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Bobbin tension thingy
Posted: July 26, 2008, 11:02 AM
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| I know someone mentioned a little machine that could test your bobbin tension. I've looked and can't find it on the forums so can any one remember or do you know what it is called. Thanks. |
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Bobbin tension thingy
Posted: July 26, 2008, 1:04 PM
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You might be thinking of TOWA TENSION GAUGE. You can find it at www.columbiariverquilting.com There is one for the bobbin case and one for the needle tension. I belong to another forum that is specific to longarm quilters and they all recommend the bobbin case tension guage but they don't have good reviews on the needle tension gauge. I don't have one as of yet, so if you get one let us know what you think of it. |
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Bobbin tension thingy
Posted: July 27, 2008, 9:01 AM
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| Thanks! Just ordered one. I'll let you know when it arrives. |
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Bobbin tension thingy
Posted: July 30, 2008, 10:57 PM
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| Linda Taylor also has these on her site. She demoed it in a class I took in May. It's pricey $75, but I have been using it for a few months and I have not had any problems with my bobbin. I was hesitant at first--it is pricey--but I'm glad that I got it now. She said the reading should be between 20-24 (or 200-240). Is this what others were told? |
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Bobbin tension thingy
Posted: Aug. 1, 2008, 5:51 AM
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| I got it in the mail yesterday but it only lists the tension for polyester and rayon threads. Anyone know what it should read for cotton thread? I'll have to call someone because the directions are a bit sketchy. If it works as well as I've heard, I can't wait to use it. |
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Bobbin tension thingy
Posted: Aug. 26, 2008, 6:35 PM
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| Can anyone tell me how to read the towa gauge? When do you read the tension? I assume it is when you first feel the thread coming off the bobbin? But everytime I do that, the tension is well over 400. I know my tension is not that tight. Thanks, Hilary |
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Bobbin tension thingy
Posted: Aug. 27, 2008, 1:37 PM
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Hilary, The directions that come with the Towa gauge are bad. The company I bought mine from wrote up some of their own directions which were a bit better but lacking. I run my tension between 150 and 200 for cotton. I usually pull the bobbin thread with a steady but not too fast pull. I watched someone at a show checking their tension doing it like that. Make sure you are feeding the thread through the gauge correctly and that your bobbin case is in the gauge snuggly. Hear that click like the one you hear when you put the bobbin in your machine. Good luck. |
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Bobbin tension thingy
Posted: Aug. 27, 2008, 7:00 PM
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| The thread should come off at a constant reading. The needle should stay relatively in the same place as you pull on the thread. If the reading is jumping up and down, that is not good. Perhaps the tension is wrong, or the bobbin is not wound correctly. I've had problems when the bobbins are over-filled., so I make sure not to over-fill them. I was told that the gauge should read 200-240 by Linda Taylor. Good luck. |
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Bobbin tension thingy
Posted: Aug. 28, 2008, 4:58 AM
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SnoopHarley Is the 200-240 for cotton? I know the readings for poly and rayon are different but I don't use them. |
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Bobbin tension thingy
Posted: Sept. 8, 2008, 11:42 PM
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| Grandmapeg...gosh I was only told 200-240...thread type wasn't mentioned. I know Linda was using permacore. I use mostly King Tut. What other settings were you told for other types of thread? anyone else told something different? |
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