Bought a new machine, but ...
 

So I picked up my new Janome 8900 this week - I went to QuiltCon last weekend and they had a deal just too good to pass up. I'm just now getting some time to really work with the machine, and I noticed something last night. I'm not sure if I'm doing something wrong, or if there's a problem here, but the bobbin winding is absolutely horrible. I think a 12 yr old could wind it by hand better! Surely I'm doing something wrong - is there some trick to this I don't know? I'm using the bobbins that came with the machine, and regular quilting thread, if that makes a difference ...

Also, I was surprised by how much noise this machine makes compared to the Brothers I've had in the past. A couple of times, it sounded (and felt) like something in the bobbin area was smacking up against the plastic casing, but I never could see anything. Never having used a Janome before, it might just be that I need to get used to it, but it sort of made me nervous.

Any Janome owners have words of advice & wisdom for a newbie? :eek:

I do not have that machine have the 7700 and it does not make a lot of noise and no problem witht he bobbins. Go back to where you got it and have them look at it.

I would take it back to the dealer and have them take a look at it. Hopefully it's just some minor adjustment.

Many dealers will not do much if you didn't buy the machine from their store. Contact the Janome rep that sold you the machine to find a dealer that will honor the buy. In the meantime I'm sure there are posters here that will help you solve your problem or know what the problem is. Hopefully it is a minor one.

Hi Skratchie, Leah Day posted this YouTube video yesterday and she was using her new Janome 8900. You can hear how quiet her machine is and she even mentions that. Here is a link to the video, check it out and decide if you should take it back to the rep to rectify.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UYMsmF1pp4k

Good Luck

Thanks for the responses so far. I did buy the machine from a Janome dealer (Sew Vac Direct) and they have been very kind and helpful so far. I'm going to give it the weekend and see how things go, because it could just be the transition from Brother to Janome ... and I will also check out Leah's video.

But the bobbin thing ... it just seems to me that the winding is set up for failure, as the thread jumps over to the metal "hand" that's supposed to guide the thread feed when the bobbin gets close to full. Maybe it's just that I'm not stopping soon enough?

It could be that you're winding the bobbin too quickly/slowly? I found with my Viking (sorry - no Janome exp. here) that if I go too fast, it's almost impossible to pull the bobbin off the winding post! Odd but true. So maybe try going slower/faster? Or do you have the bobbin winding threaded properly?

I don't have the 8900 ... so am commenting re my experiences with the 6600.

I think what you are asking re your bobbin winding is that the thread is not wound on tight, and if you push against it with your finger it is mushy? .... if so, check that you have it threaded correctly from the spool thru to the bobbin before you start the wind. One time, I had a mushy ... and turned out I had missed a step for the threading. Just put the mushy bobbin onto the spool holder, and wind it onto another bobbin.

The noise in the bobbin area ... do you have the bobbin holder in place correctly? Again, I'm going with the 6600 experience, and if you take the bobbin holder out, it's very easy to put it back in wrong ... and if operated as such, you can ruin the bobbin holder very easily, and then have chain effects to the rest of the operation of the machine.

I had noticed how much quieter my 6600 was from my two previous Janomes. The 8900 promos have spoken directly about its quiet operation.

Check these things first, then as the others have suggested, be in touch with your dealer. And be sure to take advantage of the free classes to learn more about your machine, no matter how much experience you have as a sewist. Good Luck!

I don't have this machine, but on my Babylock QP, the bobbin needs to be seated just right for it to work. There is a tiny notch in the bobbin and a tiny post on the winder. None of my other machines (Bernina, etc.) have that.

Aside from that, I'd double check the threading, which I'm sure you've already done, and verify that you have the right bobbin. On my Shark, none of the generics worked quite as well as the two it came with. And I always have to buy genuine for my picky Bernina. GL!

Thanks again for all the replies! I did go back and check the bobbin winding, and of course I'd not done it exactly right. Re-wound two bobbins and it is MUCH better. Thanks for that idea!

I did watch the Leah Day video, and I will need to do some testing later, because I have the clacking of the dual feed foot and the feed dogs that I've been hearing, and that might explain a lot of the noise - I'm sure that dual feed foot makes a fair amount all by itself. Obviously, since she's FMQ she doesn't have any of that noise, so I will attempt to test it (notice I say attempt; I've never done FMQ before, as my old machine was a PC-8500, totally NOT for FMQ!) and see how it sounds. I did also pull out the bobbin case and re-insert it. I hadn't taken it out myself, but it might have been removed by the dealer to clean the machine (it was a classroom machine at QuiltCon, explaining the fab deal) and not properly reseated. That did seem to help some. I did some quick testing and found that the knocking wasn't happening.

I'm sure that as I use the machine more, I will come to love it. Thanks for all the suggestions, and if someone else has anything to add, I'm certainly open to suggestions!

Glad that my suggestion helped you with your bobbin winding woes.

It's important, actually critical that the bobbin holder be in position properly ... I just was not comfortable with it. One day the in-store mechanic sat with me and had me put it in and out numerous times, til I fully "got it". Now, I have no problems.

Just do some regular stitching without the AccuFeed in place ... that should give you a better idea as to how it sounds. There definitely is more noise with the AF than without. (Again, all comments from the 6600 perspective).

I have a Janome and have not had these problems. I would take it back where I purchased it and let them tell you if you are doing anything wrong or if there is a problem with the machine.

I think you have a machine that has a problem or 2. Take it back to the dealer for a fix or replacement.

I don't know, my machine won't wind a bobbin for life nor money. It only winds about 1/2 way and stops. And what it does wind looks shoddy. My only complaint about my sewing machine. The bobbin wheel keeps spinning, but the bobbin stops.

