Using a Towa Gauge for better Tension

[Deb34285 21]

Hi All,

For those of you that are new to using a longarm and are struggling with tension, I posted a YouTube video on using the Towa gauge as a guideline to ease/understand tension problems . I hope this helps some newbies out there as my relationship with George certainly improved this past year when I started using a Towa . 

Best,

Debbie

http://www.thequiltjournal.com/using-towa-gauge-better-bobbin-tension/

https://youtu.be/bmW6qwotQGQ

 

 

[judyday 167]

You convinced me. I watched your video and ordered one. Not here yet though. Thanks.

[Quilting Regina 10]

I've been thinking about ordering one of these. Superior Threads has a chart, I think, with guidelines for what tension level to start with on particular machines. Has anyone used those guidelines? Are they a good place to start? Did you still have to do a lot of tweaking or no?

[Sheila S. 79]

I am a newbie on the Lenni and just ordered one. I have heard enough comments to make me think it is money worth spending.

[maggienoella 250]

I went a year without one trying to not spend the money, but I found that it is worth having one.  Just be sure to set it at the recommended starting point according to the brand of machine you have.

Joan

[Cagey 770]

Regina:

 

Some of the experts here shared their TOWA numbers in a thread I started awhile back; http://forum.apqs.com/index.php?/topic/37371-towa-setting-and-thread-path-for-thread-brandtype/?hl=%2Btowa+%2Bnumbers#entry510651

 

I hope they help.  You can search for TOWA numbers, and a few threads come up.

 

Cagey

[Deb34285 21]

So far I have found the least expensive place to buy a Towa is if another member is selling theirs, rarely there is a good deal on eBay, but sometimes you get lucky. New I have found Superior and Amazon are pretty close in price last time I looked.

Yes Superior has a tension chart, but they are for DSM as it is focusing on top tension. Superiors does have a thread chart that does give needle suggestion for each thread that is useful.

I agree with Cagey, there are several posts about the Towa and setting your bottom tension, and Linda is a huge wealth of knowledge that shares so freely. Linda does point out that with certain threads you may have to tweak more then others. Keeping a note book helps .

You really only have to tweak a lot in the beginning to figure out where your machine likes to live( mine is around 150, others are 180 or 200 ) Once you know what your number is, setting each bobbin to that number becomes quick and easy - for most threads, adjusting the rest of the tension from the top by changing my threading or lowering the tension dial or both- again the notebook helps.... I go to sleep and forget my the next day what I did lol! For me the Towa has made bottom tension so much more straight forward.

Hope this helps

[jimerickson 474]

Good advice offered by Deb.  IMHO, every longarmer should have a TOWA bobbin tension gauge.  Not simply because it helps you set your tension, but more importantly in my opinion, it helps you trouble shoot problems you can't see.  You can identify bent or out of round bobbins (I stopped buying a certain type of bobbin because they were frequently out of round).  I would have never been able to find that without the help of the gauge.  A mis-shapened bobbin case will come to your attention as well.

 

I'm not quite so keen on the reference list because there seems to be so much variation in thread size, even that of the same type and manufacture, just different color.  Temperature and humidity also seem to play into it.  Don't let me discourage making and using a list, I've just not found it to be helpful.  Let me qualify that, I almost always use the same thread combo-YLI Longarm Pofessional, Superior Bottom Line-  May be a list would be very helpful if I changed combos often.  Jim

[Quilting Regina 10]

Never even thought of a bobbin being out of round. Hmmm. So much to think about.

[Quilta93 374]

For those of you that are new to using a longarm and are struggling with tension, I posted a YouTube video on using the Towa gauge as a guideline to ease/understand tension problems .

Thanks Debbie for the video. It was helpful, especially when you said you check every bobbin with the Towa. I recently purchased a Towa. I wound about 6 bobbins, one right after the other, and I decided to check them out. They registered from 100 up to 200, even tho they looked about the same. I'll be sure to check every bobbin before I use it from now on.

Deb.

[Sheila S. 79]

Ladies, I really feel stupid and the person that gave me a lesson on my lenni told me the right way to put the bobbin in a bobbin case but I have forgotten which way the thread should come off the bobbin. When I put the bobbin in the case and I am looking at the bobbin side of the case should the thread come off in a clockwise or counter clockwise? I am thinking clockwise but for some reason I am second guessing myself.

Thank you for taking the time to reading this and hopefully for the right answer.

Sheila

[Cagey 770]

Clockwise.

 

Cagey

[jimerickson 474]

Just to clarify.  The bobbin should turn clockwise.  I think the thread actually comes off the bobbin in a counter clockwise fashion.  Jim

[Mary Beth 840]

I had one before, and will be getting one this time. I used mine with every bobbin. 

[cynthiaellen 1]

My LQS sells a different brand of longarm machine but also services my domestic machines. She told me to hold the bobbin up and the thread should come off the bobbin like a numeral "9" no matter what type machine l am using. This has been an easy way for me to forget about counter and clockwise and has worked great for me.