I have a Janome P1600 GBX quilting machine. I have been having trouble with the thread breaking on top and looking frayed and tasseled. Also some skipping of stitches. I had my service man come in and he was unable to find the source of the problem. He oiled and cleaned it. He did a tune up and even put in a new hook. He took apart several areas and checked them too. We changed thread several times and needles and brands of needles. He also tried a new bobbin holder. The machine is just 3 years old.
Has anyone had a similar problem or a solution for me?
My next move will be to take it in and see if someone else might find the problem.
I've been reading The Message Board for several weeks now and have learned a lot.
Thanks for any help you may be able to give me.
immeme

I wonder if there could be a piece of thread hiding somewhere that he missed? I don't have this machine but I have machines that are like it.

I just wanted to Welcome you. Hope you can find the problem!

Be sure the needle is in properly. I have any old machine that would not pick up the bobbin thread. I fretted for months over that. I called the repairman to make an appointment and he told me to check my needle. The needles for this machine is round on the top. I didn't know that there is a right way and wrong way to put it in. There is. This machine the groove faces left. I changed the needle and the machine is good as new. I didn't have to pay for a service call, either.

Yes, my needle is round too but that wasn't the problem.I've already done that wrong before and got a "lesson" on how to put it in. If he missed a piece of thread I don't know how. He took it apart 4 different times and blew it out with that canned air. But I will check again, what do I have to lose?
Thanks for the help.

A small piece of thread or lint caught in the tension disk caused me nightmares one time. I took mine in to the dealer and he found it. I never dreamed something so small could cause so many problems.

I'll check it again too but he took out the whole tension knob. Is that what you're referring too?
Thanks,
Immeme

SOMETIMES IT IS THE THREAD OR THE SIZE OF THE NEEDLE YOU USE WITH THE THREAD. ALSO CHECK THE TENSION, WORK WITH IT SOMETIMES IT IS TO TIGHT. WHEN YOU ARE WORKING WITH LAYERS YOU HAVE TO CHANGE THE TENSION. ALSO THE THREAD. GOOD LUCK!

YOU MIGHT HAVE TO CHANGE THE TENSION, IF YOU ARE WORKING WITH LAYERS YOUR TENSION MAY HAVE TO BE CHANGED. THIS ALSO APPLIES TO THE THREAD, YOU MAY HAVE TO CHANGE THE THREAD OR THE NEEDLE TO SUIT THE TYPE OF THREAD YOU ARE USING. SPEED ALSO HAS TO DO ALOT WITH THE THREAD BREAKING. YOU HAVE TO GET THE RIGHT SPEED ON OUR QUILTING. GOING TO FAST CAN BREAK THE THREAD OR GOING TO SLOW. JUST ORK WITH THE SPEED AND KEEP IT STEADY. I FIND THAT THIS HELPS ME.

Thanks to everyone for their suggestions. Friendly Quilter,I am going to try that next time I can get to my machine.

All thread breaks? Or just the spool you have on now? Also try running a couple lines of sewers aid down the spool/cone. It will work it's way down the thread path & help lubricate anything causing friction.

Is the machine on a quilting frame?

Floss the thread path with dental floss. That's a trick they use on embroidery machines. Watch the floss as you pull it through and see if it struggles to get through a particular spot or gets roughed up in a certain area.

I have had my needle just barely grazing the side of the hole in the single stitch plate causing it to fray so I had to move it over just a smidge. I have also had it rub on the foot causing fraying of the top thread & breaks.

Ditto!

Yes, it's all threads. What is sewers aid?
Thanks, I will try the dental floss. We found one place where there was a small burr. That's a great idea. I knew another actual sewer would have ideas.
Thanks again and have a great day. No sewing for me today, we're out of town to our great grandchild's first birthday party.
Can't wait to try all the things that have been suggested.
Immeme

What is sewing aid? I tried the dental floss and I didn't find anything. I changed the kind of thread and tried sewing slower. The thread still broke and had a frayed and tasseled look.
Does anyone else have any ideas? No matter how unlikely. That's where it's got to be.
Thanks
Immeme

Sewer's Aid is a liquid that re-hydrates dried out thread. It works wonders for me when machine quilting.

If you didn't find any rough areas with the dental floss, I'm thinking the thread is rubbing somewhere. Can you try running the machine on scraps but watch the thread instead of what you're sewing or have someone sew while you watch the thread. Track it all the way from the spool & watch for the fraying to start somewhere along the path.

I have had mine fray on the side of the hole on my straight stitch foot and plate. I had to move the needle just a smidge.

Take the stitch plate off and look on the bottom side of it to see if there is anything near the hole that could cause fraying.

With the stitch plate off, Needle down and see if there is anything touching the needle or thread on the way down to the bobbin. The needle should be a couple hairs away from the bobbin hook but not actually touching it.

You haven't dropped your bobbin or bobbin case recently?

Did you say this was on a quilting frame or not?

Yes, it is on a quilting frame. Tommy even put in a new bobbin case to see if mine was defective and it didn't change nything. He also watched it sewing very closely. I will do it again though. Can you get sewing aid at Hancock's or JoAnn's? I will definitely try some.
Thanks for all your suggestions. There's got to be something that will work.
Immeme

Is this in the tension dial? If it is, he took the whole dial piece out of the machine checked it and put it back.
Thanks

I believe I got it at Joann's. It's in the notions area.

Does your machine sew fine off the frame? I didn't realize it was on a frame or I would have started with that question.

Your shredding & fraying could be caused by the batting, too much tension on your sandwich or quilt is too high off the machine bed. Some fabric will also cause thread to shred and/or skip. The rubbery feeling white on white and the really tight batiks.

You didn't mention which needles your machine takes so I'm going to presume it takes regular domestic needles. I know some versions of the Janome 1600p take the round, industrial type so if your's is one of those, forget the next part. Use a top-stitch needle. It has a larger eye or the largest metallic needle you can find. If the thread appears to be fraying at the eye.

I just realized that if your Janome is one of the ones with the round shank needle, you could have it in backwards but I would think the technician checked that. The "scarf" faces front and some machines like the needle to be slightly off the 6 o'clock position--say 5:30 or 6:30 but no more than that.

I hope you are trying one thing at a time & testing. I've confused myself just typing this so that I have to keep re-reading what I typed--LOL!

Yes, I'm trying one thing at a time.
I know about the round needle. I've tried the ones that came with it and the ones I got from my tech.
I'm using the same batting I always used. I guess a batch could be faulty for my machine.
I don't think it's too high but I'll check it for sure.
I'm using muslin for testing right now.
Nothing really changed from when it worked and when it stopped that I can put a finger on.
I'll try these things and get back to you.
Thanks so much for your help.
Immeme