Subject: metalic thread help Date: Sat, 24 Aug 1996 09:57:58 -0700 From: "M.& C.Field at rosewood Cottage" Organization: Field Inc.at Rosewood Cottage To: cfieldmit@worldnet.att.net 1. Use your extra spool pin and load the spool vertically instead of the usual horizontal position. Horizontally it tends to put a twist into the thread, making it break easier. This is a MUST with Mylar threads like Sulky Sliver. 2. Silicon lubricant (Sewer's Aid is one brand) can help. Apply a few drops to the spool as you sew. Another option is the Thread Pro, which is a thread stand offering both vertical and horizontal spool holders. It has a little sponge in the thread path, which you moisten with a Teflon lubricant. That way the thread gets "lubed" as you sew. The Hoop It All folks also have a lube-holder that sticks on the machine just ahead of the needle. There is some controversy about all these lubrications regarding whether they damage the tension disks. Personally I doubt that any damage will occur, but I think heavy use over time could cause build-up on the disks that could throw off tension. The Hoop-It-All device solves that problem, but I'm sort of negative on the "stick on" aspect of it. Goes without saying that I have NO bumper stickers on my car, right? 3. A REALLY big help is the new Metallica needle by Schmetz. They have an eye that is optimized for the metallic thread. There's another needle called Metafil, that is also helpful, but our experience is that the Schmetz is better. --------------------------------------------------------------------- From: MFDJ67B@prodigy.com (MRS MARY W WACKER) Date: Wed, 16 Oct 1996 14:12:21, -0500 Subject: PFAFF: Re: breaking metallic thread One other thing about metallics and tensions, etc. I know you see all the time on Nancy, etc, that we should loosen tension to 3. Well, that may work OK on her machine (and maybe yours) but it sure doesn't on mine! It was OK on my 1473. But my 1475 and now the 7570 both need to go lower. For me, rayon or metallics need to be more like 2.0, cotton maybe 2.5 . Whatever gets the tension correct is right. Also, I have noticed that my 7570 needs lower tension than it did a year ago (I can't believe it will have been in my sewing room a whole year already on Oct 24th!) so I got to thinking about it, and I decided it was more likely that the bobbin tension screw had loosened than the tension wheel up above. So the other day I tightened the bobbin a half a smidgeon (like from Noon to 1 on a clock) and that got it back about where it used to be. I don't like the top tension too low because I think it will tend to throw loops and it only does it, of course, on real projects. Samples will be fine! Mary MFDJ67B@prodigy.com ------------------------------