quiltmonkey Posted March 12, 2008 Report Share Posted March 12, 2008 Wow, it was great! One of the ladies in my LA guild just had the Statler added to her Gammill so Jack Boersma of Boersma’s Sewing Center in Oregon flew up to Alaska to service those who have Gammills in my area and to add the Statler to Sue\'s machine. Anyway, Jack held a maintenance class on the longarm for the group last night. Even though some of what he discussed it didn\'t particularly apply to me (I have a Millennium), but a lot of it did apply to me (meaning bobbins, tension and thread issues, oiling the machine, how the thread behaves coming off the spool, etc. Really interesting stuff and explained it real simple and easy to understand. One thing that he did say about thread was profound. He said to run your thread through all of the guides and through the take up lever, but not through the needle and pull about 1 yard of thread through. Grab one end with one hand and the other pulled part with the other hand (outstretched) and bring the thread together so both hands are touching. If the thread wraps around itself it is not "happy" and the spool is unwinding backwards. He said to turn the spool over and/or around and test again and if it hangs down straight without winding together then it is happy. That was interesting. He said that many times if you are having top tension problems, it\'s probably because your thread is not unspooling correctly. Just a matter of "gettting to intimately know your machine" and that takes a little time. Anyway, lots of intersting things to know and learn. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TracyeQ Posted March 12, 2008 Report Share Posted March 12, 2008 That\'s really interesting Shana! Did he give any tips on what you do, when it\'s upside down, about the little groove in the base? I\'ve tried upside down when I was having problems w/Bottom Line on my old machine and it would always get caught on that little nick. I later found out that the BL was fraying on a rough piece of plexiglass under the take up lever, totally unrelated to what I was talking about, but there you have it. I also wonder if our thread will be happier now that we added all those guides to get rid of "whip". I should try it w/and w/out the extra guides and the spool up and see if there is a difference. Very interesting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quiltmonkey Posted March 12, 2008 Author Report Share Posted March 12, 2008 Yes, he said, if you can eliminate any uneven pulling off of the spool so the thread come off nice and even without any slight movements whatsoever then that is what you want. If that means adding a few thread guides here and there, then do it. He did say that the big spools that have the notch in the bottom... well he said you can\'t do much about that but after he said that I thought to myself... "Hmmm...I wonder if I could take a fingernail file and file the notch down so there isn\'t anything to catch on..." (my mind always wonders stuff like that). If you used one of those big foam (the black ones) fingernail files to rub down the rough edges or notches on the big spools would that work? Might give it a try...... Another thought I had was to take some electrical tape (the slippery stuff) and wrap it around the bottom of the big spool to eliminate any notches or catching. I don\'t know, perhaps someone else has a better idea? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mary Beth Posted March 12, 2008 Report Share Posted March 12, 2008 I have found that since I added my fishing pole eyes, my thread twists a lot!! I am going to try treading the old way and see how it does. Right now I am having other issue so that could be causing my thread breaking, but my thread broke about a thousand times today - I am so motivated to quilt and now I am having so many problems I am about out of the notion again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bonnie Posted March 13, 2008 Report Share Posted March 13, 2008 Originally posted by quiltmonkey "Hmmm...I wonder if I could take a fingernail file and file the notch down so there isn\'t anything to catch on..." Shana, this is EXACTLY what I was going to tell you to do, before I got to your already self-answer. We would tell our DSM customers to do just this, because thread has to happy in a DSM as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
junebug_one Posted March 13, 2008 Report Share Posted March 13, 2008 Thanks Shana, for sharing all of the wonderful information at your longarm meeting. My thanks to all of the other comments,too. I never come on here with out learning something valuable. Mary Beth, have you called your dealer? Surely they can solve your problem. Keep that fire burning , just hang in there. Carolj. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ramona-quilter Posted March 13, 2008 Report Share Posted March 13, 2008 Shana, Are you talking about the little slit on the bottom of So Fine? I thought that slit was so you could put your thread end in there and it would not unwind while stored. I love that little slit. I would have thread hanging down all over the place without it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quiltmonkey Posted March 13, 2008 Author Report Share Posted March 13, 2008 I think so! The longarmers were talking about sitting the spool upside down and the slit would catch on the thread. Well, maybe there is another solution? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ramona-quilter Posted March 13, 2008 Report Share Posted March 13, 2008 I\'m curious why youwould put the cone on upside-down. Is that because the thread was not happy right side up? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quiltmonkey Posted March 13, 2008 Author Report Share Posted March 13, 2008 Yes. Since I am a newbie I have not had the "not happy" thread problems (yet). And, I don\'t have very many cones of thread (unlike you) LOL! and I have never turned my cones upside down. So, I am speaking with zero experience here... that is just what some of the gals were saying the other night. OK, so you Linda with your seasoned knowledge and uh...how many gazillion cones of thread do you have??? (lots)... perhaps you can give me more insight? I am always learning from my fellow friends here. Thanks! I appreciate your wisdom. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bonnie Posted March 14, 2008 Report Share Posted March 14, 2008 Okay...lets see if I can remember why...if I remember correctly, it was explained to me that in some thread factories the thread when it comes out of the colors and is wound onto the huge storage cones, and when it comes time to wind it to the smaller spools/cones its in that proccess that the threads get backwards. If the storage cone is wound incorrectly they have to wind it also incorrectly to the smaller cones...which when you flip your cone over it then unwinds correctly. ALL threads will fail the test that Shana mentioned to a certain degree. Its only natural for a thread to twirl back onto itself because its been to tightly wound to the spool, but you really know when you have a bad spool when it twirls so badly it looks like the 100 foot kitchen telephone cord after you have stretched it out many times and you have to take the thing off and let it unwind. As far as the little slit....I have ground mine down with a nail file or sandpaper, and put another one on the inside of the cones so I still have it there, but it doesn\'t catch the threads. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SandraG Posted March 15, 2008 Report Share Posted March 15, 2008 The Superior Threads website has a super cache of information about the nature and performance of threads. I use Superior Threads exclusively. I think my APQS machines (Millie, Freedom and George) would actually run a shoestring if they had to. I like the research, education and quality control that Superior offers. I attended a three day seminar on thread this past Feb. at Superior Threads. It was great. Bob, Heather, the teachers and the entire Superior staff love to share their knowledge about threads. You should not have trouble using Superior thread. The spools are given the "correct spin" at the factory. If you unwind your spool or cone and rewind it on something else, you may have some promblems (bobbins not included). You may want to move your thread spindle closer to the needle when using specialty threads. The less distance the thread has to travel the less stress on the thread. Also remember that each added thread guide puts more stress on the thread and could cause it to weaken before it gets to the needle. I can run Halo on my machines with no trouble. Halo is a decorative or bobbin thead and is not meant to be used through the needle. However, the effect is beautiful! If you have a chance to take a thread class or attend a lecture with a Superior Threads representative, by all means, do it. It is worth its weight in gold. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RitaR Posted March 15, 2008 Report Share Posted March 15, 2008 Shana, Oh how hearing that name brings back memories. Boersmas shop is in McMinnville where we lived before moving to NC... we\'ve been in their shop many times.. they also repair machines, and when we left, they had a big Gammill in their front window. I was also going to say I use a very fine nail file to smooth any roughies on spool edges.. the split in the bottom to hold the thread when not being used, I usually put a wee line of tape over.. then smooth it down with my fingernail. If I\'don\'t have a notch I hold the thread end up in the spool with a bit of batting. Many thanks for all the tips and info you gave us from Jack, it was great of him to speak with the guild. RitaR (who is homesick for the NW) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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