Sail Life - New 'oh $%#! something is wrong' tool bag 

Good job! Now eat some vegetables. 😂

Unspool the waxed thread from the bobbin to break adhesion between layers. Re-spool the thread on the bobbin. Takes a few minutes and will fix the problem with waxed thread on bobbins that has melted ever so slightly in the Caribbean heat

"Too many tools?" *INCONCEIVABLE!*

Hay Mads. We always pick up a mooring from the cockpit. Attach one end of a line to a cleat at the bow then lead it back to the cockpit outside the stantions. Approach the mooring up wind. Pick up the mooring with a boat hook and pass the line through the eye or loop. As the boat drifts down wind walk the line forward and secure to a cleat. You are now moored and free to secure in whatever style you choose. Works great single handed or as a team.

As the son of a shop teacher, I can most certainly assure you "too many tools" is NOT a thing! 😛

Magnificent? More like Madsnificent!

Clear plastic makeup bags in various sizes are perfect for boats

I have a Tacsew with much the same top thread tension device on the front as the Sailrite. I had exactly the same issues with the bottom thread getting bunched up and the top thread breaking. I had to fiddle with the tensioner on the front. The thread was being impaired by the shaft of the tensioner. I moved it around and retightened the shaft so the thread was travelling on a smooth surface and readjusted the spring thingy. I also changed the needle which solved the thread from being cut at the foot. Very futzy stuff. Good Luck!

i was laughing about how excited Mads gets about sewing a tool bag, but then I saw how happy he is about his magnetic guide, and I remembered oh yeah that Mads, that's why we wall like him so much, he's very positive and enthusiastic about most things

It's going to be something simple. Proof is that your existing thread works fine. My first thought was the kit thread is larger than the thread you had on the boat and too large for the eye of the needle you were using. The pull test with the presser foot up indicates either: you threaded the top thread incorrectly OR the size of the eye of the needle was causing the problem. Another lower probability is the kit thread is too tight on the thread post and spinning with friction where your boat thread is looping off the spool properly. Sewing problem repair 101. 1. Make sure your using the right needle for the thread and thickness. 2. RE - THREAD everything. 3. Change the needle to a new one (It doesn't matter if you just changed it yesterday or last week). That fixes 95% of all sewing problems. Lastly, as others mentioned (for future problems) bobbin tension matters but it's usually set it and forget it until you drastically change thread sizes. You can manage tension balance with the top tension dial. You adjust bottom tension in tiny increments -1/10 to 1/4 turn. That's not your problem this time.

A man can never have too many tools.... even on a sail boat!

“Too many tools….if that’s a thing” haha!! Never heard of that…..

I believe its that kit thread. That thread made the machine slow and clunky and the pink spool thread was fast and smooth.

Yeah...Too many tools, isn't a thing" Priceless!

I had a similar problem with my sailrite machine recently. The fix for my problem was to adjust the bobbin tension and to adjust the height of the presser foot. There is a video supplied by sailright customer service( they have to send you the link, it is not searchable on their youtube channel) that shows how to adjust the presser foot height. It is 5mm and is important to get the proper tension on the bobbin thread while sewing. You will get bottom loops if the presser foot is out of adjustment and you are sewing something that is two different heights and the presser foot is riding on a different height place than the needle foot. Mike

I have made the tool bag kit and love it. It keeps all my important tools in one convenient place. When I encountered this issue it was due to the basting tape glue building up on my needle. Keep some alcohol handy to wipe the needle.

The wax on the thread is causing the issue. The slow down of the machine is the wax creating friction and causing the messed up. You can solve this issue by reducing the speed of the machine, think about like dropping a gear going up hill. You can try removing some of the wax from the thread by unspooling and soaking in alcohol, however I have not tried this and I’m unsure of your thread base material.

Impossible to have too many tools. That's just like having too much money😅

Threads have different twists, think clockwise and counter-clockwise and the way you wrap it on the tension keeper bar matters.

When sewing my sprayhood some years ago, i choose braided fishing line as thread, because of its strength and relative uv-stability. It worked fine, even when stitching through 8 layers of thick canvas, which I had previously fixed together with construction glue.

Wait a minute…at the beginning Mads said they are looking for a 50 to 60 footer! Thats a lot more boat in every respect. Not only more “oh glorious sanding” to fix it up but all the expenses going forward.

