Anything about sewing machines and the tools we use.
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#12536
Hi,

I have recently bought a Juki DU 1181N (walking foot).
I’m very pleased with the general quality of this machine, but I have one major problem.
I don’t manage to set the thread tension so that it works both going forward and reverse (backwards).
So far I’ve tried manly with boat canvas fabric and it requires quite much upper tension to get nice stiches looking at the lower side.
But when I do reversion, the under thread is getting pulled through and I get loops on top of the fabric.
In order to avoid this I need to back off 1.5 turns on the upper tension knob. I guess this should not be necessary?

Any guidance or ideas would be very appreciated?

Thanks!
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#12537
Can you provide pictures of the stitches, top and bottom, forward and back? Pictures of how the machine is threaded, from the spool to the needle, would also be helpful. Can you provide a closeup of the needle tip showing the scarf orientation?

Further, what size thread are you using on the bobbin and on the top stitch, and what is your needle size?

Do you notice any difference when using a 2mm stitch length vs a 9mm stitch?

As far as the forming of the stitch with the needle/hook timing, the bobbin tension and top tension, and the bobbin carrier/loop formation are concerned there should be no difference between forward and reverse. The only difference is that the dogs, feet, fabric, and thread feed have changed direction.

With that said, an increase in top thread tension on reversing might come from the way the needle is threaded or positioned. If the scarf face is slightly to the back, then the thread might pay out easier going forward than when reversing.

We need to see the whole picture, though, so photos are important.
Adam12 liked this
#12559
I think I managed to solve the problem by modifying the middle presser foot. This by creating a slit/opening to the back, similar to the original slit in the front.
Now when going forward the thread goes a much straighter line than before.
I have also ordered other presser feets.

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#16579
hello!
i’m having this exact problem and it’s majorly frustrating!!
i’m a tailor and struggling to complete customer repairs as i keep having this problem when sewing in reverse. to complete a repair i need to have the stitch length on 3 and sew continuously in a forwards and reverse pattern. our sewing machine was broken and was recently fixed and so i’ve just sat down today to repair some jeans and i cannot for the life of me find the right balance between the upper and lower tensions. whenever i find the right tension for sewing forwards, as soon as i try to sew in reverse i get this problem where the bobbin tension is so loose it creates big loops on the upper side of the denim and the top thread doesn’t get stitched down into the material, it just pulls from the last stitch of the forward sewing line and the needle.
please, please, someone help as i’ve had this problem for so long and cannot seem to find a solution and i really need to be able to continue doing repairs for customers.

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