have fit very tight in the case and I have had to unwind them somewhat. I hadn't thought of that.  The good news is for awhile it all worked.  I went through two complete bobbins without any difficulty.  Then the thread started breaking again.  Oh, and the other thing I changed was my thread.  My rep ( BARB MAYFIELD--the best) told me that King Tut thread if not kept in a plastic airtight situation can become dry and brittle so I trucked out to my local store and bought  a new cone.  So now I have retreated for a bit to re-group.  I am embarrassed at the mess this quilt is.  But there is no turning back.  It has to be finished.  It may take a long time...