I suspect the thread on the hembob is not feedback smoothly. If you have 2 of the metal bobbins you consider try to transfer the thread from the hembob and rewind it on 2 metal bobbins. That way any wax or whatever would be eliminated and the bobbins would likely have consistent tension. Sailrite is exceptionally good with product support, I have a LSZ1 and they have been excellent.

I have had the same problem with the thread starting to loose or gain tension while sewing anything with adhesive velcro striping. I found out the adhesive on the velcro starts to stick to the needle sometimes due to the heat generated by the needle passing through the plastic or material and causes problems. I now keep a bottle of alcohol and a rag handy and stop every few feet and clean off the needle. It works perfectly when sewing anything adhesive.

The thread tension is almost certainly one of the issues. I can see in the video that the tension knob appears to be screwed all the way in. Also, as you noticed, not using the 135X17 needle will make a difference, but sometimes you need to increase the size also. I tend to use anything between 19 and 22 for these heavy canvas projects, especially when vinyl windows are included. I just redid my dodger windows with a #22 SD1 needle.

My wife suggests that you try the tensioner since that thread looks to be thicker. That and being sure the needle size is the proper one as both of these items may be causing this problem.

Check the pin behind the tension adjusting screw. It was maladjusted on my machine. Also check the timing. The description for it is the manual. Good Luck.

Don’t know if this applies with how you worked, but I’ve found that if you stitch through the basting tape, the goo transfers to the needle and thread, and even onto the lower gizmos that loop the thread. It messes up the tension and you get the loopy bottom thread. Long story short - clean everything!

Great video… I found this same problem with some larger rolls of thread.. it was uv waxed canvas thread. I have a theory. It might be the thread has been heat shrunk into a plastic cover covering on the spindle. Perhaps, which fused some of the WAXED threads..also clean the needle. I found the solution was to use this thread to only load bobbins, and not use it through the machine. The thread on top fed from a pole behind the machine on a large roll seems to be better. That thread should be floppy loose as it spirals off the roll. Speed matters also, once you start, higher speeds pulled the stuck thread off the spindle faster. Slow down and the loops on the bottom happen more often. And, the needle can pick up sticky residue from the double sided tape. I don’t have a good solution… but if the thread on top from the roll to the curly cue is tensioned, this will shred the threads at the needle or the hole above it. Also, 600 grit on the hook.. should be smooth. Any nicks and it’s going to shread the thread. Keep the needle in the center and the material on both sides of the grabbers of the walking foot. Offset to one side or the other or larger thick parts or the needle set to left or right can pull it and cause a crash. Then the posi pin will shear. It is a mechanical fuse. This happens when the needle goes sideways and strikes the hook or the striker plates. Part of the problem, may be just going slow with the tape. I think the thread tension is distributed thought all the different holes, and the bobbin and the spindle, but the tape glue affects it also which leads to those loops on the back. Plan for some of these bad stitches and they are mostly on the bottoms, so you might not see them if they end up buried inside.

Possibly the thread on the spool has become under and over so the thread you are trying to pull is always under another thread on the spool. This also happens with 3D printer filament.

A tip from the sv seeker, put all your glues, lubes and epoxy sticks into a zip lock, into another zip lock bag. Squeeze out all the air. It keeps them fresher much longer. I do the same for lock tites, super glues, gasket makers, etc. Something about keeping the air out, keeps that stuff lasting longer. Great video! And I’ve looked forward to Sundays for years now! See youuuuuu!

Think the answer to your sewing problems has been comprehensively mentioned in the comments. We buy 100 needles at a time and change them as soon as they stop working. Equally every fabric & thickness requires a unique setting regarding tension. Generally, we run some test material through the machine and once adjusted and running correctly we then start. Sailrite has several instructional videos available as well as good descriptions in the operating manual.

I have an interesting question for you MADS. Instead of the "Break-Out-Another-Thousand" part of cruising. Would you ever consider being a skipper/captain/engineer on a private yacht? Drawing a salary and having the owner fund your hobbies too! 😂😂

I usually make at least two iterations of any sewing/leather project I do. Keep on with your keeping on, my brother.

Yup, bobbin tension issue looks like (separate from the tensioner for the top thread). The kit thread looks to be heavier and waxed which will really mess with your bobbin tension. I've also ONLY ever used the same thread on a bobbin as you are using as the top thread, different threads interacting can cause issues as well.

I had a similar issue many years ago when sewing a windowed vestibule for a trailer/caravan. I had used basting tape to hold a difficult seam and plastic and adhesive was building up on the needle. I cleaned the needle with an alcohol pad (first aid kit) and the problem went away!

