Babylock 838D Serger Pro Line
Babylock heavy duty BL4 838D is a heavy duty 2/3/4 thread serger, the ease of a home sewing machine, with the ability to sew at higher speeds, & create the same professional stitches found in ready to wear!
Decorative seams are quick & easy!
Fast & professional hemming, rolled hems save fabric too!Uses regular home sewing machine needles! No need to find specialty needles. DO check your specific serger, to see which needle type it takes.
Here is a video of stitch formation on BabyLock 838D serger, without the presser foot.
BabyLock 838D stitch formation
The BL4 838D DOES sew a regular 4 thread overlock stitch, so that is the only difference, between the instructions, and stitches, for these 2 sergers, except the 838D has a built in upper looper converter, that is turned, using a flathead screwdriver, to block the upper looper, when you want to sew a 2 thread overlock stitch, and the 428 has a separate converter wire.
DIFFERENTIAL FEED - create ruffles or prevent knits from stretching while sewing! Want to sew a gorgeous decorative lettuce edge quickly, on stretch fabrics, or bias woven fabrics? It takes seconds with the BL4-838D !
Easy to adjust differential feed while sewing, with lever on the side of the machine.
Snap on presser foot is easy to change to other specialty presser feet in seconds.
Built in ribbon & elastic guide in the toe of the presser foot that comes with the machine new.
Calibrated tension makes it possible to make a huge variety of stitches & effects, & if you keep a workbook, write down which setting each tension was set at, with the stitch width, length, & differential feed settings, along with a stitch sample showing the stitch you made, makes it easy to repeat that stitch the next time you want the same effect.
High quality, well built metal machine, will outlast lighter weight plastic machines. Very few plastic parts on this model.
Built in light makes it easy to see where you are stitching
Built in knife system trims fabric edges neatly, before enclosing the seam. Knife can be easily turned up, out of the way, as needed, without tools.
color coded easy to follow threading system, just follow the colored dots!
built in needle threaders make threading needles super fast & easy!
Threading order 1. upper looper (green), 2. lower looper (blue), 3 & 4, needles, any order.
3 thread overlock most popular stretchy overlock stitch
4 thread overlock mock safety stitch
2 & 3 thread narrow flatlock
2 & 3 thread wide flatlock
2 or 3 thread rolled hems & lettuce edging
Decorative threads & yarns can be used in loopers to create your own braiding & piping!
Sew knits & stretch fabrics with the same seams used in ready to wear, with seams that stretch, not break.
Sew ruffles on light fabrics, quickly, using differential feed
Easy to maintain
storage for tweezers & extra parts, inside the left front door of serger base.
You can have your Babylock dealer attach a kneebar presser foot lift if you need one, some used 838Ds already have it attached, it will have a triangular metal piece coming from under the machine, right near where the electrical cord plugs into the machine. It will have a circular opening where you can insert a kneebar, usually L shaped.
DIFFERENTIAL FEED - create ruffles or prevent knits from stretching while sewing! Want to sew a gorgeous decorative lettuce edge quickly, on stretch fabrics, or bias woven fabrics? It takes seconds with the BL4-838D !
Easy to adjust differential feed while sewing, with lever on the side of the machine.
Snap on presser foot is easy to change to other specialty presser feet in seconds.
Built in ribbon & elastic guide in the toe of the presser foot that comes with the machine new.
Calibrated tension makes it possible to make a huge variety of stitches & effects, & if you keep a workbook, write down which setting each tension was set at, with the stitch width, length, & differential feed settings, along with a stitch sample showing the stitch you made, makes it easy to repeat that stitch the next time you want the same effect.
High quality, well built metal machine, will outlast lighter weight plastic machines. Very few plastic parts on this model.
Built in light makes it easy to see where you are stitching
Built in knife system trims fabric edges neatly, before enclosing the seam. Knife can be easily turned up, out of the way, as needed, without tools.
color coded easy to follow threading system, just follow the colored dots!
built in needle threaders make threading needles super fast & easy!
