janeta Posted December 26, 2007 Report Share Posted December 26, 2007 I got a towa tension gauge for Christmas and am unclear about with the correct tension should be on the gauge. The instructions say to get the tension right by adjusting the screw, but it doesn't say what the number should be. Does anyone know? Janet Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stagecl Posted December 26, 2007 Report Share Posted December 26, 2007 My towa box said 15 - 18 for metal bobbins and 20 -22 for prewound bobbins. I think you can also call APQS and they can give you the numbers too. There was a discussion somewhere on the board about the correct settings. I think we all had different numbers. I have been using my TOWA for over a year with the above numbers and it has worked great for me. Cheryl Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RitaR Posted December 26, 2007 Report Share Posted December 26, 2007 Hi Janet, I don\'t know if I\'m using mine different from others or not. I took the bobbin that came in the machine.. (you could use a partially used one that\'s working well on your machine) and checked the tension on it, and then made note in my little spiral notebook, of the average reading after several pulls in the Towa. Each new thread I try, meaning different brand as well as color within a brand, since color dyes can and do affect thread thickness, etc.. I make note of setting. I write down what the Towa showed and then if it\'s diff with different colors of the same thread, I make note of that, too. for instance I have white prefilled, of one kind of thread, as well as gray, red, maroon and green of a cotton prefilled.. the maroon is different from the others, being a bit lower than the others, meaning the dye makes the thread thinner I\'d guess. It\'s a way, once you have a well working bobbin and top thread combo, to be able to quickly check and make sure it\'s not wound too loose nor too tight. The Towa also doesn\'t give EXACT numbers, rather a small range to aim for. Mine tends to run about a 4 number range, or 1700 to 2100 averaging out about 18-19. Until I got the Lenni and began using this, I didn\'t understand why on earth anyone would want more than one bobbin casing. Now, even though I\'ve not had to change for any one type of thread yet, I can certainly see why. I still have many thread types to try in the bobbin with various threads on top.. so have the bobbin cases for those instances. Hope this helps somehow.. RitaR Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ramona-quilter Posted December 26, 2007 Report Share Posted December 26, 2007 I run most poly thread at about 17-18 on the Towa gauge. Signature cotton about 15. King Tut is loosy-goosy at about 12. Rainbows is also sloppy loose with the needle eye at 6:35. I use Linda Reich\'s clock idea for the top tension. When you pull the thread back from the needle, the tension spring goes to 8 o\'clock. Works for me. Thanks, LindaR. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quiltermidwife Posted December 27, 2007 Report Share Posted December 27, 2007 I also got a Towa tension gauge for Christmas (ahead of my machine!). Anxious to give it a try, I thought I would give the bobbin in my sewing machine a go. However it doesn\'t seem to fit (it\'s a Bernina). Is the bobbin (L) in the LA machine different in size to a DSM? I\'m a lttle confused because I had read of people who used the gauge just for regular sewing. Thanks for the help with tension readings. I did wonder what they should be. Strange that the instructions give no indication of this. Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ffq-lar Posted December 27, 2007 Report Share Posted December 27, 2007 Hi Chris, The bobbin case you will get with your machine will fit in the Towa gauge. The case pops into the gauge and you adjust the tension screw on the side of the case. If your Bernina bobbin case is an odd size, it may not fit in the gauge. Do a search here for massive amounts of info on the gauge and also other tension problems. I set most of my bobbins at the same numbers as Linda from Ramona. The numbers on the gauge are just numbers--you can start a chart of tension numbers that work for you and will soon be comfortable as you learn what your machine likes. I test every bobbin--it really eliminates lots of headaches!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stagecl Posted December 27, 2007 Report Share Posted December 27, 2007 Just a thought...does it make a difference on the TOWA if you have M size bobbins instead of L bobbins...or are the settings somewhat the same...just curious... Cheryl Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quiltjunkie Posted December 27, 2007 Report Share Posted December 27, 2007 I think there are 2 separates Towa gauges one for "L" and one for "M" type bobbins, if my memory serves me right when I ordered mine.. so don\'t know if that affects the settings. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ramona-quilter Posted December 27, 2007 Report Share Posted December 27, 2007 The lady who bought my APQS Ultimate I got my Towa gauge as part of the package. BTW, Bernina bobbins are too fat/deep to fit in an L case for Towa use. The Towa for M bobbins holds the bigger bobbin case/bobbin but the concept is the same. And for me, anyway, the tension numbers are the same as they were on my APQS for the threads I noted earlier. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
janeta Posted December 27, 2007 Author Report Share Posted December 27, 2007 Thanks for all the suggestions, I really appreciate it and knew I could count on you all for help. Can\'t wait to start using it and getting less stressed over tension! Janet Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quiltermidwife Posted December 27, 2007 Report Share Posted December 27, 2007 Linda Thanks, that answers my question. The Bernina bobbin/case does appear to be too fat/deep to sit in the gauge. Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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