Hi Mads, There are never "enough tools" because when something happens you always have to get another tool. On to the sewing, there problem I had was the 2 sided tape gumming up the hole in the needle. Stopped using the tape and no more problem. Like you, I seem to be the guy in the house who spends a lot more time on the sewing machine. Good luck.

I owned a sailrite. It's really a clunky piece of kit. I have owned an industrial walking foot needle fed sewing machine for over 35 years. After owning an industrial machine going to a sailrite was like I was back in the stone ages. The sailrite is too finicky. It gets out of time. The jib hook can get damaged and the needle sometimes will damage the cap spring as well. You can lightly sand the jib hook smooth if it gets nicked and starts grabbing the thread. But you must replace the cap spring with a new one if the needle strikes it. I ended up selling the sailrite as it was too much of a headache. My old Tac-Sew industrial machine is the workhorse. But of course it wouldn't fit on a sailboat.

Mads, I have made 3 of the Sailrite rolly bags and had the same thread issues as you with two of the three. (I had purchased them at different times.) You are correct; it is the hem bobs. They work fine for bobbin thread, but the tension is not correct for the top thread. I had the same weight thread in a spool and used that to finish the bags and it was fine. My guess is that some of the hem bobs are not wound with the same tightness. If you can figure a way to put the hem bob on the thread stand (where you put the cone of thread) and bring it up through the stand arm it should give the proper tension. You may need to put something lightweight on top of the hem bob to keep it on the stand, perhaps a couple washers? My husband loves the tool bags. I love the windows too because when he is wedged in a tight place and needs a tool I can easily see which pouch to open to get the correct tool! I hope this works for you. Good luck! Linda Hargreaves

Lots of good suggestions here already, but in case no one else mentioned it; the "135x5" mentioned is the needle "system," not the size. The correct needle system for this machine is 135x17 (aka DP17). I'm guessing a little here, but there seems to be a subtle but non-zero difference in shank length between 135x5 and 135x17, so it might be the case that the machine can get away with running 135x5 until a more challenging situation like thicker layers and hook velcro (hook velcro tends to mess with tension anyway). Also, I didn't hear a mention of what size threads were used, I am assuming the Sailrite kit came with either V69 or V92, but I don't know what thread was being used previously. It could be as simple as an incorrect needle size (in addition to the incorrect needle system). Hopefully you have already figured it out, but those are some things I would look at. Nice work on the kit, I have one all cut out waiting to be sewn one of these days!

Too many tools?? I can't even type this with out a queasy feeling in my stomach. There are never enough Mads. Don't let Ava sway your love of all things to fix and build with. LOL thanks for sharing.

Coated, waxed, and or tarred threads always give me problems. Since the problem goes away when you switch to 'old' thread then I would start there. Good project.

For tools I put nearly everything into multiple canvas zip envelopes called "12-inch documents bag" by Husky from Home Depot. At $20 for a 4-pack right now they are cheaper than I could make them with zipper/material/thread/grommets plus my time. Each one is used for a different class of tool such as screwdrivers, pliers, drills & holesaws, 3/8" socket set, 1/4"socket set, metric wrenches, SAE wrenches, rigging specialty, chisels, knifes, etc. Each zipper envelope has its own window pocket the exact size of a business card so a business card sizes label can be slipped in to identfy the contents. Then all these envelopes can be placed in a box, milk crate, bucket, soft duffel bag, or drawer. I keep all my zipper pockets in the nav desk seat which is a basically a big wooden box which has its own hinged top and seat cushion. These bags are also great for documents like they are designes for to contain manuals and instructions or receipts . I think I bought a couple of 10 packs of these bags back in the day on sale for like $40 a set. I've had some of these for a decade or more and they seem to be practically indestructible. It's another idea for tool bags for folks who don't want to sew their own.

I have been in sewing and embroidery for over 20 years. Thread tension, bobbin tension, thread tensile strength, material thickness all contribute. Generally more tension is better. You should have a variety of needles and spare needles. Certain threads require different needles.

you need to unravel this mystery! it has me in stitches! (i'll show myself out now....)