My first bobbin on my 7700 was also a mess...user error. The first time I sewed on my 7700 I heard several loud noises and I was sure that the thread had broken...nope...and the stitching was fine too. I never figured out just what those noises were, but they stopped and never came back.

2 things I found when winding bobbins on my 7700: 1) when starting, feed the thread through the small hole on the disc part of the bobbin from inside to outside, then feed it down through the center hole. When you then put it on the winding post, it will be anchored better. Be sure to cut this little tail off after threading. 2) my machine winds better at max speed, with the foot pedal unplugged. NOt sure why that makes a difference, but it seems to. Probably because there are no subtle speed variations that you might get from your foot being unsteady.

When I first got my Janome I was winding the bobbins wrong and they looked awful. Check that you are threading the machine correctly when winding the bobbin. When I went to the classes that came with the machine she said a lot of people thread it wrong to wind bobbins. CHeck the instructions.
This could also be part of the problem with the weird noises. Your machine should sound pretty much like ny other machine.

Thanks for the responses. I posted another thread that everything is fine now. I changed the needle and the noise stopped. I think maybe the assembly wasn't very tight, but that is not the case now, and there is no unusual noise. Also, I have corrected the bobbin winding issue.

I am really starting to love this machine. :thumbup: I'm having tons of fun with it, and I am going to sign up soon for the Leah Day FMQ class on Craftsy, so I can learn to do that. This is the first machine I've had that is set up for FMQ. I cannot wait!

I have the same model. When you put bobbin on top to fill ensure the threading is correct, then the bobbin has to be placed on correctly and fits snugly down. Wind at different speeds to see the differences.
It is also very easy to put the thing where the bobbin goes in in place incorrectly. Ensure the little bit that sticks out goes to the left.
Look at Handbook. .

I just got the 8900 for Christmas and Love it! It is the most quiet machine I have ever owned. I am a Janome gal.
I have two 6600's/4900/3160/11000SE and now 8900. I have not had a problem with the bobbin winding....knock on wood.
Diana in tX

[QUOTE=QuiltE;5896376]I don't have the 8900 ... so am commenting re my experiences with the 6600.

Just put the mushy bobbin onto the spool holder, and wind it onto another bobbin.

This is one of thos "ahaaaa" moments...or maybe even worse...I didn't know you could do this, I've been unraveling by hand and throwing the thread away! I can't count how many things I've learned from all of you on this board!!

I just bought a new Brother 3750 and I like it very much.

I have exactly the same thing with skipping a step before winding! Also on the 6600. Most of the Janomes are very quiet, I have 3 and love them all! Also I use only Aurifil thread and it works fine. Good luck and do not give up on the Janome, they are great machines!

I bought the Janome 8900 2 weeks ago and love it. I did have problems with the bobbin but now all is great. Thread the bobbin as if you are going to thread the needle but after you pass in front of the silver tesion bar on the left of the threading cannel, go around it and then back to the right and then to your bobbin. My bobbin now tthreads very nice. My machine is also so quiet. Sewed on it all day today and usin the 1/4" foot my points are perfect without any redoing etc. Go to thue dealer and they will help you. If it is still noisey haove them check it also.

Good luck and you will love it once you are use to it.

I had problems winding a bobbin on my Janome (older model) and found I had to wind the thread around both tension guides on top to get enough tension on it to wind it nice and tight. I have to hold on to the thread very firmly above the bobbin and snip it when it had started enough rounds, and stop winding as soon as it starts to act like it's getting full instead of waiting for the machine to stop.

Also, turn the bobbin to the right, on the post, until you hear a "click" that indicates the little groove is locked in place. It has to be a Janome bobbin which is slightly different height than a Brother bobbin or some generics. (I have all three and have compared.)

If I try to put a poorly wound bobbin in and sew I will get that horrible sound where it sounds like it's jumping out of place. I like the idea here to put it on the spool and rewind it.

Skratchie, did your machine come with the O2 foot? I thought that's what we used in the classroom, but I didn't get one with my machine. When I emailed Sew Vac Direct, the reply I got was that there is a list in the manual of the feet that come with the machine (and the O2 isn't one of the ones printed in the manual). I just wanted to double check with someone else who also got the 8900.

I'm having a lot of trouble with some basic things that weren't problems for me at all in the classroom, and I must be missing something huge. Is it possible to get a 1/4 inch seam using the O foot and the straight stitch needle plate? My guide on the foot is clearly lined up to the 3/8 mark, and I can't move the needle closer to the guide because then the needle won't be lined up with the hold in the plate.

If I use the regular needle plate, I have to move my needle all the way over to the right (set at 9?). Is this normal? Is this what everyone else does?

Thanks ahead of time. I feel like I'm in WAY over my head, but I'm eager to make it work. I've watched a few youtube videos, but I haven't found one yet that talks about a specific needle position (or even a general recommendation that I can adjust from on my specific machine).

*UPDATE* I went into the quilting stitch mode, and it does move the needle over to 8.3 for me when I ask for a 1/4 " seam. I've measured and I am getting a quarter of an inch (it does shift slightly to the right as I go, but I'm sure that's user error; I can work on that.) I'm still curious about that O2 foot, so if you did or didn't get one, I'd love to know. Thank you!

check your manual about winding the bobbin

I received a the O foot with my machine due mainly to the fact that I paid cash for the machine and the LQS owner threw it in as a thank you. The regular 1/4" seam foot is the D foot. I use the O foot because it Has a guide or bumper to the right that makes it easier to keep the seam straight. I have not tried the D foot yet