Tension Headache: Please Help Bekah! Ideas???

[quiltmonkey]

Originally posted by Bekah

Hi all, well, I won't be there and I am so disappointed, Was really looking forward to it. but took the first quilt for latvia off of the frame and right in the middle the tension god came a visiting so I now get to frog and figure out how in teh world with working 3/4 time I am to get 4 quilts done by next weekend. My husband has kind of said, if I can't figure out this tension mess I have to sell my machine so please keep my poor beasty in your thoughts. I would hate to give it up, but I may have no choice, It is so frustrating.

Have a great time today and be sure and post all about it. I hope to be there next time.

Bekah,

I don't want you to get rid of your beloved Milli over those annoying little tension headaches! I'm not a seasoned veteran with a history of potential quirks that may occur with a longarm, but here is an idea for you: Have you tried eliminating different things to narrow down the problem? Such as, have you tried different batting? What type of batting are you using? Perhaps try something with more loft?

Check out this thead started by Teresa. Dawn Cavanaugh gave her some good tips on checking the machine and lint.

http://www.apqs.com/quiltboard/viewthread.php?tid=6167

Good luck, Bekah. Don't give up hope just yet! In fact, never give up! Don't do it or I'll have to come down there...

[ffq-lar]

Hang on, Bekah!!!!

I am a big fan of pre-wound Bottom Line bobbins--they hold miles of thread and are always evenly loaded with consistant tension. I place the bobbin in the case, tear off the outside cardboard and then check the tension with the Towa gauge (my machine likes BL cardboard bobbins at 17 to 20 on the gauge).

The top tension is figured just by pulling the thread through the needle and towards the rear of the machine. You will get a feel for the sweet spot after time--I like the pulled thread to deflect the tension spring down to 8 o'clock.

I use Sewer's Aid on all cotton threads and a thread net on all poly top threads.

We have all had tension troubles and when you find a combo that works great you will figure a way to use them all the time (as Norece said.)

Good luck--you can come play at my house if you want to road-trip to Olympia!

Linda Rech

[Bekah]

Thanks everyone. You are all the best and keep me going when I can't seem to anymore.

I tried all of Dawn's tips yesterday. I am using King Tut and prewound Bottom Line. I have not tried getting rid of the bottom cardboard, will try that, did go buy some sewer's aid for the thread, did check my gauge and had it at 18. did not do the the batting through the first thread guide, will try that, was using warm and natural, went to Joann's and got some poly by warm and will try that tonight on the second quilt. will be frogging the first one on the train ride to work. And I have tightened the top tension some more and will try to learn to sloooow down. I am not going to give up but have only three more quilts to find my sweet spot so keep the suggestions coming. I absolutely love my machine and being able to dance and sing with her and really want to learn how to make her happy.

shanna, this has been an ongoing problem since I first got my Millie. Of course, I had to take the winter off as I had a leak in my shop and had to keep everything all covered up. Leak is now fixed so now I can really get started.

thanks again to all of you for your encouragement and support. It means an awful lot

[Bekah]

Linda, you may find me at your doorstep some day. it would maybe help to be with someone who has so much experience and does such a good job.

[ffq-lar]

Bekah--

Thank you for the nice compliment! Bless you! You are welcome any time--I missed the Portland group this time, but maybe next time I will visit you first to play!

Here is another tension hint I got from Larry of LarrysLiner fame---

You have loaded the top and decided on thread. To test the tension, move the machine to the side and take a muslin sandwich (about a foot square) and use that to test the tension. Needle down, pull up the bobbin thread, do NOT engage the SR, put the speed at about 9 and start the machine. Move the fabric under the needle--you remember those free-motion days on your DSM! I move and stitch straight lines and loops. Stop, pull the fabric out and turn over. Check those stitches, adjust, and test again. Whoohoo! No stitches on the side of the top, no bending down to look under, no necessity to attach a piece to the rollers to test. Too easy!! Thanks Larry!

BTW I like the Liner--I can use it occasionally without the base-expander, but it works best with.

Linda Rech

[countrystitcher]

Linda/thanks for passing on Larry's tip - I'm going to try it next time instead of trying to get the muslin onto my rollers. Great idea!

Bekah, don't give up girl - you just have to find what thread works best on your machine and for you. I've found Signature and King Tut are my best friends. I wind all my own bobbins on a stand-alone and also put my right thumb on the bobbin as it is winding and my left hand hold the thread. It works pretty well.

