Hey, Dawn......Help!

[Phyllis]

When I quilt, I just use two bobbins....one in the machine and one on the winder. Today when I was almost to the end of a quilt, I ran out of bobbin thread, so I put the one that was on the winder in the machine and took off quilting. Hmmm, something didn't look right. Felt the back of the quilt and it didn't feel right either! Rats, drat and darn! ( or something to that effect) Had to frog back to where I started with the new bobbin. Took the bobbin out of the case and it looked fine..put it back in, did the drop test..fine there, but when I put it back in the machine and I pulled the bobbin thread up to the top it felt a little tight. Took it back out, checked everything..it was fine, put it back in the machine and it still pulled a little tight. Thought it had to be my imagination, so I started sewing....really bad tension. Frog, frog, frog:mad::mad::mad: Finally decided to try the other bobbin and it worked just fine. So what caused my bad tension problem with the other bobbin? I had used it on that quilt with no problem.......do bobbins go bad?? Did it maybe wind badly? I swear that sometimes there's a little grimlin in my machine that just loves to give me a jab once in awhile. Especially when I get kinda smug about not having any tension issues. It was just strange. Hey, Dawn, can you solve this mystery for me??

[DawnCavanaugh]

Boy, Phyllis, you sure have a mystery on your hands!

It's hard to diagnose what really happened without being there first hand. Here are a few things that could have caused the problem, but we'll probably never know for sure:

[*] Bobbins can go "bad", but typically only after a mishap like dropping it on the floor. It can get "out of round" and cause the bobbin to spin inconsistently in the case.

[*] Bobbins can also get a nick in the edge from a close call with a needle. The nick can then catch on the bobbin case as it rotates.

[*] When winding the bobbin, the thread might not have enough tension as it winds, creating a "spongy" bobbin. Check when you wind it that the thread feels firm if you press on it with your finger.

[*] Another mishap that can happen with the winder is that thread can pull out from between the tension discs (on a freestanding bobbin winder) and then pop back in again before you even notice it. This causes problems as the bobbin feeds and hits the poorly wound portion of the bobbin. This can also happen with machine-mounted bobbin winders.

To keep the thread between the tension discs when I wind a bobbin, I have been in the habit of putting a piece of batting in the thread guide above the spool to keep even tension on the thread. A thread net would serve the same purpose.

[*] I can have mishaps with bobbins just by getting the thread caught on something when I insert it. Sometimes it gets caught behind the bobbin case; other times I pinch it in the lever. I've removed and reinserted the same bobbin and case over a half-dozen times and have had the same problem. Correcting it has usually been as simple as trying a seventh time!

[*] The next time this happens (well, let's hope there isn't a next time) be sure to look inside the hook for a tiny thread tail trapped between the silver hook portion and the darker part behind it. Rotate the fly wheel by hand and inspect carefully. One measly thread in the wrong place down there can have an enormous impact on the bobbin.

Rotate the fly wheel until the hook is in a different position from its normal one, and then stick the straw of a can of compressed air into the little "hole" on the right side of the hook and blow. This will get out any little lint particles that might be trapped in the raceway and causing you problems.

I'll be anxious for you to try the bobbin again and see if it now magically behaves, and if the gremlins have left you alone for a while!

Crossing my fingers...

Dawn

[Mary Beth]

It's hard to diagnose what really happened without being there first hand.

Just another reason to live next door to Dawn!!

[quiltjunkie]

I just had the same thing happend to me, everytime I put in a full bobbin I would have tension problems, after I used up some of the thread is stopped, finally the last one was just too bad and I changed bobbin cases and viola no more problem.. I thing the spring is shot in that case.

[t257daf]

I also had a similar problem when I was trying to reuse a few plastic bobbins. The winder tension was too tight and it swelled the sides of the plastic bobbin just a bit. I noticed that pulling up the bobbin was harser than usual. Of course, it wouldn't stitch correctly. I discarded that one (actually I wound to another bobbin - I am a cheap engineer - with less tension, and it seemed to work fine. Won't reuse plastic again, though, as they started to crack too!

Dawn - Thanks for the tip with the batting on the thread guide. I got my Freedom used from an experienced long-armer and she had batting there. I didn't have a clue what it was for. Now I know and will put it back.

Don F \\_o

[catsigler]

Speaking of bobbins. I pulled out a new bobbin case yesterday and the check spring prevented the bobbin from resting completely inside. It protruded a little, so I didn't use it. Should I use it as is, or try to bend the check spring into submission?

