Overview
Most Elna sewing machines have a bobbin, which houses a bottom thread that winds around the spool. Bobbins can be tricky to manage, especially if you’re new to sewing. The good news is that the process of putting a bobbin in your Elna sewing machine isn’t difficult; plus, once you get the hang of it, you’ll find that it becomes second nature. In this article, we’ll look at how to put bobbins into Elna sewing machines, including expert tips and pointers.
Prepare the Bobbin
The first step is to prepare the bobbin. Most Elna sewing machines come with regular or pre-wound bobbins, both of which can be used with the machine. For pre-wound bobbins, all you need to do is check that the bobbin thread is wound in the same direction as the wheel around the spool. Meanwhile, regular bobbins will need to be wound by hand. To do this, thread the bobbin, leaving around 5cm of thread at the end. Hook the bobbin thread onto the take-up lever, and holding the loose thread in your fingers, turn the hand wheel clockwise until the bobbin is full, but without overfilling it. Then, you can snip the extra thread.
Positioning the Bobbin
Now we’ll move onto putting the bobbin into the machine itself. Start by removing the bobbin case, located behind the needle, and winding the thread around the small wheel several times. Without releasing the wheel, place the bobbin on the shuttle pin, leaving around 4-5cm of thread at the end, so that the shuttle pin is in the centre. Next, insert the bobbin case back into the Elna sewing machine, making sure that the bobbin is in the correct position. When the case is securely in place, press down the latch and make sure that you can hear it clicking into place.
Threading the Combing
The next step is threading the combing. Hold the bobbin case in place and thread the combing, winding along the path shown. This is best done by hand, not with a needle or with the foot pedal, as this can cause damage to the machine. Once you reach the bobbin case, you can tie the thread in place to ensure that the thread is held in place around the bobbin case.
Raise and Tighten the Needle
Next, you’ll need to raise and tighten the needle. To do this, set the stitch length to 0 and pull the needle until it clicks into place. Then, carefully tighten the needle by turning the hand wheel and lifting the needle up and down until it locks firmly. This will ensure that the needle bar is snugly fitted in place.
Pull the Thread
The last step is to pull the thread. To do this, hold the spool thread and bobbin thread together, then lower the presser foot and pull the threads out from the left side of the Elna sewing machine. When they are pointing towards the needle, you can gently pull the threads until they are fully extracted.
Tension Adjustment
Now that you know how to put a bobbin in your Elna sewing machine, it’s time to adjust the tension. Tension refers to the amount of resistance applied to the thread as it moves through the machine. Too much tension can result in uneven stitching, while too little tension can cause puckering and the thread to break. To adjust the tension, turn the tension dial to the right to increase tension, or to the left to loosen it. To obtain the best tension setting, turn the dial slowly and test different settings until a correct setting is found.
Check the Bobbin
Elna sewing machines also have a bobbin checker that allows you to check if the bobbin tension is correct. To use the bobbin checker, first lower the presser foot and turn the bobbin lining wheel so that the thread wraps around the bobbin checker plate. Then, turn the hand wheel until the bobbin lining wheel is almost touching the plate. The bobbin should be in the correct position when the presser foot is in its lowest position and the bobbin lining wheel is aligned with the bobbin checker plate.
Cleaning and Maintenance
It’s important to ensure that your Elna sewing machine is kept clean and free from dust and debris. This will ensure that it runs smoothly and performs to its fullest potential. Every few months, use a soft cloth and a vacuum cleaner nozzle to gently clean the machine, paying careful attention to any areas where debris and debris can accumulate. Additionally, use a lubricant such as machine oil or sewing machine grease to lubricate the moving parts of the machine, and replace the machine oil at least once a year.
Selecting Needles
To get the best performance from your Elna sewing machine, it’s important to choose the correct needles for the job. Different fabrics, thread types and stitch types require different needles, so make sure to select the appropriate needle for the job. Universal needles are generally fine for everyday sewing, but if you’re sewing tightly woven fabrics like denim, select a denim needle with a sharp point designed to penetrate these strong fabric fibres.
Changing Needles
Changing needles on Elna sewing machines is relatively simple. First, lower the presser foot and turn the hand wheel so that the needle is in its highest position. Press down the needle clamp and use a small lever or needle cluster tool to carefully remove the needle. Insert the new needle, ensuring that the needle is facing the right direction, then repeat the process of pressing down the needle clamp. Finally, lower the presser foot and tighten the needle clamp securely.
Recap
In summary, here’s how to put a bobbin in an Elna sewing machine:
1. Prepare the bobbin – pre-wound bobbins are ready to go, regular bobbins will need to be wound by hand.
2. Positioning the bobbin – remove the bobbin case and wind the thread around the small wheel several times, then place the bobbin on the shuttle pin and insert the bobbin case back into the machine.
3. Threading the combing – thread the combing, winding along the path shown. Then, tie the thread in place to ensure that the thread is held in place around the bobbin case.
4. Raise and tighten the needle – set the stitch length to 0, then turn the hand wheel and lift the needle up and down until it locks firmly.
5. Pull the thread – hold the spool thread and bobbin thread together, then lower the presser foot and pull the threads out from the left side of the Elna sewing machine.
6. Tension adjustment – adjust the tension dial to increase or decrease tension, and try different settings until a correct setting is found.
7. Check the bobbin -Elna sewing machines also have a bobbin checker that allows you to check if the bobbin tension is correct.
8. Cleaning and maintenance – use a soft cloth and a vacuum cleaner nozzle to clean the machine, and use a lubricant such as machine oil or sewing machine grease to lubricate the moving parts of the machine.
9. Selecting needles – choose the correct needles for the fabric, thread type and stitch type.
10. Changing needles – press down the needle clamp and use a small lever or needle cluster tool to remove the needle, then insert the new needle and tighten the needle clamp securely.
