Deb, First try to eliminate whether the thread breaks are on all the needles or just one. That in itself can help narrow down the problem. Have you broken a needle lately? As others have mentioned the smallest scratch on the rotary hook can cause fraying, shredding, a popping sound when the machine is performing inching stitches and of coarse, thread breaks. Material thickness setting that are to low or high can also cause this, as well as bobbin tension. As far as the thread twisting, when the thread gets to the end of the spool, the twist or spiral can become more noticeable. But this may be a result of the thread breaks that you are having and not the cause. Hugo Torbidoni Melco Tech 301-471-3157 ************************************** See what's new at http://www.aol.com