Please explain what happened with my tension.....
11-28-2014, 10:16 AM
#61
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Location: Victorian Sweatshop Forum
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That's a very valid complaint and I apologize. I'm setting up the Christmas tree with the family and will post re-sized photos later, either tonight or tomorrow. Thanks for your help - much appreciated!
11-28-2014, 10:31 AM
#62
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Before I would bother to order a new spring I recommend you trade for the good spring and use the machine for a couple days just to verify that solves the problem! If it does, I would try to re-shape the bad spring and see if that's possible.
11-28-2014, 11:09 AM
#63
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Switching the springs and trying it out is a very good idea.
However if the cranky machine's spring is bad, it might not be reformable. Might be it lost its springyness. In that case only a replacement spring will work.
Also not all beehive springs are the same. They come in different heights, diameters, and wire thickness. Some of them are so strong you can't hardly squeeze them with the fingers. I've had to replace some like that on older Singers.
Joe
However if the cranky machine's spring is bad, it might not be reformable. Might be it lost its springyness. In that case only a replacement spring will work.
Also not all beehive springs are the same. They come in different heights, diameters, and wire thickness. Some of them are so strong you can't hardly squeeze them with the fingers. I've had to replace some like that on older Singers.
Joe
11-28-2014, 11:27 AM
#64
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Location: Samsonville, New York
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I've been following along and defering to those with much more experience, but particularly in the last photos, it still looks the threading isn't going right. After you bring the thread around the right side of the tension and come up from the bottom on the left, the thread should come over the little wire, not under it. I read the explanations and I'll try to add one more. As you bring the thread up on the left, pull it up and back to the right (clockwise) against the wire loop. The wire loop may move as you do this, but the thread should slip under it at some point. Then the thread goes up to the take-up lever and then down to the needle clamp guide.
One more description for 'feeling' if the tension is right. If you pull on the thread from either the bobbin or the top thread (the presser foot should be down to check top tension - some release the tension when the foot is up), it should feel about as tight as you if you were handing someone a dollar (unless you really wanted to hang onto it!) They wouldn't have to pull too hard to take it, but it wouldn't be so loose that it would slip out of your fingers, either. That's the best I can come up with. I think you can also hold the threaded bobbin just by about an inch of the thread and bounce it gently like a yoyo. If a little more thread comes out, it's okay; if a lot comes out, it's too loose and if it doesn't budge, it's too tight.
One more description for 'feeling' if the tension is right. If you pull on the thread from either the bobbin or the top thread (the presser foot should be down to check top tension - some release the tension when the foot is up), it should feel about as tight as you if you were handing someone a dollar (unless you really wanted to hang onto it!) They wouldn't have to pull too hard to take it, but it wouldn't be so loose that it would slip out of your fingers, either. That's the best I can come up with. I think you can also hold the threaded bobbin just by about an inch of the thread and bounce it gently like a yoyo. If a little more thread comes out, it's okay; if a lot comes out, it's too loose and if it doesn't budge, it's too tight.
Last edited by Champanier; 11-28-2014 at 11:32 AM.
11-28-2014, 11:41 AM
#65
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I've been following along and defering to those with much more experience, but particularly in the last photos, it still looks the threading isn't going right. After you bring the thread around the right side of the tension and come up from the bottom on the left, the thread should come over the little wire, not under it. I read the explanations and I'll try to add one more. As you bring the thread up on the left, pull it up and back to the right (clockwise) against the wire loop. The wire loop may move as you do this, but the thread should slip under it at some point. Then the thread goes up to the take-up lever and then down to the needle clamp guide.
One more description for 'feeling' if the tension is right. If you pull on the thread from either the bobbin or the top thread (the presser foot should be down to check top tension - some release the tension when the foot is up), it should feel about as tight as you if you were handing someone a dollar (unless you really wanted to hang onto it!) They wouldn't have to pull too hard to take it, but it wouldn't be so loose that it would slip out of your fingers, either. That's the best I can come up with. I think you can also hold the threaded bobbin just by about an inch of the thread and bounce it gently like a yoyo. If a little more thread comes out, it's okay; if a lot comes out, it's too loose and if it doesn't budge, it's too tight.
One more description for 'feeling' if the tension is right. If you pull on the thread from either the bobbin or the top thread (the presser foot should be down to check top tension - some release the tension when the foot is up), it should feel about as tight as you if you were handing someone a dollar (unless you really wanted to hang onto it!) They wouldn't have to pull too hard to take it, but it wouldn't be so loose that it would slip out of your fingers, either. That's the best I can come up with. I think you can also hold the threaded bobbin just by about an inch of the thread and bounce it gently like a yoyo. If a little more thread comes out, it's okay; if a lot comes out, it's too loose and if it doesn't budge, it's too tight.
11-28-2014, 12:06 PM
#67
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Join Date: Sep 2014
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Just logged on to put smaller pictures. Thanks Sews. They still look big, are they ok now?
I guess I'll play around with the threading again. Perhaps as I put the "good" spring in, I'll look closely at how the wire is attached and see if there is anywhere else for the thread to go.
Thanks to all for your continued interest and help! I absolutely love this sewing machine and want to continue using it for many years.
I guess I'll play around with the threading again. Perhaps as I put the "good" spring in, I'll look closely at how the wire is attached and see if there is anywhere else for the thread to go.
Thanks to all for your continued interest and help! I absolutely love this sewing machine and want to continue using it for many years.
11-28-2014, 01:53 PM
#69
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Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: Not Here
Posts: 3,817
One thing the beehive spring though. If it's compressed more than it should be, it will provide -LESS- tension than if it wasn't compressed, or put another way, you would have to turn the dial to the right instead of loosening it to get better tension and you wouldn't be puckering... unless it's the bobbin thread making the pucker.
Last edited by QuiltnNan; 11-29-2014 at 01:04 PM. Reason: pm
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