by andrewa » Mon 11 Mar, 2019 7:30 am
My Janome is 1983 too - have had it since new....an SR2100, if I recall.
You do need to be sure to get the thread size right for the needle, and also the upper thread tension may need to be adjusted - if using heavier thread, the upper tension needs to be increased to pull the thread up through the fabric so that the junction of top and bottom thread is correctly placed. Failing that, get it serviced. Also, BTW, for sewing heavier fabrics and webbing I tend to use leather pointed needles - 16 is as big as you can get easily, but there’s a guy on eBay in Goulburn or thereabouts who sells them in 18’s and 20’s for domestic machines.
A