At the begging of the project on the thread close up at 8:02, you can see that it’s really thick and not uniform so it causes more tension and friction over the machine and it pulls back when it’s sewing so the sutures are not so clean, you can simply change the thread or use that one contained on the kit but you have to use a book binding technique and wax it first, it’s really easy you Andy need bee wax and fry the thread on it, there is an amazing channel called Four Keys Book Arts and this technique it’s shown on most hand binding videos, and works too on the machine the only con it’s that you need to clean it after every use. The magnetic accessory was incredible great, because filament printers depending on temperature sometimes can shrink a little bit (about 0.02mm) or expand it, in order to have a perfect fit on the inserts you can apply a little of glue on the magnets and it avoids it moving when the print is fully finished

When you used the sr thread the first time it probably wasn’t in between the tension plates correctly, or you need to clean the tensioner. Dust can build up and can through off the tension.

It would be great to see a list of EVERYTHING you include in this “got to fix stuff” bag. Please!🙏

You should make yourself a smaller ditty bag to take tools up the mast. If you can find it, a book called "Teh Marlinespike Sailor" by Hervey G. Smith would show you more projects to help keep your boat neat and spiffy. The book can probably be found in the West Marine catalogue. Nice work on the tool roll.

I've had similar issues with mine, and often find it's the tension in the thread BEFORE it even gets to the tensioner - the "windlass equation" says the holding power goes up with the 4th power of the number of turns... Worth looking into, anyway. Great video as ever!

some commercial threads have a small amount of wax on them for longer storage life. stick with heavy duty nylon thread and you cant go wrong

Just a tip from a Bernina Certified Sewing Machine Technician. When removing thread from the machine, you should cut it at the spool and pull it from the needle out. This will prevent any issues with binding/shredding in the tension mechanism.

I enjoy your channel and I enjoy sewing on a Sailrite. You have the wrong type needle. The size is correct, as stated on the package but that machine takes DBx17 type needles...no matter the size. Wawak is a great place to get sewing supplies. I see it was mention in an earlier comment, good advice. Keep calm and sew on.

Great. Now I'm pricing sewing machines. Really interesting content!

I've also tried sailrite bobbin thread and i don't like it . Their spools are just a bit larger for my machine so I use it to rewind my own bobbins' thread thickness is important and there is a small screw an the end of the bobbin holder that can be adjusted to accommodate thread size .That in conjunction with the tensioner usually solves the problem Sometimes when the fabric is very thick it lifts the foot up to the point where the tensioner pin starts to release the tensioner , In my machine i just removed the pin I use an old singer 212 double stitch canvas machine its an old school beast Thanks Uwe

My favorite diy sailor and Sewing bags! Mads- the original sewing guide has a finger hole on the bottom to more easily lift. Great job though on yours. I love the pre wound bobbins but there’s two options. Some defect in thread tightness or it seemed there was kind of glue which could be affected by the heat. Your problem is definitely tension.

Spiffy Sunday sewing😊

This is miserable! I watched a sewing video and really enjoyed it . truly great video . wish i could do half of the DIY tasks demonstrated . thanks a lot Mr MAGnificent . Dak, Mads . much respect from Henry in Dar, Tanzania . The 3% of viewers should give us pointers on the issue of the thread.

Is it synthetic thread? Wondering if it might have melted a bit and got rough/sticky resulting in more friction.

The sound the machine was making is not a thread issue. The problem is more likely the bobbin not in its latch position. The bobbin should be push in until it latches. Some bobbins are made differently.

My wife made the same kit and had the same thread problem. As far as Mr magnificence she said the sail tight one the leave an indentation so you can get a finger under to lift it more easily. Love your diy stuff cheers

Liked. There is no such thing as "too many tools."

and remember the mantra...TNT for check your Thread, Needle and Tension, in that order when troubleshooting.

Mads will make a great dad, SOMEDAY, because the already has all the jokes.

Hey! The basting tape has glue. As you are sewing, bit of heat builds up on the needle on top of the already hot environment. Glue starts sticking to the needle. Intermittent wipe of the needle with alcohol tissue to clear the glue build up. The thread tension/friction, check to see if the plastic/paper bearing in the roll of thread is sticking to the spike and keeping it from turning freely. If so, dry soap powder will fix it. And how do I get dry soap powder you say? And you thought you had sanded everything imaginable so far. Sand the bar of soap. Oh so gloriously.

If the needle is wrong then you will have tension issues as the thread is not exactly the same all the way from one end to another. The proof is that the alternative thread did not give issues QED. You need a larger needle to use that thread. Also different needles are suitable for different materials. You should be able to check the manufacturers site to get a chart

There’s no such thing as “too many tools”! 😁

What about wrapping a cutting board in the vinyl. Sticking the Velcro on the back and the elastic webbing on the front? That way it’s still modular. Good video as always.