Saying a quick prayer for you today!

Sharon.

[BethDurand]

Linda,

Thank you so much for the tip you passed on from Larry. I remembered the tip from the last Portlander meeting, but had forgotten who said it. I've been using it ever since, and am just about due for another muslin sandwich for practicing. It's got about 2 months worth of thread tests on it, and getting full. Really one of the best ideas I've ever heard.

Beth

[dtreusch]

When I'm adjusting tension, I've found that it works best for me to tighen up the top tension until I start to see loops of the bobbin thread on top, then back off the tension about 1/4 turn. I seldom have tension problems IN ANY DIRECTION since I started doing this.

I always test the tension using the sandwich tip Linda described and writ the word 'box'. I think writing 'box' came from a class somehere that I took. I don't remember for sure. In any case, writing 'box' takes the machine in all directions for testing tension.

Debbi

[lovetwoquilt]

Linda- i had sent you a U2U, however I don't believe that you read it. I was thanking you so much for the tip on the top tension spring moving from 10 o'clock to 8 o'clock (mine is at 11 o'clock to 9 o'clock) That was the best tip ever!!!! It has helped me so much.

Thank you, thank you........Lani

[Bekah]

oh I can hardly wait to get off of my job and hurry home and make a sandwich. thank you so much for that tip. and for the word "box" and for all the wonderful advice. so do you all use Bottom Line in your bobbins even with King Tut? I had thought about winding some So Fine and trying that. I don't have any Bottom Line spools just the prewounds. so I am confused about takin off the cardboard, won't the thread fall apart? does that make sense?

[ffq-lar]

Hi all---

For Lani--I sent you a U2U back but forgot to do a reminder on the chat! All the tips I pass along are "borrowed" from other people--magazines, chat-members, teachers--I take no credit and am happy to share as they first shared with me!!!

For Bekah--the cardboard-sided pre-wound BL bobbins work well. I insert the bobbin in the case first and only tear off the cardboard on the outside. You will understand this sequence better when you tear off one side, insert in the case and realize that you tore off the inside instead of the outside cardboard. (BTDT!!) The inside cardboard must stay on for my machine as my backlash spring tends to tear up the thread (but not the cardboard.)

Those little pre-wounds are so tightly wound (and I think treated with sizing or starch) that they just unwind perfectly. I use them in my Viking DSM with both sides on or both sides off. Also, Bekah--we'll be driving through Portland headed for Disneyland about 6 p.m. on Friday and will be glad to slow down long enough for you to jump in and go with!!!

Have fun, all!!

Linda Rech

[BethDurand]

Hey Linda,

If you are taking Bekah to Disneyland, take me too! Granted I'm far from "small" at 6'0", but could be the tour guide. Tie me onto the roof. I've got the time off work so that I could go to Utah, but that fell through, so take me too!

Beth

[quiltmonkey]

Waaaah! I wanna go to Disneyland, too! :( How come Beth always gets to ride on the roof? It's not fair!

(pouting with sad face, hands on hips, lower lip hanging out, stomping left foot and throwing a tantrum)

[kennan100]

Whoa there Shuana! Get a grip on your priorities! Remember, if you come south you wanted to go to Utah to see Myrna! Weigh it out now...deep breaths...close your eyes...Disneyland...MYRNA...Disneyland...MYRNA...MYRNA....MYRNA....take a deep breath....focus....you ok now?

Ok, Beth, move over, I'm coming up while Shauna is hyperventilating over there...

[Pats]

Back to tension. I took a class from Nicole Webb, and one of the things she said that has helped me is to count a rhythm, like a metronome, while you are sewing. I think those of us with speed control miss out on some of the stuff taught before speed regulators, and I've used this counting method and it helps me keep the speed the same, which helps keep the tension from messing up.

Pats:)

[Bekah]

thanks Pats. I think some of it might be a speed issue. my machine seems to think it is a race horse.

Linda, where should I be so I can jump in? LOL. seriously wouldn't that be fun for all of us to climb on her car and go. Have a wonderful time for all of us

I can not begin to tell you all how much your support means to me at this time. It is just like getting a huge dose of sunshine.