[ffq-lar]

Hi Cathey---

My bobbins protrude every time and after checking the tension with the Towa gauge I put it in the machine. Inserting in the Towa Gauge will flatten the bobbin against the chack spring, which is also what will happen when to insert the bobbin case in the machine. Everything should work fine. I have more protrusion with a lighter bobbin--pre-wound plastic or cardboard for example.

Seems like your new bobbin case has a fresh check spring and it will stand a little taller.

Give it a try and then flatten the check spring a little if you feel you need to. Just my experience--good luck.

Linda R

[Sparkle]

Thank you Hester for pointing this out to me once again. I also have found that some of my bobbins "over-wind", and this causes nothing but problems. I have adjusted my bobbin winder to winding less thread onto the bobbin now.

By the way, I have slowly switched to buying Aluminum Bobbins from APQS, and I love them! They wind nicely, and there is something different about them ---as compared to my regular metal bobbins. They seem more balanced? or something.

Plus the price is very good. 50 cents each last time I ordered them.

[DawnCavanaugh]

Cathey,

Your bobbin should stand tall as you described. The bobbin should have a little "bounce" when you press on it as it's resting in the case.

That pressure that the backlash spring puts on the bobbin is what stops it from spinning when you stop quilting. You should always have a little "bounce in the bobbin" inside the case.

With a new case, you'll notice that you may have to change your tension setting a bit (looser that you had been running), since that new check spring puts additional pressure on the bobbin, it will have a greater tendency to pull harder.

Hope this sheds some light on the subject!

Dawn

[catsigler]

Thanks, Dawn. If the check spring is flat, should it be replaced? Or should I buy a new bobbin case?

Have you heard of Bobbin Genie? I saw them on Sharon Schamber's website and of course bought some although I have no idea if I need them, nor have I used them. They are supposed to eliminate backlash when free-motion quilting.

Keepsake has them too. http://www.keepsakequilting.com/productdetail.aspx?PRODID=8248

[shadows4]

I just had the same problem happen this weekend. It seems that it was the same reason as Sparkle's: the bobbin overwound, not entirely, just on one side of the bobbin and wasn't noticable. I unwound some of the thread and then I had no more problem. Hopefully yours is that easy to fix! Mine usually isn't.

[DawnCavanaugh]

Hi Cathey,

You don't have to replace the check spring. Just pop it out of the bobbin case and use your own fingers to bend the "fingers" of the check spring up a bit.

When you put it back into the case, you'll notice a couple of notches that extend out on the perimeter of the check spring. These will fit into two grooves or slots you'll find on the bobbin case itself. One is obvious if you look at the case; the other slot is hiding under the tension finger on the case.

Put the check spring back into the case with those two little fingers pointing out toward you, and align the outermost tongues with the grooves in the case. You'll probably need a screwdriver or other tool to coax the spring back in place.

I take mine out frequently and clean under it.

I have not had a chance to try the disks you mention, though I've heard about them. While I understand how they work by reducing the friction inside the bobbin case, I'd experiment a bit before switching completely. For example, a pre-wound bobbin is not quite as "tall" as a metal bobbin (though it is close in size to the aluminum bobbins available) so I wonder if it would want to wiggle around a bit inside the case if that check spring wasn't in there to apply some pressure to it as it spins.

If you aren't having issues with backlashing, then I'd be hesitant to switch. If a newbie is reading this and doesn't know what "backlashing" is, it is a condition that occurs when the bobbin doesn't stop spinning when the machine is switched off, causing the thread to unwind, tangle and sometimes knot in the bobbin case. This can create a tension issue at the start of another quilting line since the thread is loose inside the case.

If anyone has experience with Sharon's disks, let us know what you think!

Dawn

[kusmaulk]

I was majorly struggling with Monopoly thread breaking yesterday, and Dawn coached me through it. She spent a lot of time, and was patient when I was all thumbs. I was able to limp through the quilt I was doing, and finish it, although not well. All the breakage was exhausting. I also had to readjust my #8 screw because my needle positioner was running amok. And then the power went off because of a storm. All the while, I was trying to keep a good attitude, and be able to conquer that thread, but I did utter a few unmentionable words. On the positive side, I am becoming a pro at taking out stitches. And I didn't cry, although I felt like it.

Unfortunately, this project was for a local quilt shop. I brought it back to them today, but the owner was not there. I left her a note explaining my troubles, and asking for another chance, and that she not judge my work by this one quilt. I did previously give them a small sampler of some longarm designs to show customers who ask about my prices. Hopefully, she'll let me do another class sample.

Anyway, thanks Dawn, for getting me back running again. I appreciate it. Yesterday was not a total loss! I got to talk with a famous quilter.

Karol

Inverness, FL