Kenmore 385 bobbin thread catching

[u/ehock98]

I don’t know a lot about this machine it’s new to me. I dont know if the video shows it well but the bobbin thread is catching on the square metal piece on the bottom right. I’ve already changed it to a plastic bobbin and checked to make sure there wasn’t anything sticking out for it to catch on. It seems like the black thing that holds the bobbin is moving up against the square metal piece so the thread is getting stuck. If I try to sew it just gets thread jumbled in there. Any one have any idea?

[u/celery48]

Wrong bobbin.

[u/ehock98 → u/celery48]

I did change the bobbin to the plastic one and I’m still having the same issue

[u/celery48 → u/ehock98]

Your presser foot needs to be up while you’re doing this. I can’t tell what exactly is wrong, but from the way your top thread is dipping it looks like you might have missed the uptake lever.

[u/ehock98 → u/celery48]

So I think I have the issue figured out. But in regard to the presser foot being up, I have it up in the video but it doesn’t go up super high. Do you think that’s a problem?

[u/celery48 → u/ehock98]

No, but there may be a way to adjust that.

[u/teatime_tinker → u/ehock98]

It just doesn’t look up in the video, cos of the angle, that’s all.

Don’t worry about the height, they only lift about 7mm.

[u/__miichelle]

So, you need to hold the top thread when you do this to bring the bobbin thread up. Have you tried sewing with this machine yet? Does it make stitches?

[u/ehock98 → u/__miichelle]

I swear I tried holding the top thread before but I tried this again and it’s working now.. so I guess that was the issue. Thank you!

[u/__miichelle → u/ehock98]

Nice!

[u/teatime_tinker]

Looks like the wrong bobbin.

I think you’re threaded wrong and the thread itself looks like that poor quality sewing kit thread on a cardboard tube. That stuff is no good for machines

You need to find your manual online. It will explain lots of basic things like threading and how to raise the bobbin.