New to sewing

[Oldpete]

Hi Oldpete and welcome to the forum
I don't know the the Singer Promise personally but all the Singer's are similar and tension is everything!
It should work fine with polyester thread, try some V69.
Start with the bottom bobbin tension and adjust the little screw in or out, so that when holding the thread,
the thread runs out when the bobbin is dropped but doesn't when held still.
Then do a trial bit of sewing and look at the tension top and bottom of the sewing.
adjust the top tension wheel until top and bottom tension is equal
Top thread may need adjustment on different thicknesses of material, bottom thread doesn't.

Sorry for the late reply, but I’m still trying to get use to this site.
Not sure if I have said but I bought another Singer 3342, and I have bought a few dozen needles (60/80/100 leather, denim,heavy duty, sharp and general), but the results are the same, and this machine says that the bobbin tension is factory set. I have enclosed a photo of how ALL the stitches are coming out like it.

Peter.

 

[wilkinsonsails]

Sorry for the late reply, but I’m still trying to get use to this site.
Not sure if I have said but I bought another Singer 3342, and I have bought a few dozen needles (60/80/100 leather, denim,heavy duty, sharp and general), but the results are the same, and this machine says that the bobbin tension is factory set. I have enclosed a photo of how ALL the stitches are coming out like it.

Peter.
View attachment 120456

Looks to me like you need a larger needle .The top tension needs also needs to pull up more .Check that the top tension plate pin, is also not pushing the plates apart and letting off the tension .The foot pressure lifting on the work piece can also cause this type of loose thread sewing .Lift the foot and watch the plates come apart and as you lower the foot the plates come back together and create tension on the thread .

 

[wilkinsonsails]

You need a 120 size needle.

 

[William_H]

No that photo to me indicates that there is not enough tension on the bottom thread ie on the bobbin. Tension may be set at the factory however that does not work if the thread is not threaded in the bobbin case correctly. Typically with a slot in the side of the case the thread is pulled down through the slot which then pulls under a plate that gives friction to the thread. As i said before with the bobbin in case threaded up but out of the machine you should be able to dangle the case and bobbin by the thread and friction is only just enough to support the weight of the bobbin and case. Then pop the bobbin and case into the under side of the machine with 20cms of thread out of the case. Rotate by hand the machine so needle and top thread pick up the lower thread and pull it up out of the deck. ol'will

 

[Oldpete]

Looks to me like you need a larger needle .The top tension needs also needs to pull up more .Check that the top tension plate pin, is also not pushing the plates apart and letting off the tension .The foot pressure lifting on the work piece can also cause this type of loose thread sewing .Lift the foot and watch the plates come apart and as you lower the foot the plates come back together and create tension on the thread .

Morning,
I’m not sure what you mean by lifting the foot and see if the plates come apart, I have lifted the foot and underneath there is no movement, am I looking at the wrong place and was also trying to see if I could see any movement between the first slot that the thread goes down.
The thread I am using is in the photos and the material I am trying to sew is waterproof canvas which I can sew quite easily with cotton, but that’s not going to last outside.

Peter.

 

[Martin_J]

The comment about lifting the foot and seeing if the plates come apart is about looking at the tension discs. They're hidden behind the plastic in your machines so not easy to look at but unlikely to be this problem.

Bearing in mind that your photo shows the underside of the stitching, I would think that if the top thread did pull any more then you'd end up with a very loose thread on the top side of the fabric so probably also not the immediate issue.

If it were an older machine I might have looked closely at the lower hook for burrs burred or too much fluff around the lower bobbin.

So - As you've realised, the comments about adjusting tension on the bobbin holder (that the small bobbin usually sits in) won't work since your machine has a drop in bobbin. I know the instruction manual says the lower tension is factory set - I did wonder if there was any adjustment. I hope you've dropped the bobbin in and it rotates the correct way when you pull on it's thread? Double check.

Last thought for now - When you mentioned a waterproof fabric, I think we'd thought you were talking about a stiff acrylic canvas like used for sprayhoods. This looks like a much thinner but also more slippery fabric.

I'd wonder if the feed dogs (the saw like teeth that move up/down and back/forth under the foot) were actually moving the fabric through the full distance on each stitch. If the fabric is not pulled through enough giving short stitch length, then it could cause a loose lower thread on those shorter stitches.

Try to ensure the fabric is being moved under the foot enough on each stitch and not being held back.. Perhaps one hand behind and one in front whilst sewing making sure the fabric doesn't catch anywhere. And can you give more foot pressure... It would be so much easier to see and check!

Then maybe a more solid fabric that isn't so slippery and will feed as the feed dogs pull it through.

 

[Martin_J]

ah.. I should clarify.. By saying 'more foot pressure', I meant adjustment of the spring that holds the sewing maching foot down firmly onto the fabric and controls how hard it presses down onto the fabric. Often a knob on the top of a machine..

I did not mean to press harder on the foot pedal with your foot to go faster.. Hope no confusion

Edit - Looks like on the 3342 you can't adjust the downward foot pressure.

 

[oldmanofthehills]

As an aside, my father was a design mathematic with few obvious practical skills around the home. I got my grasp of practical engineering repair helping mother and then later my god mother setting up their sewing machines. God mothers machine was big treadle beast with shuttle type under bobbin.

None the less when I inherited my mothers machine and then my mother in laws machine and they started to play up I put them in for complete overhaul and got someone else to try and fix them. I might have worn them out sewing tents