Myrna Ficken Posted October 31, 2007 Report Share Posted October 31, 2007 Hi Karol. Did you get the bottom line sewing for you. I use it top and bobbin all the time. Do the drop test as Shana suggested? I always check bobbins this way. I like mine to fall about 4 or 5 inches. Then adjust your top tension a bit. Sometime I will bypass one of the 3 loops before the tensioner as this will give you a looser tension. Myrna Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
njquiltergirl Posted November 5, 2007 Report Share Posted November 5, 2007 Hi. I am also having a problem with a new cone of white Bottom Line. I am using it on top and in the bobbin. The top seems to be properly threaded and is correctly seated between the tension disks. The odd thing is that the thread seems to be getting stuck in between the tension disks...as if it was sticky in there... NOT because it is tight! It is quite loose. I did put a thread net on the cone as it seemed like a slippery thread compared to my usual cotton. I do not think that is a problem, as the thread flows well off the netted cone. Should I remove the net anyway? The bobbin passed the drop test and is freely comming out of the case. The only hang up is in the disks. How odd, I\'ve never had this with any sewing machine. I just finished running a 50/2 cotton which ran like a dream. I am new at this and have not had any thread problems so far on my Liberty. It is a great machine. I thought the Bottom Line would even be easier! Any ideas out there? I could certainly use your advice. Thanks so much. Lisa NW New Jersey APQS Liberty Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barbm Posted November 5, 2007 Report Share Posted November 5, 2007 Lisa, Bottom Line shouldn\'t hang up in the tension disks - no thread should! Check them carefully to make sure you don\'t have a stray fiber stuck between them. I run Bottom Line top and bottom with no problems, although it does need a slightly looser tension on top than some of the heavier threads. Good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ffq-lar Posted November 5, 2007 Report Share Posted November 5, 2007 Hi Lisa-- I know what you are talking about--it\'s almost as if the thread get stuck and after you tug it hard it seems to overcome the resistance and then pulls nicely. Does that sound right? Anyway, get out the Sewer\'s Aid and run a bunch of lines down the cone. You will probably only need to do it once as the silicone will lubricate between the discs simply by running the thread. Let us know if this helps. Hang in there! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
njquiltergirl Posted November 5, 2007 Report Share Posted November 5, 2007 Hi Again. Well, I took off the thread net. The Bottom Line did slip off more easily but there was no effect on the flow through the tension disks. It just seems like a stretchy-sticky thread. It would be perfect for the white-on-white quilt I\'m eager to quilt. It is very fine and the perfect white color for the fabric in the top. I swaped out the BL for my 50/2 cotton...which flowed like butter after adjusting for the thicker thread! I can never go wrong with my cotton! Although the stitches are perfect, it will not look as nice on this quilt. I\'m no Karen Mc Tavish in the feather department and the thin thread will help disguise it!! VBG!! I\'d really like to make the BL work. With it, the check spring seems to be much stickier (jumpier??) as if the thread stretches then flows again. The cotton has no stretch and just flows evenly. Thanks again for any help! Lisa NW New Jersey APQS Liberty Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kusmaulk Posted November 6, 2007 Author Report Share Posted November 6, 2007 I keep being told to only use Bottom Line in the bobbin, so I will take that advice. I purchased a BUNCH of So Fine for the top thread (in Houston) , and will try it with Bottom line in the bobbin. This was my first big quilt show and I was hugely impressed all weekend. Loved it. I kept bumping into famous people, and I learned so much, and was awed by the quality of the quilts, and wore myself out enjoying the whole experience. Myrna, I saw you there, but you were busy, so I didn\'t interrupt. Hope you had a good time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
njquiltergirl Posted November 6, 2007 Report Share Posted November 6, 2007 Hi Linda. Thanks for your reply. Yes, that seems to be it...I feel like the thread is so stretchy (campared to my usual cotton) that it pulls before flowing until it tugs at the check spring, then starts to flow again. (If it was a bit thicker, I bet it would not settle down so far in the disks and not get hung up in there!) I compared the spool of Bottom Line I am using with a So Fine and the SF feels much smoother. Perhaps my cone of BL is not right. I am not familiar with it, so I do not have any comparison though I\'d say you can kind of see the twist. Does that sound right?? I think I\'ll ask Bob at Superior Threads for his comments. Dawn, any experience like this? What am I doing wrong? Oh, I wish I could just go and finish this quilt! Lisa AQPS Liberty Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sewlinzi Posted November 6, 2007 Report Share Posted November 6, 2007 I just started using a pigtail bobbin with slippy threads and it is much better! The thread has stopped slithering out. I keep reading posts about the towa tension guage... I love gadgets... do I need one?! Is it electric - does it actually adjust the tension - what is it for? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mary Beth Posted November 7, 2007 Report Share Posted November 7, 2007 No it is not electric. It is just a little device that you drop your bobbin case into (with the bobbin in it) and check the tension with a little needle gauge. I bought one, even though some thought it was worthless and I should just do the drop test...let me tell you it was the best money I have spent and I hate to spend money. When I did the drop test, the bobbin would fling out and roll across the floor and make me want to say things I don\'t say Now I can check each bobbin and adjust accordingly. Love it!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sewlinzi Posted November 7, 2007 Report Share Posted November 7, 2007 Thanks, mary Beth - I might need one!... but once you know what the tension of your bobbin is - then what do you do? (Apologies if that is a dippy question!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ffq-lar Posted November 8, 2007 Report Share Posted November 8, 2007 I am a huge fan of the Towa Gauge, also. The bobbin is inserted onto a spindle and the thread is brought around two small pulleys and pulled to one side. A continuous pull on the thread will deflect the top, spring-loaded pulley and a numbered gauge with an arrow will show you a number. If you loosen the bobbin screw, the number will go down. If you tighten the screw, the number will go up. The gauge only gives you a number--you adjust the tension but adjusting the bobbin case screw and the number you use may be different for different weight and type of thread. For King Tut, Signature and Bottom Line thread, I set my tension between 17 and 20---that is, I fiddle with the bobbin tension screw until the gauge reads what I want. The gauge is just a small plastic box that is worth its weight in gold--or at least gold thread!!!!! Linda Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
