BobbieJones Posted March 13, 2011 Report Share Posted March 13, 2011 Has anyone ever had a problem where you will get one stitch on top that is loose? Everything else looks good. It's very sporadic and is driving me crazy. Any solutions or help is very much appreciated. (King Tut on top and bottom line -prewound on bottom) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ffq-lar Posted March 13, 2011 Report Share Posted March 13, 2011 Yep--happens to me all the time with King Tut. Tighten the top tension a bit and make sure the cone is covered with Sewer's Aid. As soon as you get another loop, you will find you need to re-apply. I nudge those sporadic loops with a used needle to distribute the extra along the adjacent stitches. It's a pain, though! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimerickson Posted March 13, 2011 Report Share Posted March 13, 2011 Check the tension on your take up spring. I had this problem on both my Ult 2 and Gammill Classic, tightened the take up springs, and results were much improved. Good luck. Jim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meg Posted March 13, 2011 Report Share Posted March 13, 2011 i just got that tension thingy from superior threads and king tut runs great in my machine now. BUT - the bobbin tension is so much tighter than i normally run it. if you have a towa gauge - go to their website and try to use their recommended setting in the bobbin and adjust the top tension from there. you'l be shocked at how well it runs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobbieJones Posted March 13, 2011 Author Report Share Posted March 13, 2011 Jim: I'm not sure what you mean by take up spring. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
witha'K'quilting Posted March 13, 2011 Report Share Posted March 13, 2011 The take up check spring is on the tension assembly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
witha'K'quilting Posted March 13, 2011 Report Share Posted March 13, 2011 I usually run my top tension so that the take up spring pulls down to around the 9 oclock position on a clock face. Every now and then a thread combination will result in small loops for me too...but I either do as linda rech described above...or after washing, they even out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimerickson Posted March 13, 2011 Report Share Posted March 13, 2011 Bobbie: The take up spring is the little wire spring that comes out of the cone thread tension mech. (my APQS manual calls it the "check" spring) It pulls some of the slack out of the thread when the take up lever goes down. My manual (for an Ult 2 ) says it "should be at approximately 11 o'clock in it's resting position". I'm not sure whether your machine adjusts the same way as mine, but I think I just loosened the whole mech. via the allen head set screw on the back of the sewing head, and rotated it a bit to give some additional tension. My manual doesn't have instructions for adjusting it. Regards. Jim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sewlinzi Posted March 13, 2011 Report Share Posted March 13, 2011 Only with King Tut!... after adjusting tension, you may also need to quilt more slowly Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobbieJones Posted March 13, 2011 Author Report Share Posted March 13, 2011 My check spring in the resting position is at 11 o'clock and comes down to 9 when I pull my top thread. That appears correct to me. I'm now getting pretty good tension except at my points. I have what appears to be a double stitch - meaning my top thread is showing on the bottom at the points only. I've had practice fabric on my machine for two days playing with it and just can't get it right. If the machine wasn't so big I would probably drop kick it. I'm totally frustrated! Prior to this I spent 12 hours UN-quilting. Can you say "bad" weekend. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobbieJones Posted March 13, 2011 Author Report Share Posted March 13, 2011 I really do appreciate everyone help! Thank you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
witha'K'quilting Posted March 13, 2011 Report Share Posted March 13, 2011 Sorry to hear about the troubles you are having. Hang in there. Tension sound much better now. I personally avoid king tut..but have run thicker threads with so fine in the bobbin. It is all about balance..and you sound like you are getting it. If it makes you feel better...i have one machine I have been working on for a week and still keep breaking threads and can't get tension right on. I am probably going to change bobbin case and start over. Perseverance is the key. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
