Did I mess up the timing on my FW?
 

I was sewing along on my FW when it sort of seized up. There were multiple threads emerging from the hole in the needle plate. Took out the bobbin and found thread wound around the bobbin case base/hook area. Cleared the threads out and started to sew again. I can only get about 3 stitches before the thread gets all wound around the hook area again. This happens again and again. Does this mean the timing is messed up or is it another problem? I didn't hit a pin (don't use them much) but I was working on a pinwheel quilt and the center of the pinwheels gets pretty dense so maybe hitting that center seam at the wrong place or wrong speed did something to mess it up.
I guess my question is: is there something I can do to fix this or do I need to take it in to get retimed? I've looked at a few videos online about timing but it scares me that I'll do more damage since I haven't got any idea what I'm doing.

More than likely there is still a piece of thread in the bobbin area that's causing the trouble.

Go here and read about how to clear thread jams on a FW: http://thefeatherweight221factory.com/page10.php

Joe

I doubt it's the timing, but it's easy to check. Take the bobbin case out of the bobbin race. Now take off the faceplate and look at the bar connected to the needle bar. There is a little ring around it. When that ring starts to disappear into the little tube, the needle should be just about to meet the hook inside the bobbin area. Thats when you know it is timed correctly.

I agree with Joe, there is probably a stray thread still. If you don't see anything when looking in the bobbin area or rough the feed dogs, try looking up through the bottom of the machine.

Thanks for the advice Joe and Misskira. I just spent a couple of hours taking everything apart and putting it back together. No threads caught anywhere. Took the faceplate off and the timing mark seems to be right where it should be. But the needle thread still winds around the bobbin race and gets caught everytime I try to sew. So I guess I'll make a trip to my repairman tomorrow. Never had this problem with any other machine in over 40 years of sewing so I don't have a clue.

Do you have the bobbincase positioned so that the hook of the bobbincase fits into the slot on the throatplate? (I doubt that question makes sense, but I hope it does.)

Did you change the needle?

It is threaded right to left, isn't it? I was dumb once (Ok more than once) and my thread kept breaking and it was because I had it threaded wrong. Just a thought.

Please post your smg's explanation
 

I would be interested in how this is resolved. I have same problem with a 221k. I'm in the woods right now and unable to go to a repair shop. Thank you to all who made suggestions. I'm still trying to resolve my problem.

Once you get the thread out of the shuttle area, be sure you have your needle all the way to the top when ever you stop your machine, when ever you start and when ever you change the bobbin. If the take up lever is up the needle might not be all the way up. Keep track of where that needle stops and starts. It goes a long way to prevent thread from getting in the wrong place.

I hate when that happens, so aggravating!