The problem is the spooling on the thread as a retired wire drawer when moving wire from 1 spool to a smaller spool if they overlap at all the tension makes it not unroll properly.

I've had problems with thick thread and canvas like that as well with a singer heavy duty machine. Used a thinner thread seemed to help

Bigger Vessel, larger family! LoL 😆

Oh, keep a few spare cap springs on hand for your sailrite.

Hi Mads. There is never a 'too many tools' 😂

"too manny tools, issent a thing!" as long as the tools are required for any operation, you need it ;) Is'nt there a thread tentioner on the maschine? it used to be, atleast on older sewing machines.

When you are alone and you want to catch a mooring, you catch it from your stern with the wind facing your bow! You're let the wind push you boats while walking to you're bow!

Tools... You can never have enough

There's a few Morgan Outisland 51s around. Center Cockpit Ketch. Can pick a dooeruper for 25KUSD

Stay safe and we'll see you next week. Luck with the Bureaucracy.

Sailrite has different size needles for the varying thread sizes.

Check out the Great Lakes for your next DYI project boat.

9:09 you're using powered sewing on too thick a material and the machine can't keep up. You need to do that kind of material manually rolling the wheel or going super slow.

That’s Madsnificent!

I'm just thinking out loud here - is the needle size that Sailrite suggest larger than the one you are using (I don't know anything about the number system you mentioned). A larger needle may have a larger hole (eye) and the Sailrite supplied thread looks quite thick, so the smaller needle you are using has an hole that is too small, causing the extra drag. Maybe???

Check out the ferry from virgin gorda to Tortola if you have to go to Road Town for your visa and don’t wanna move the boat.

When the tread underneath does like that, it is the over tension, so you are correct

I’ve had a few spools of thread that are wound to tight from new and it gave me a lot of grief but….. if you pull straight up from the spool and see if it’s way tighter than the good thread you have found the culprit. Unfortunately the only way to solve it is to wind it on to another spool looser.

I've been doing a good bit drilling, filling, 'oh glorious sanding' and refitting our club San Juan 21s to a common standard

Tension, tension. Measure the thread diameter. I'll bet they sent you different thread sizes. Read up on how to set the bobin tension and how to match the top tension.

I hear RAN Sailing has a 50’ boat 🛥️ in the DYI mode.

Consider getting a catamaran. Safe journeys !

We have an embroidery machine and go through a lot of thread. Sometimes you do get a thread or bobbin that is defective. It can be caused by the way the thread was wrapped by their machine and you will times it works perfect and than all of a sudden you have problems.

When the thread starts binding up see if you can easily pull it before it goes into the tensioner. Then you will know if that is for sure where the issue is occurring. Maybe it is a slightly thicker thread and needs the tensioner adjusted to reliably handle it.

Nice work on the new tool storage 2x👍

When retreading: cut the thread on the machine, tie it to the new thread and pull it out to the needle. Really easy way to switch threads.

Great projects as usual

When i tried to make one of the Sail-rite kits i had a problem with the tape melting and gumming up the needle. Was very frustrating and stopped work on it. When i start again ill stop using the tape and just use pins or clips to hold the hems from now on.

Great video

Sailrite owner here. The thread is too thick for your needle. Thicker threads require larger needles. That’s what’s causing the friction.

Boy I’d love to buy your boat when time comes to sell her

Super interested to see the dinghy build! I am also considering such a project, so I can wait to see how you will tackle this.

Its a balancing act with all the machine settings. Think of it this way the machine is timed with some thread and some material as you change from that base its gets a bit off more and more the harder you push it the worse it becomes. Synthetic materials are harder to sew, the thread type can throw off the timing also the types of and thickness of cloth will as well. I would check to see where the thread is hanging, I would bet on the needle. Seems like its struggling to pull the tread through and makes everything flex and hook at the bottom is missing the thread. Thread tension should be adjusted on the bobbin and the top adjustment too and checked for every type of thread you use. The tension with the original thread seems to be right. Just keep playing with it and figure out what works for you. Those sail right machines are good for what they are but they are on the smaller end and takes some patience you got to take your time. You have no room for a lager industrial machine. I'm not sure what type and size thread your using vs what they sent. Each size has a load rating and then if its uv safe or not. So really depends on your needs, so if your using the same size thread with a similar load and uv rating go with it. At the end of the day if something pops loose you have the machine to fix it :D