witha'K'quilting Posted March 13, 2011 Report Share Posted March 13, 2011 Oh..and I wouldn't recommend drop kicking your machine...would probably hurt your toe...and the machine! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quiltmonkey Posted March 13, 2011 Report Share Posted March 13, 2011 Originally posted by BobbieJones Has anyone ever had a problem where you will get one stitch on top that is loose? Everything else looks good. It's very sporadic and is driving me crazy. Any solutions or help is very much appreciated. (King Tut on top and bottom line -prewound on bottom) Sporadic loops on bottom mean your top tension is too loose. Go looser in the bobbin so it drops like a spider on the web. Tighten top until you start to see a peek of the knot down inside the hole of the stittch. Make sure your bobbin area is blown out and free of lint. And an oiled bobbin hook / race. Sewer's Aid is your friend. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobbieJones Posted March 13, 2011 Author Report Share Posted March 13, 2011 Thanks everyone for your help. I'm still working on getting the top thread so it doesn't show at my points on the bottom. I'm paranoid as I can't take a chance with bad tension. I've already unquilted the quilt I need to get done once . It's a batik so I can't do it again without damage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Myrna Ficken Posted March 13, 2011 Report Share Posted March 13, 2011 I would tighten the top tension and make sure your top is not to tight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobbieJones Posted March 14, 2011 Author Report Share Posted March 14, 2011 I've given up for the day! I've tried all of your suggestions and can't seem to get it. I do appreciate all of your help. Maybe tomorrow will be a better day. It's been a very long weekend. Changed my needle, changed my bobbin case and spring, used sewer's aid, loosened and tightened the tension and still can't get it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnCavanaugh Posted March 14, 2011 Report Share Posted March 14, 2011 Bobbie, I'm sorry I didn't get to the Form over the weekend until tonight to help you with your thread troubles! King Tut can be finicky, for sure. Here are a few more things to try, especially when you get the tension changes at the points or corners. The reason that happens is that the needle is doing a "whiplash" action there. Know how your head snaps when you hit your brakes on the car very hard? That's what the needle does, too. That causes the change in tension at the points. You can battle that in a couple of different ways. First, a stronger needle could help quite a bit since it reduces that whiplash flexing. Second, (and this will sound counter-intuitive to what you've done so far) loosen the top and bobbin tension a bit more. When the top and bobbin thread have tighter tension (albeit good tension) the thread pressure also pulls on the needle as you change direction, like a tire on the end of a rope. Looser top an bobbin tension reduces the knotting or pulling at the corners. Third, slowing down at the corners can have a big impact, too. As for the occasional loop on the top, that's often caused by the thread losing consistent pressure for an instant. To help with that, put a piece of batting in the first thread guide directly above the cone if you haven't already done so. This prevents any erratic thread behavior past the spool. If you're still having trouble, give me a call tomorrow and we'll work on it together! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hitomi Posted March 14, 2011 Report Share Posted March 14, 2011 Does it help to use a larger needle? Soemtimes if I have problems with thread breaking, I change the needle to the 18's. Especially with King Tut. I put sewer's aide in my hand and then rub my hands together, then I wrap my hands around the cone and rub it in. Don't know if that's the way I'm suppose to put it on but it works for me. Maybe someone can tell me how they put the sewer's aide on? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quiltmonkey Posted March 14, 2011 Report Share Posted March 14, 2011 Originally posted by Hitomi ....Maybe someone can tell me how they put the sewer's aide on? I run it across the cone vertically in lines or drip drops in spots along the cone Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobbieJones Posted March 14, 2011 Author Report Share Posted March 14, 2011 Dawn: I gave up on the King Tut/bottom line combination. I can't get the tension right. The quilt is batik and I'm fearful if I have more trouble I can't afford to take the stitching out again. I'm using Quilter's Dream Blend for batting. My needle is a 4.0 Groz-Beckert 10 NM 110/18. I've switched to Rainbow for my top thread now and I just finished re-loading it. I've had trouble off and on with the Groz-Beckert needles ever since I started using them. I liked the old Singer ones and I know the Groz-Beckert are suppose to be the same. What needles do you suggest? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bekah Posted March 14, 2011 Report Share Posted March 14, 2011 Bobbie, just a question about your needles, do they have the MR on them? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobbieJones Posted March 14, 2011 Author Report Share Posted March 14, 2011 Bekah: No "MR" that I can see on the needles or the packaging. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nanbrug Posted March 14, 2011 Report Share Posted March 14, 2011 I don't know if it will help but I have a new Millie and for months she has given me fits. Finally my rep sold me a new bobbin case and sure as day it's better. I haven't tied King Tut again that's what I started with and it ran crazy stitches. I tried SoFine on top and bottom and got the new bobbin case and it's better. Good luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobbieJones Posted March 14, 2011 Author Report Share Posted March 14, 2011 I have changed bobbin cases and it didn't help. I love King Tut but I just can't get the tension right. I'm sure it's me and I sure wish I could figure it out. Thank you for your suggestion though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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