Hi Barny -- I actually followed the (tiny) diagram in the manual: thread through the tension disk and then straight to the bobbin on the winder......... Then I tried your suggestion to feed the thread through the tension unit and then the front thread guide and then to the winder... It didn't like that at all. I tried moving the plastic thing but it didn't help, so I changed it back to the same position as the Brother.
I checked "under the hood" and found the tire had worn off to a flat surface (how did *that* happen?), got a new tire from another machine and ..... that didn't help either.
I believe the machine has been dropped -- the front thread guide was bent forward.... I also carefully leveled the tension unit (for the winder) since it was a bit droopy.
I compared the set-up to a modern Brother. I had noticed that the little spring on the stud appears to have no function at all. Looking at the new Brother, I noticed that the spring there actually holds the bobbin firmly in place. On the Citation nothing holds the bobbin in place, I can easily pull it off the stud.
From the manual: "
....Place empty bobbin on the bobbin winder stud making sure that the little slot in the bobbin engages the spring on the stud." There does not seem to be any engagement....
On the Brother I can rotate the stud freely,
on the Citation it seems to be frozen in place. I assumed the spring would latch onto the bobbin and the stud would turn along withe bobbin if turned manually. It doesn't - even when it is the disengaged position. The notch is only at the top of the bobbin, no channel all the way down.....
Now I'm wondering whether I am using the correct bobbin. The machine works fine with it, but maybe the non-winding issue points to a different bobbin....? The included photo shows that the bobbin is only wound at the lower part....
Any more ideas? Sabine
Citation ^
Brother^
Cari --- nice :-) - thank you!