Setting tension on a zigzag
#1
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: May 2013
Posts: 670
Setting tension on a zigzag
Hi Everyone,
Now that my glorious old Anker Phoenix 429 has had its bobbin assembly surgery (major arterial plaque removal in the rotary hook, and, as per CD Thayer Rags, the kidneys ), I am now sewing practice pieces with it, and setting up the tension etc. Wow, WHAT A MACHINE! So powerful, so slow if you want, and FAST if you want. And such a glorious sound it makes; a really quiet vibration.
For those who may be interested, here was the bobbin surgery: http://www.quiltingboard.com/vintage...t247803-4.html
The problem I am having now is in the tension, I think. See photo below; every so often, the right hand stitch of the zigzag (I guess that would be the zag. Hee hee) pulls tighter than the others, and as you can see, when using a different colour thread on bobbin and top, this creates a big problem aesthetically.
Can you help me figure out why this happens? It does not correlate to a pause or a slow down or a speed up in sewing; it happens at random in the midst of a steady sewing tempo. I have also of course recently cleaned the -entire- hook area and re-timed it, and as well have cleaned the tensions assembly thoroughly. The assembly was dealt with in this thread: http://www.quiltingboard.com/vintage...e-t222400.html
Any insights would be appreciated. I have banged out 20 or so rows about six inches long of zigzag, and it seems to happen on average once every 20 zag stitches or so. Sometimes more, sometimes less.
[ATTACH=CONFIG]478032[/ATTACH]
Now that my glorious old Anker Phoenix 429 has had its bobbin assembly surgery (major arterial plaque removal in the rotary hook, and, as per CD Thayer Rags, the kidneys ), I am now sewing practice pieces with it, and setting up the tension etc. Wow, WHAT A MACHINE! So powerful, so slow if you want, and FAST if you want. And such a glorious sound it makes; a really quiet vibration.
For those who may be interested, here was the bobbin surgery: http://www.quiltingboard.com/vintage...t247803-4.html
The problem I am having now is in the tension, I think. See photo below; every so often, the right hand stitch of the zigzag (I guess that would be the zag. Hee hee) pulls tighter than the others, and as you can see, when using a different colour thread on bobbin and top, this creates a big problem aesthetically.
Can you help me figure out why this happens? It does not correlate to a pause or a slow down or a speed up in sewing; it happens at random in the midst of a steady sewing tempo. I have also of course recently cleaned the -entire- hook area and re-timed it, and as well have cleaned the tensions assembly thoroughly. The assembly was dealt with in this thread: http://www.quiltingboard.com/vintage...e-t222400.html
Any insights would be appreciated. I have banged out 20 or so rows about six inches long of zigzag, and it seems to happen on average once every 20 zag stitches or so. Sometimes more, sometimes less.
[ATTACH=CONFIG]478032[/ATTACH]
#6
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: May 2013
Posts: 670
HOORAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Complete success. This thing is stitching like a maniac now! I wish you could see/hear him go!!!!
You guys were right; the needle plate was a bit burred up; it looked as though from needles hitting the plate over time (when breaking, I suppose). I sanded nicely with 600 wet dry, and bingo. I have just sewn about three feet of perfect zig zag stitches, some of them at roughly 90 miles an hour :-) Hee hee.
Now I must figure out what to actually sew, besides random rows of speedy stitches :-)
Thank you again all of you who helped me resuscitate this machine, bit by bit. I have learned a lot which I will take with me to other machines; I also hope these many posts on this machine were of interest/instruction to others.
-C.
Complete success. This thing is stitching like a maniac now! I wish you could see/hear him go!!!!
You guys were right; the needle plate was a bit burred up; it looked as though from needles hitting the plate over time (when breaking, I suppose). I sanded nicely with 600 wet dry, and bingo. I have just sewn about three feet of perfect zig zag stitches, some of them at roughly 90 miles an hour :-) Hee hee.
Now I must figure out what to actually sew, besides random rows of speedy stitches :-)
Thank you again all of you who helped me resuscitate this machine, bit by bit. I have learned a lot which I will take with me to other machines; I also hope these many posts on this machine were of interest/instruction to others.
-C.
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