Tension - Specifically TOP only

[hansondj]

I have a problem with my TOP tension - and I can't seem to figure out what is causing it. I quillted all weekend and everything was fine. Now last night, I went to work on a small baby quilt and I've nothing but troubles (and lots of ripping out!). My top thread kept breaking and after the 3rd time, I knew something must be up.

Does anyone know, does anything that makes up the tension knob area go bad? When I thread the machine and just pull the thread to test the TOP TENSION ONLY, I notice that the thread seems to pull very unevenly - like fast, then slow (or easy, then hard). The machine is threaded correctly. I made sure there is no lint in the tension discs. What else can it be???

[meg]

maybe if you unthread the top guide by guide pulling the thread through in between each unthreading you can determine where the problem is? does that make sense to you?

maybe you have a rough spot on one of the guides that is catching the thread and breaking it.

[jmcclannan]

Occasionly my thread gets wrapped around my tension assembly. that causes all kinds of trouble and it isn't obviously till you start checking things out.

[Bonnie]

There are many things that can go hey wire from one hour to the next or one day to the next. I've had the weather make a difference from sunny to night fall, the lack of moisture or to much. When I have problems related to these aspects I reach for the "sewers aid". I even put it down in the tenson disks when I have drag. Make a world of difference and helps me not pull my hair.

[Mary Beth]

Quilt tension can have a lot to do with problems like that too. Make sure your quilt is not too tight.

[quiltmonkey]

Have you tried a different spool of thread? It might be hanging up on something as it spools off.

Have you tried a new needle?

I have never heard of tension disc on top going bad... so I will be bold and assume that most likely it's OPERATOR ERROR! You could take a Qtip that is dipped in rubbing alcohol and rub between the discs to clean off any gunk or buildup in there. I do that every few months.

Whenever I have tension problems it's usually caused from the bobbin, not the top. So start from square 1; ground zero; the beginning.

First to clean your bobbin area to make sure no fuzz, fluff or gunk build up in there. Use canned air, air compressor followed by WD 40 spray, spin out and then wipe clean and then add a few drops of oil to bobbin race.

Loosen your bobbin tension so when you do the drop test, it drops slowly-but-consistently--like a spider on a web--- (not too fast and not to slow). Adjust the bobbin screw until you get that sort of drop with the bobbin. Then, you loosen (or tighten) your top thread tension accordingly until you get a nice top stitch.

OK I am going to explain this to you: FIRST you set your bobbin tension. LAST you set your top thread tension.

Bobbin tension: I don't have a "towa" gauge I just use the "spider drop" test for my bobbins. I insert bobbin and hold in left hand and pick up tail with right fingers (do this over a table or quilt so you don't drop bobbin on floor!!!) and as you pick up the bobbin from your palm, it should start to roll and slide easily. Roll slow and drop down steady like a spider. If it doesn't roll or drop down it is TOO TIGHT and you need to make very small incremental adjustments until the tension spring rolls smoothly. After you get that set and you are happy, put it in the machine.

Top Tension: You run this through the top tension and guides and needle as normal and I usually pull on the thread and look at my tension disks and adjust until it is about 8:00 PM when pulling. Then I use a scrap quilt sandwich and I run the machine to test stitches. I ONLY TOUCH THE TOP TENSION KNOB!! NO MORE TOUCHING BOBBIN. I run a few test stitch lines and feel the stitching. I can see the bobbin thread barely peeking up through the hole that the needle makes, that is the goal. If I don't see the bobbin thread, I tighten top a bit; if I see too much bobbin thread, I loosen the top. Easy easy. You will get it...just keep practicing and playing. Pretty soon you will "get it" and the rest is history!!!

[CrazyAboutQuilting]

Shana, Your explanation for adjusting tension is the best thing ever! I have been meaning to tell you that and thank you for it for quite some time now. I have not had any tension problems since I have doing it just like you say and I have used a wide variety of different threads. Thread tension doesn't even make me nervous anymore because I feel like I've "got it'! So thank you, thank you, thank you!

[quiltmonkey]

Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay!!!!!!!!!!

You just made my day.

:) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :)

[hansondj]

Great advice! I know it's not the bobbin or the tautness of the quilt simply because I can tell something is not quite right when I pull on the thread - by hand (from under the hopping foot) before I am even running my machine. When I get back to the quilter, I am going to take a good look at the spool of thread itself. Maybe something's funky with that. I spent more time ripping out stitches than I did looking reasons beyond how the machine was threaded. . .

I too, do not get nervous about different types of threads and tension. I am constantly adjusting and have never had problems before. That's why this time had gotten me so baffled!

But I'm glad everyone's advice has helped others!! That's awesome! Great!!

[hansondj]

Oops, forgot to ask. Bonnie, what exactly is "sewers aid"?

[Chocoholic]

Start off by unthreading your top thread. Then take a small piece of nylon stocking (other things that 'catch' on stuff might work as well, such as yarn, if you don't have any old nylons) and run it through all the little thread guides. Does it stick in any of them? You may have a burr in one of them.

Next clean out the tension disks using a bit of alcohol on a Q-tip.

Change your needle.

If this all checks out, re-thread the machine and try again.

If you are still having problems, try another spool of thread.

This didn't work either? Then I might (notice I say might) suspect your tension disk. I had a machine recently where the tension disk had slipped too far back into the machine. There should be a bit of space between the disk assembly and the 'wall' of the machine. There is a way to adjust this, and so if your tension disk is tight up against the machine, let me know and I'll tell you how to fix that.

Tension disk in the right spot? Thread just until you are through the tension disk and then pull the thread. Watch the little spring that moves up and down and the thread is pulled. Is it catching somewhere in its path. You will have to watch closely to see this. You might just need a new spring.

Let me know if you are still having problems and I can probably come up with some more things to try.

[Chocoholic]

Oh, and I am not Bonnie, but Sewers Aid is a silicone product which makes your thread/ machine parts slippery so the thread goes through easier. This is a last resort for me when I have definitely determined that the thread is at fault. It is wonderful when needed, but won't do you any good if you have a burr somewhere in the thread path that is catching your thread.

[belquilt]

Shana's method works, as I had problems a couple of times and she sent me her "hints". Also I believe that all our machines have their own "character" and different threads work on some machines and not others. I set bobbin cases for different threads and mark them and that makes my machine happy. And then I ONLY ADJUST THE TOP TENSION!!!

So find the recipe that your machine likes.

Isn't the help great on the forum??? Gotta love it.