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Fusion tension
Posted: July 24, 2010, 6:58 AM
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| I have used my Fusion for over a year with ongoing issues with tension control. My dealer and HQ has shown little interest in resolving my problem, so I made an appointment to transport my machine to a different dealer this coming Monday. Changing bobbin cases, using a TOWA tension gauge and all sorts of other experiments have done nothing to improve my stitch appearance. I'm just about at wits end. Not wanting to give up on an expensive piece of equipment, I would appreciate any help that I can get. The tension varies greatly, appearing to be related to direction of stitching. Thread composition and batting changes seem to make no difference. After being satisfied with test tension and the initial portion of my latest quilt, I confidently finished several rows of a pantograph. As I rolled up the quilt on the takeup pole, I could see that the stitching is terrible and changed from my test adjustment. I am going to rip it all out to begin again. I can't believe that I am the only one with this problem. |
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Re: Fusion tension
Posted: July 24, 2010, 5:40 PM
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| What kind of problems are you having? |
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Re: Fusion tension
Posted: Aug. 27, 2010, 7:30 PM
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I was having trouble with the tension varying from top to bottom heavy, seemingly associated with the direction of machine movement. No matter how good I had it set on a test strip, the tension would vary greatly when I actually sewed a quilt. I was extremely upset that I couldn't maintain even tension as I proceeded with a quilt. My wife stated that she wouldn't let me quilt her tops until I could do a better job and we had to rip out an entire quilt that I had done for Quilt of Valor.
I did every thing that I could think of: I tried 3 different needle styles, purchased a TOWA bobbin tension gauge, tried to see if the fault was due to any certain combination of threads, etc. All with little improvement. I took a sample to my dealer and also sent one to HQ. Both felt that my tension "wasn't too bad" and let the ball drop. I was very disappointed with no help to resolve my concerns. Through a friend, I was directed to Mike's Machine Shop in Highland Illinois. Mike is a HQ dealer and services machines. I took my machine to his shop (about 5 hours round trip from my home). He checked out my machine while I waited and made a couple of changes and adjustments. With his help and a few more experiments on my own, I seem to have my tension under control and am confident to move ahead with new challenges. I have a couple of photos in my web gallery to illustrate the changes that I have made to my Fusion. This picture and the NEXT one show my changes: http://www.pbase.com/filer/image/127873979 If anyone is interested, I can elaborate on my modifications. I highly recommend Mike's Machine Shop for anyone in the Midwest (St.Louis) area. He is worth the trip. My present configuration is to use Superior MR needles, at a size smaller than Mother Superior recommends and a pig-tail bobbin (Mike's recommendation). I am also encouraged with MagnaCore prewound bobbins, but I'm still evaluating these. |
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Re: Fusion tension
Posted: Oct. 19, 2010, 9:21 AM
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I have also struggled with the tension of my machine. Could you explain what a pig-tail bobbin is? I have not heard this term before.
Thank you. |
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Re: Fusion tension
Posted: Oct. 20, 2010, 12:02 PM
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A pigtail bobbin case has a small twist of wire that resembles a pig tail.
http://cgi.ebay.com/4-LARGE-M-PIGTAIL-EMBROIDERY-BOBBIN-CASES-CONSEW-B84NBL-/300476399054?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item45f5c9fdce After the thread comes out of the traditional tension spring, it passes through the pigtail. The theory is that this provides an additional level of consistent tension and helps average out tension variations of the original spring. These are available (M size, about $7 on e-bay including shipping). I purchased my first one from Mike's Machine Shop on his recommendation. After getting good results, I purchased 4 more on e-bay for the low price and they work fine. My plan is to have each one with approximate tension set for the threads that I customarily use. I remove the spring inside the bobbin case and either use a MegaGeni (M size) bobbin washer or, better yet, MagnaCore bobbins. The latter has really worked well. The Magnacore classic white has become my thread of choice for many projects. 230 yards on a bobbin (47¢) will easily finish a lap size quit. |
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Re: Fusion tension
Posted: Oct. 20, 2010, 5:14 PM
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| Thank you for the details on the Pigtail Bobbin Case. I actually called Mikes Machine Shop and ordered one today. I will do my next shopping on Ebay. Thank you for the link. I will also check on the MegaGeni and Magna Core bobbins. Thank you for all of the suggestions. Happy Quilting. |
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Re: Fusion tension
Posted: Oct. 21, 2010, 6:51 AM
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| I hope that my suggesions are helpful. It seems like each little tweak helps or, at least, doesn't hurt. Fil-Tec has other choices of magnetic bobbins, including cotton and heavier poly. I tried a sample of the heavier MagnaGlide-delights with less satisfactory results than the finer "classic". That was disappointing because there is a wide range of colors. I just ordered some assorted colors of the MagnaSoft (spun poly) to try and requested a sample of the MagnaQuilt (cotton). The cotton is presently available only in larger quantities and a couple of basic colors. You have to be careful on their website to select the M size bobbin listings. |
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Re: Fusion tension
Posted: Oct. 21, 2010, 7:39 AM
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An afterthought:
I saw a you-tube video on making bobbin washers using parchment paper coated with machine oil. I already had the MegaGeni washers, but this might be worth considering. |
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Re: Fusion tension
Posted: Nov. 22, 2010, 6:45 PM
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| Thanks for the resolutions to tension problems. I will be trying some of them. Also could you tell me sho makes the stars and waves panto pattern and if it is paper or a design board? thanks. I love all your photo's. |
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Re: Fusion tension
Posted: Nov. 24, 2010, 7:37 AM
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| I designed the stars and waves pantograph using Photoshop® to draw symmetrical stars and smooth curves. I may try revising the pattern a little so that the waves are less directional, but it works well to fit the Quilts of Valor theme. It is also simple enough that I can easily fit an occassional eagle into the design. |
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