[Myrna Ficken]

Okay girls. here is the plan Lets all pick a central spot, all get together work on tension issues. Maybe a couple of other days of stuff. Have some laughs, fun, cheers, cry if you want. Either way we'll have a blast and great learning experience. Any ideas where? I am supposed to be in Colorado Springs in July. Can y'all make it? I am open fvor suggestions. Bekah give me a cll if you like.

Myrna

[Bekah]

well thank you all. here are some of the fixes I tried and it seems to be working, at least yesterday, won't know about today until I get off work.

did not have a plastic toothpick to put under the little area where the thread goes into the bobbin, Myrna said use a business card, I did, and I do believe there was a miniscule piece of lint stuck there.

cleaned and recleaned,

silicone on the thread so it would unwind more smoothly,

changed batting to a poly from Warm and Natural

change tension on my bobbin case, it was a little too lose,

tightened up the top tension (again)

and made sure teh thread was snug into the tension disks, and it wasn't. I was so surprised.

oh screamed very loudly,

got on my knees and prayed,

threatened to pick up the machine and toss it out the door (Don't think it was too scared about that happening but you never can tell LOL)

called Myrna, talked to Melody, cried and sang it songs.

lets hope I don't have to add anything new today. it is hard enough doing all of that before you quilt:D

[suzakel]

Hi Bekah!

I decided to log on to see what's new since I'm not quilting today. From my post under tension issues, you can see I'm not an expert on the subject, but I will share something Marilyn Badger shared when she taught in Des Moines. She says that she adjusts the top tension so that there isn't any flex in the needle when she pulls the thread through the needle. So, hopefully I'm relaying this information correctly. This is what I do. I loosen up the top tension so there is no flex in the needle when I pull on thread. Then, I tighten the tension until there is a bit of flex in the needle and then I back off just a little. Does that make sense? Then I stitch some on a practice piece to see if I have it right. I actually marked my tension knob with a red dot for the thread I use most. The other threads are a bit of a turn one way or the other depending on their weight, fiber content, and how they're constructed.

BTW, Marilyn also told me that she almost always uses a 3.5 needle. Sometimes I just have to use a 4, but she says I shouldn't have to.

Have a great weekend!

Sue

[quiltmonkey]

Hey, Bekah. This might help you. I'm not sure if anyone else has done this, but as a newbie-longarmer myself, this is what I've done that has helped me (so far):

When I first got the longarm, I watched the APQS DVD about four times over a span of a week. While I was watching the DVD, I took copious notes on the steps to clean the bobbin and hook area, the little hints about how to insert the needle correctly, how to clean the bobbin case, and to ensure I use the proper tool (only a plastic pick) to clean the bobbin case area where the thread tension spring is, how to adjust the hopping foot, the proper tool to use to clean the lint from under the thread cutter... I also wrote down the the hints about how to thread the top of the machine (and to ensure the thread is snug in the tension disks), I also wrote down the steps on how to properly clean the bobbin case and adjust the tension in the bobbin (and then only after ensuring the bobbin tension is good, then I should adjust the top tension). I also wrote down all the little maintenance tools I would need to purchase for "my" tool box (no husband's grubby paws are allowed in my tool box!), and now I've got me a well-stocked tool box with everything I need to keep Mademoiselle Madeline humming happily.

Then, after playing with my Milli a few times, I watched the DVD again this past weekend and I caught even more stuff that I missed from my many previous pages of notes...(personally, it helps for me to write stuff down in order for it to sink into my thick skull). There is so much info to try to remember it all. Ugh! I'm trying, though. I guess what I'm trying to say is to watch your DVD every once in a while to sweep out the cobwebs on troubleshooting and maintenance. The DVD maintenance section talks about opening up the side panel where the wicks are once a month to ensure the wicks haven't been displaced, and to ensure that everything is being oiled properly). There is a lot of great stuff in that DVD and it's good review.

[kennan100]

Shauna,

I think you are my clone. I know I'm older so I get to be the original! I'm the same way about reading, watching, studying, taking notes, all of it! If I write it down, I've pretty much got it!! If I could get my hands on the dvd, adn manuals for the Millie and the lift and everything I'd be soooooo ready when I get mine! I can't get Millie yet, but there's nothing to say I can't get the toolbox together, books, pantos, practice muslins, practice quilts, teaching dvds, rulers, threads, other notions, and all the misc. things that go with the quilting! I can do all that now. I just don't have room for the Millie and then funds for that together yet!