GERRY Posted November 1, 2006 Report Share Posted November 1, 2006 I can't figure this out, I get my tension just right, I check it , quilt a bit, check it again, & everything is fine........................ When I advance the quilt, I see theat I have great tension in spots, & then a spot of about 20-30 stitches of bad tension, & then it's good again, this has been going on for a while now. I've adjusted the bobbin tension (done the drop test), ajusted the top tension, I use mostly "bottom line" pre-wound bob's & have tried differant threads (mostly Superior) Could this be a timeing issue??? CAN ANYONE HELP???? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Linda S Posted November 1, 2006 Report Share Posted November 1, 2006 Hi Gerry - while I know most folks love them. I cannot use the pre-wound bobbins. It is worth it to me every time to wind my own. How clean is your bobbin case? I also highly recommend the Towa Tension Gauge for bobbins. I couldn't live without mine. Linda Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stagecl Posted November 1, 2006 Report Share Posted November 1, 2006 Gerry, I recommend the Towa, too...it takes the guess work out of getting the right tension. I have noticed when I use the prewound bobbins that I get lint built up under the little flap on top of the bobbin case...where the thread feeds under to get to pull out the bobbin case. I don't know what the correct term is for that piece, but it is the piece that the tension screw is located in...does that make sense? I take a very fine pin and run it between the bobbin case and the tension flap...clean it out. Then I can adjust the tension again...cuz it doesn't work when there is lint built up there. It helps for stitch quality too. Hope that helps... Cheryl Mathre Stone Creek Quilting Sandy Hook, VA Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GERRY Posted November 2, 2006 Author Report Share Posted November 2, 2006 O.K. Linda why cann't you use pre-wounds? Thanks Cheryl, I checked all that, & if the tension was bad all the time, I would know how to fix it, but it's only bad intemently (here & there), maybe I need a new bobbin case, I have another one, I'll try that. Could it be a timming issue. Some of the pre-wound bob's I just recieved are plastic, I like them because they are far less linty insde the bobbin case, but I do need to use a different/ separate bobbin case for them, (one that I bent-up the little blue prongs inside the case) as they tend to over spin/backlash. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stagecl Posted November 2, 2006 Report Share Posted November 2, 2006 When nothing works...call APQS...they always are helpful...got to get back to froggin... Good luck, Cheryl Mathre Stone Creek Quilting Sandy Hook, VA Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susanri Posted November 2, 2006 Report Share Posted November 2, 2006 when I use prewound I have to rip the one side off the cardboard the side that goes into the bobbin case Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SylviaJ Posted November 3, 2006 Report Share Posted November 3, 2006 Hi Geraldine, I had the same issue as you using the plastic prewound bobbins. Don't know what gives with those!! I don't have tension issues! I have always used the cardboard sided prewounds sold by APQS. Love them! I also have three different bobbin cases. One for the poly prewounds (they weigh the least), one for the cotton prewounds (by Signature) and one for the metal bobbins (which weigh the most). I keep them in a box that is marked with the three types. All are set for their weight. One problem gone! And, I recommend the Towa bobbin gauge and double checking using the drop technique. You gals are on the right track. Always in stitches, Sylvia:cool: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickenscratch Posted November 3, 2006 Report Share Posted November 3, 2006 Sylvia, What do you mean when you say your babbin cases are set for the weight of the bobbins? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barbann03 Posted November 4, 2006 Report Share Posted November 4, 2006 Gerry, I was having the same problem and then I started having skipped stitches. I started investigating how to fix my timing and it turned out I just needed to make an adjustment of the shaft that holds the needle. Check your maintenance book and/or video. Your needle eye should be at a certain level. It's also important that your needle should be all the way up in the shaft. I just finished a quilt since doing that and it was PERFECT! Good luck! Barb:) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickenscratch Posted November 5, 2006 Report Share Posted November 5, 2006 OHHH!! I hate tension problems. I had spent half an hour making sure the tension was right before I started this customer's quilt. I mean, it was perfect. Red thread on the bottom, yellow thread on top and not a dot on either side. I quilted the first pass, no problems, rolled the quilt and did the second pass. Some red tops starting to come through on the top, so I loosened the top tension just the teeniest bit and kept going. It looked pretty good. I quilted that pass and rolled the quilt and guess what the whole thing was messed up on the back. I readjusted the tension to my original setting and now I can't get it set up at all. I have to rip out the whole thing. JEEZ! I'm about ready to send him the top and tell him I'm not qualified to do it. Could my machine be in need of new tension disks, springs, bobbin case, whatever. I have been fighting with tension a lot lately. Thread breaks or I have loops on the back. Railroad tracks on the front or on the back, etc. etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Linda S Posted November 5, 2006 Report Share Posted November 5, 2006 I get gopher guts on the back of my quilts when I use prewounds -- plastic or cardboard sided. When I wind my own bobbins, I have no tension problems. I just wind my own now and have no tension issues. I think it's well worth my time to wind them. Linda Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bekah Posted November 5, 2006 Report Share Posted November 5, 2006 Hi everyone. I can sympathize with everyone and tension problems, that is all I have had since I got my machine it seems. I haven't been able to even practice for about three weeks because of flu, leaky roof in the shop and it being 42 inside of metal building. and I am so lonesome for my machine I think I will even be glad to have tension problems to try to fix. I finally got my first quilt finished and by the end, the stitches were looking almost normal. I ended up redoing both the tension on the bobbin case and the top tension and tightening the bolts on the carriage. Have you checked whether the table is still level Gerry? It seems that was part of my problem. Boy have I missed everyone. It will take me a very long time getting caught up with all the postings. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barbann03 Posted November 5, 2006 Report Share Posted November 5, 2006 Hi, I have also received some very good advice from my mom to make sure the bobbin casing area is clean. I have started cleaning out and oiling about half way through my quilt, and everything works great! I have learned tHis is even more important if you are using cotton threads and/or batting! I was working on a quilt yesterday and it started skipping stitches about half way through. I stopped and cleaned everything out and rethreaded everything, and it's great! My two cents worth! Barb:) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeri Posted November 6, 2006 Report Share Posted November 6, 2006 Geraldine, I have very few tension problems but do when I have a quilt to do with poor quality fabric that has not been washed as the backing. I just did one that has intermittant tension problems and no matter what I did they would not go away completely. It seems to happen when I have a heavily sized bargin bin back that actually feels rather stiff. I've decided there's just not alot I can do about it, if I use a 50 or 60 wt thread it seems to work better but that's not always an option. A couple of different instructors have mentioned in classes that heavy sizing on unwashed fabrics will sometimes cause your thread to lay on top of the fabric rather than sinking into it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickenscratch Posted November 6, 2006 Report Share Posted November 6, 2006 Well, I'm sending my machine in to have the bobbin hook replaced and have the whole thing checked over and retimed. I figure it's worth it if I'm going to start getting customers. I have tried so much lately to adjust the tension that I really have it out of whack. Hopefully those APQS angels can get it running like new. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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