Threading order 1. upper looper (green), 2. lower looper (blue), 3 & 4, needles, any order.
 |
| Stitch Length is adjusted by turning the hand knob until you see the green line, on the right side of the machine, lining up, & then you push in this dark silver knob in the little "window", & turn the handwheel until the correct stitch length you want, shows in the window on the front of the serger. |
4 thread overlock mock safety stitch
2 & 3 thread narrow flatlock
2 & 3 thread wide flatlock
2 or 3 thread rolled hems & lettuce edging
Decorative threads & yarns can be used in loopers to create your own braiding & piping!
Sew knits & stretch fabrics with the same seams used in ready to wear, with seams that stretch, not break.
Sew ruffles on light fabrics, quickly, using differential feed
Easy to maintain
storage for tweezers & extra parts, inside the left front door of serger base.
You can have your Babylock dealer attach a kneebar presser foot lift if you need one, some used 838Ds already have it attached, it will have a triangular metal piece coming from under the machine, right near where the electrical cord plugs into the machine. It will have a circular opening where you can insert a kneebar, usually L shaped.
Threading order 1. upper looper (green), 2. lower looper (blue), 3 & 4, needles, any order.
 |
| BabyLock 838D THREADING DIAGRAM 1. Upper Looper FIRST 2. Lower Looper SECOND 3. Left Needle (after loopers) 4. Right Needle (after loopers) |
 |
| BabyLock 838D THREADING DIAGRAM |
 |
| Threading instructions |
 |
| Needle Threader Instructions |
 |
| Thread Tensions and Serger settings for Stitches Chart |
 |
| Built in needle threader is right in front of the presser foot lift lever. If needle hole is too small, you can't use the needle threader. |
 |
| Accessories |
 |
| Adjustable stitch width control is red knob. M is Merrow stitch (rolled hem) For narrowest stitches, remove stitch finger, & insert it in the tray inside the left front door of serger. Note needle threader control, with lever for left & right needle.. STITCH SAMPLE NOTEBOOK BABYLOCK 838D       |
BABYLOCK SERGER REPAIR INFORMATION-
ISSUE- serger slows down, as it warms up, handwheel becomes hard to turn. There is a known issue with the Babylock ProLine sergers, including some of the 838D, may eventually have an issue with the machine sewing, but slowing down, as it heats up. There was a recall of the stitch length ECCENTRIC (cam?), on the serger, the metal becomes rough over time, due to being made of 2 different metals, so it has to be removed, polished, and replaced, and will continue to work. I am including a link to another blog, which has the instructions and photos, to assist you in this repair. (Neither of my 838D sergers has had this issue. I sold my first 838D after buying the air threaded BabyLock sergers, but I really love the mostly metal 838D, and decided to get another one, especially with the knee lift. I usually own several sergers and sewing machines at a time, since I enjoy learning them, fixing them up, and blogging about them.) Babylock Serger slows down hard to turn handwheel repair info
ISSUE- serger slows down, as it warms up, handwheel becomes hard to turn. There is a known issue with the Babylock ProLine sergers, including some of the 838D, may eventually have an issue with the machine sewing, but slowing down, as it heats up. There was a recall of the stitch length ECCENTRIC (cam?), on the serger, the metal becomes rough over time, due to being made of 2 different metals, so it has to be removed, polished, and replaced, and will continue to work. I am including a link to another blog, which has the instructions and photos, to assist you in this repair. (Neither of my 838D sergers has had this issue. I sold my first 838D after buying the air threaded BabyLock sergers, but I really love the mostly metal 838D, and decided to get another one, especially with the knee lift. I usually own several sergers and sewing machines at a time, since I enjoy learning them, fixing them up, and blogging about them.) Babylock Serger slows down hard to turn handwheel repair info
If the link doesn't work for any reason, here is the web address for it-
http://sewingmachineservicebywayne.com/blog/2013/5/11/baby-lock-serger-hand-wheel-hard-to-turn
Posted on May 11, 2013 .
Here is a link to a blog post about timing a serger, very hard information to find, online.
 |
| Comment explains how BabyLock Pro sergers can require the STITCH LENGTH ECCENTRIC CAM to be removed, polished smooth with emery cloth (also polish the bushing they fit inside), then replace and oil it, you may need to retime loopers afterwards. The clue this needs done, is serger slows down, as it warms up, or feed dogs stop working. Easy fix! |
