Sewing machine troubleshooting - bobbin thread bunching up

[Indadhanu]

Got a new sewing machine today (Brother 3600, from Spotlight), and can't work out what to do about this problem. Is it a tension issue?

When I sew the top stitch is fine, nice and even, no skipping or looping, but the bottom stitch from the bobbin is terrible - bunched up, looped and and tangled

What the? I've played with the tension, and sometimes it works but then it just starts up again

Any ideas?

[~clover~]

Try tightening the tension. Mine is a jenome, but the tension goes from 1 to 9, 1 being tightest.
Make sure you have no threads tangled underneath in the bobbin case. If I din't pull it all out & check it'll usually just tangle instead of just being loose.
Another thing to try is adjusting the foot. Mine will be loose if the foot isn't down far enough. (On mine the adjuster thing is a knob at the top of the machine.)

[HotI]

does the bobbin go in a bobbin case? the case usually has a small screw that can be tightened to give it a bit more restriction.

does the machine come with an instruction book? they often have troubleshooting section

[squidipa]

forstraight stitch i use 3 for tention on my machine i have 1-6 as a tension option. make sure you ahve wound the cotton onto the bobbin tightly. make sure you are putting the bobbin in corectly and its not bouncing around. Also check the bobbin is threaded correctly and stitch lenght is correct. Check you have the right settings and presser foot for the stitch u are doing. Also the bobin will normally go one way and the cotton will thread threw or catch on some thing check the manual or correct bobbin placement and threading.

[~Raven~]

Make sure your bobbin is turning in the right direction. ie mine turns counter-clockwise and I had similar issues when I put it in the wrong way!
(I have a Janome so it might be different to yours in that respect )

[Indadhanu]

Yep, have the bobbin in the right way

It's odd... one minute it'll be working and then the next it won't

[squidipa]

Yep, have the bobbin in the right way

It's odd... one minute it'll be working and then the next it won't

what fabric u sewing?

[Indadhanu]

Well first I replaced the hook amd loop in Jazzys nappies, it worked fine. Then I started to finish off some pads, sewing PUL at the moment, and it went all tempermental :S

[squidipa]

Well first I replaced the hook amd loop in Jazzys nappies, it worked fine. Then I started to finish off some pads, sewing PUL at the moment, and it went all tempermental :S

i started sewing pull the other day and i found i needed to have a long stitch and a extra loose tension other wize it was to tight. try that? eithor way i can prolly check it out sometime for ya

[Arcadia]

PUL is notorious for this! I found I had to get a walking foot or teflon foot otherwise I had this issue. I think its because the fabric is shiny on one side and a bit rougher on the other.
ETA: What needle are you using? I found I could sew PUL more successfully with a really big needle - like a leather needle.

[~Raven~]

Ahhh PUL is a headache to sew

[Indadhanu]

wish i could have got my old machine fixed, I sewed PUL til the cows came home with that machine, never had an issue!!! I think I have it fixed though, by turning the tension right up (or... down... the book that came with it says two different things in one place it says turn it one way to increase the tension, and then later it says turn it the other way oh well, as long as it sews LOL).

[~clover~]

With PUL make sure you don't have the shiny side under the foot. I haven't had a problem long as the shiny side is down