magna glide bobbins

[meg]

hi

i've been busy trying to figure out some thread breakage issues tht lola-baby has been having.

with amy's help, i found a burr on my assembly and sanded it smooth. ALL BY MYSELF!

(i know, i'm a rockstar)

i adjusted my hopping foot..with dh.

but i have a question that has been rattling around in my brain since i started using the magna glide bobbins....

????when i do the drop test for the bobbin. it doesn't move. it just hangs there.

is this what it should be doing or should i REALLY LOOSEN the bobbin tension?????

yes - i have removed the check spring.

thanks for the help!

[ffq-lar]

Hmmmm--the m-gs don't drop-test well because they need a jerk to get them started! (No comments about user-error, kiddies!):P:P

How about putting them in the machine and bringing the bobbin thread up through the quilt sandwich? Give an even pull on the bobbin thread to see if you are getting the same resistance as your top thread when pulled through the eye of the needle. Adjust if necessary and test your stitches on the side.

And yes--you are a rockstar!!

[Guest Linda S]

Yep - magna glides will not work in the drop test, as the magnet is designed to hold them in place. I'd really invest in a Towa gauge. They are so very worth it.

[meg]

i always use a towa to check my initial tension.

but i use a drop test before the towa to get in the right neighborhood when i wind my own bobbins.

i thought that this would be the answer cause the magnet keeps it from dropping.

the same principle that stops its from over spinning when you stop sewing.

thanks guys - i just had to ask to be sure.

[meg_marsh]

I use the magna glides all the time - spend the extra time during prep time to figure the towa reading - then it is a quick change, read (adjust if necessary) & go. I have found that different fabric combinations do make a difference for my final "towa" reading, but once found, I stick to it throughout the quilt.

[LisaC]

I use the same bobbin case for just my magnetic bobbins and rarely adjust tension. I do have the finer white and black I bought in bulk and I have to tighten the tension a bit for those, but all my colors stay pretty much the same.

[Sandra Darlington]

I find that my Magna Glide bobbins test differently from bobbin to bobbin on the Towa, so I have to check each one and make adjustments as necessary.

[cathyh]

I have never heard of these bobbins until this forum- I love this forum!

Do most of you out there using the magnetic bobbins just use white or black? I am having a hard time finding them in colors. Millies can only use size L bobbins, right?

[Quilting Heidi]

Yes Meg you are a rockstar! You are right the drop test won't work. I had the towa but found that I go by feel most of the time. I pull the bobbin and then the upper thread to see if they have about the same tension on them. Rarely do I have to change tension with bobbin changes. I do have my bobbin case set much looser for magna bobbins than for regular bobbins but that is to compensate for the extra effort needed to pull the bobbin thread and that way I don't have to change my upper tension when I change to regular bobbins that I wind. The bobbins I wind have a little more tension on them to get them to the same "feel" as magna bobbins. Clear as mud right?

[GrandmaLKB]

I have never heard of these bobbins until this forum- I love this forum!

Do most of you out there using the magnetic bobbins just use white or black? I am having a hard time finding them in colors. Millies can only use size L bobbins, right?

[

Have you gone to their website? http://www.bobbincentral.com

They have some colors in the Magna Glide Classics and a lot more in the Magna Glide Delights. The Classics are what I use the most because the have the most thread on them. The Delights are very nice too, but not as much thread. It's the same thread as the Glide on the cone. I find I use the Cream or White in the Classics the most. The grays are OK too for darker fabrics. Depends on what I am using on top ! Yes, the Millies use the L bobbin.

[cathyh]

Thanks, Linda, for the website, I had not been there before. I have never used any Fil-tec thread but will definitely be trying it, especially the Magna Glide bobbins.

I know I am using L style bobbins but I have seen comments on APQS machines using M style also, which, if i understand correctly,holds more thread. I was just wondering if this is an option you would pick when ordering the machine or if my Millie can use either one.

[srichardson]

Thanks, Linda, for the website, I had not been there before. I have never used any Fil-tec thread but will definitely be trying it, especially the Magna Glide bobbins.

I know I am using L style bobbins but I have seen comments on APQS machines using M style also, which, if i understand correctly,holds more thread. I was just wondering if this is an option you would pick when ordering the machine or if my Millie can use either one.

Cathy,

APQS machines used to only have L sized bobbins. Recently an option became available to order some of the machines with an M sized bobbin which is bigger and does hold more thread. Your machine will be one or the other, you cannot switch back and forth between sizes.

Welcome to the forum.