Thank you all for devoting so much time to helping me. You are great! I'll reply to each comment individually so there's no confusion.
Originally Posted by
Champanier
I've been following along and defering to those with much more experience, but particularly in the last photos, it still looks the threading isn't going right. After you bring the thread around the right side of the tension and come up from the bottom on the left, the thread should come over the little wire, not under it. I read the explanations and I'll try to add one more. As you bring the thread up on the left, pull it up and back to the right (clockwise) against the wire loop. The wire loop may move as you do this, but the thread should slip under it at some point. Then the thread goes up to the take-up lever and then down to the needle clamp guide.
Champanier - I'd like to settle the threading issue. If it's something that simple, I'll be very happy. I know exactly what you mean about having the thread go behind the wire. My 158 threads that way. I give it a little tug and poof, it's behind the wire. I've tried again to thread this one that way, and I just can't do it. I took the pressure knob off and removed the outer plates to take the photo below. I can see that the wire is not attached to anything toward the front of the machine but I can't get the thread to go inside there and engage.
I'd like to add that while I had the tension assembly like this, I looked very carefully at the wire and noticed a clump of lint on it. I removed it and promptly found 4-5 more behind what must be more pressure discs (??) and removed that lint too too. Could that be a problem? Should I disassemble further and check for even more lint? How would I do such a thing? (remember I'm a total noob but very eager to learn)
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Originally Posted by
Champanier
One more description for 'feeling' if the tension is right. If you pull on the thread from either the bobbin or the top thread (the presser foot should be down to check top tension - some release the tension when the foot is up), it should feel about as tight as you if you were handing someone a dollar (unless you really wanted to hang onto it!) They wouldn't have to pull too hard to take it, but it wouldn't be so loose that it would slip out of your fingers, either. That's the best I can come up with. I think you can also hold the threaded bobbin just by about an inch of the thread and bounce it gently like a yoyo. If a little more thread comes out, it's okay; if a lot comes out, it's too loose and if it doesn't budge, it's too tight.
Thank you also for the detailed description above. I did exactly as you said. I did it with the tension set up so I get a good stitch. Was that right? With the tension set that way, it felt as you described it. But was I supposed to check the tension at various different settings too?