t257daf Posted December 13, 2007 Report Share Posted December 13, 2007 I have been having some tension issues with my, new-to-me, used Freedom and have searched the APQS site on this topic. I noted many references to the TOWA gauge and bought one. I have not found any all-inclusive site on appropriate settings using this device. I have seen numbers of 18-22 for APQS machines, 25 for Gammills (from a friend) and 250 for Embroidery (from an on-line video). A setting of 18-22 on my gauge (my gauge scale runs from 0-400, has lines every 10 units, and the units are 10mN) results in a light tension where the thread just pulls from the bobbin without lifting it from my palm. If I set enough bobbin resistance resistance to just lift the bobbin from my palm the TOWA reads about 50. I think I can get my machine to work at 18-22 (If you can read that on the gauge!) but that seems pretty loose. I could also probably balance the tensions for a TOWA reading of 50, 100 or 200 on the bobbin. Is a bobbin tension on the loose side OK? What is the experience of others? Does anybody know where there is a good discussion on the TOWA gauge and/or bobbin/needle thread tensions? Don Fagnan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quiltjunkie Posted December 13, 2007 Report Share Posted December 13, 2007 Don, For my Millie, I use BL and my gauge is set between 15-20 and I find if I go higher the tension is too tight. I don\'t check every bobbin, but when I first start a quilt I check the bobbin and adjust if I need, then I will check about every 3rd time I put in a new bobbin. I\'m winding them on my high $$ APQS stand alone winder (love it).. and it gives me a consistent bobbin wind. The bobbin is suppose to be kinda loose. I have never used any other thread than BL so I don\'t know if the tension would have to be different with other thread. I was also told don\'t bother with spending the $$ on a Towa gauge but I have to tell you, it was the best money I have every spent. When you know your bottom tension is correct it\'s makes it a piece of cake to adjust the top and get perfect stitching. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stitcher Posted December 14, 2007 Report Share Posted December 14, 2007 Don, An 18 - 20 setting on the Towa\'s they are talking about will be 180 - 200 on yours. They have 2 different scales for some reason. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
t257daf Posted December 14, 2007 Report Share Posted December 14, 2007 Richard, Thanks for the heads up on two different TOWA scales. A factor of 10 makes a big difference. I just spent 8 hrs. on a quilt at the lower setting. I checked it often and it seemed OK. I will retry at the 180-200 setting. I noticed my scale had units of 10 mN. I guess the others are just mN. The APQS web page talks about their bobbin inertia and touts the fact that it needs little tension. I felt comfortable at the really loose tension. Be interesting to see the difference. Wish there was a complete discussion of this topic someplace or on the APQS site. I have a question into their Tech Staff but have not gotten back a response yet. Don F \\_o Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
t257daf Posted December 15, 2007 Report Share Posted December 15, 2007 I just heard from APQS. All of their newer TOWA gauges have a scale from 0-400. The picture on the box still shows a scale running from 0-40 (I wish I had noticed that earlier). Heads up for all of you who are buying a new TOWA gauge! Muntiply the "normal" readings by 10. I asked the staff to verify that the tensions from older to newer gauges are just off by a factor of 10 because the scale units are also different. Don F \\_o Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gable428 Posted December 15, 2007 Report Share Posted December 15, 2007 Funny this thread came back up because I just had more struggles with Bottom Line. It seems no matter what I do, I can\'t get the stuff to work for me. It\'s been this way since day one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smorris Posted December 15, 2007 Report Share Posted December 15, 2007 Hi Karol I wonder if you had a bad cone. I have been using Bottomline since it first came out and haven\'t had a problem but last week I was setting up a new machine for a customer using Bottomline white and the thread kept breaking at the needle. I turned the cone upside down and adjusted the tension but nothing fixed the problem. I put on another cone of Bottomline and used the same tension and no breakage. Maybe you could try another cone and see how it goes. I run the top tensioner slightly looser than other threads too,. Good luck Sue in Australia Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmyhogan Posted December 17, 2007 Report Share Posted December 17, 2007 That is a beautiful quilt Bonnie. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RitaR Posted December 17, 2007 Report Share Posted December 17, 2007 Was it breaking threads that someone suggested lightly misting with water, and letting set until it\'s nearly totally dry? That might help, I still think I\'d try the silicone or Sewers Aid. I had to stitch 60 feet of self adhesive velcro today and used it on all 60 feet to keep from gumming the machine up, and help the thread not break. Worked like a charm. RitaR Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeannine Posted December 17, 2007 Report Share Posted December 17, 2007 I just started using BL thread in the last two quilts I did. I don\'t have a longarm, just a Janome 1600P on a Grace frame, but I have great luck. I only had to adjust the tension a teeny weeny bit. I use Tri lobal poly. on the top. I also used the tying off method on the last quilt and liked it better even though it took more time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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