Tate, I was just wondering if you're sewing with cross wound thread mounted on the vertical spool pin. I've found that cross wound thread massively twists if I don't use a thread stand (where thread is fed vertically) and this is bound to contribute to tangled thread. If I use a cross wound thread on a vertical spool pin the thread twists a lot.
As a simple thread stand, I use a paper spike angled toward the normal spool pin, which it turns around and goes on its normal merry way.
Thought it better if I illustrated my solution with a picture of it.
Attachment 518313
1 is the weight the spike sits on to make the angle. It's pointing almost directly at the spool pin so there's no chance of it being pulled over. If it falls over, the angle is wrong.
2 shows the thread path around the existing spool pin.
OK, it's incredibly simple but I'm a simple man :-)
It works well with smaller spools too, but seeing as I don't like running out of thread I chose this one.
The difference this makes is obvious after winding a bobbin with and without.
The reason I started doing this was that I'd wind a bobbin and when I cut the end, the thread untwisted itself (and I mean a lot of untwisting). Poor thing had almost tied itself in knots just winding a bobbin. When using a 'stand' this doesn't happen at all.
Twisted thread in the bobbin must be a bad thing, and yes I'm too tight to buy a proper thread stand.
All of my 'period' spools of thread are wound straight, rather than cross wound, cross winding thread seems to be a more recent thing and today is the norm, which I imagine is why you only see newer machines with the spools that lie down and have those little caps to hold them on.
There's a simple explanation of this at
http://www.heirloomcreations.net/sew...tacked-thread/
Just my two cents, but worked for me: I look at the thread I'm using and use the appropriate delivery method.