Little Genie Magic Bobbin Washers
#31
#32
Junior Member
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: SanAntonio,TX
Posts: 238
I purchased them about a year ago and have not found that they help at all, my fmq machine has a drop in bobbin and was nat at all happy with the washer in place! I beleive if you are using the bobbin recommended for your your machine these are not necessary. (Just my two cents!)
#34
Super Member
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Littlefield, TX, USA
Posts: 1,077
I use them in all my machines...and yes, they do help. First, in my sewing and embroidery machines, I still make sure I pull up the bobbin thread and, in my sewing machines, I hold them for the first couple of stitches. This is especially important in the older (Featherweights, and really early machines) sewing machines...you need to hold the thread to start. On my longarm I bring up the bobbin thread, take several very tiny stitches...and then start stitching. The bobbin washers are great for keeping static out of the bobbin area (they don't conduct static)..if you are starting/stopping a lot, either chain piecing or changinng direction...they work wonders.
I have both sizes (L for reg bobbins, M for longarm)..but to start...only the L size were available...they still worked in my longarms.
You get 8 or 10 in a pack..lol, I'm still using the one I put in my machines in 2006..lol...I used two of them to the shaft on my encoders for the longarm machine. There was a bit too much play and the encoder was not staying evenly on the pole of the frame...two bobbin washers were the perfect amount (no room for another washer) to fill the gap..and they don't hinder the movement of the encoder (they have to loosely rest on the pole) at all.
Also, I have sent them to others who were not able to get the tension just so on their machines...just enough to help avoid the occasional skipped stitch or pokie.
I have both sizes (L for reg bobbins, M for longarm)..but to start...only the L size were available...they still worked in my longarms.
You get 8 or 10 in a pack..lol, I'm still using the one I put in my machines in 2006..lol...I used two of them to the shaft on my encoders for the longarm machine. There was a bit too much play and the encoder was not staying evenly on the pole of the frame...two bobbin washers were the perfect amount (no room for another washer) to fill the gap..and they don't hinder the movement of the encoder (they have to loosely rest on the pole) at all.
Also, I have sent them to others who were not able to get the tension just so on their machines...just enough to help avoid the occasional skipped stitch or pokie.
#35
Funny, you should mention.... I use them, too. BUT, I just did a bobbin change and clean up the machine yesterday. Until I read this, I had not noticed that I don't have one in there. Great timing!
#36
I tried them in my Janome 4800, which was very difficult to use for FMQ because it was near- impossible to get the tension right, and they definitely helped. I haven't used them so far since getting a 7700, because the tension has been fine.
#39
Who did you ask? I use them in my Bernina. The only machine I don't use them on is my Singer Quantum only because the plastic bobbins have a metal insert, the plastic takes the static away.
#40
Interesting to read this. Hubby intended to just blow out my machine, then ended up taking off the belts to replace them. I didn't think they were worn much. He ended up going to the sewing maching store to buy new ones and the tech said the belts were like new .. long story short ... it is hard to set up timing on a sewing machine (he's an auto mechanic and didn't think it would be that hard, didn't think about marking it before he removed the belts) and we kept messing around with it. Timing is very, very touchy. A scant turn will change the whole process, and the needle thread won't pick up the bobbin thread right. The local sewing machine store charges $160.00 for servicing on my machine, so I'm happy he was able to do it. (I'm not going to pay that, since I bought the machine on ebay for $169.00. It does come with a one year warranty if I have it done.)
Around the umpteenth try, which involved taking the bobbin case out and rethreading the machine each time, I tried it without the Genie (made my own with silicone oven liner) and the timing worked. He made marks on the gears so he knows where to set it next time. After that, I was able to put the Genie back in and the machine worked great.
I do not get nests or snarls with the Genie in there.
Around the umpteenth try, which involved taking the bobbin case out and rethreading the machine each time, I tried it without the Genie (made my own with silicone oven liner) and the timing worked. He made marks on the gears so he knows where to set it next time. After that, I was able to put the Genie back in and the machine worked great.
I do not get nests or snarls with the Genie in there.
I have used them in my Pfaff Creative 2.0. It seems to make the thread reel off more smoothly and it definitely has helped me with birds' nests. However, when I got my machine serviced a month ago, the person at the sewing machine store told me that it needed a timing adjustment. I haven't had a problem with birds' nests since, but I've only used Pfaff plastic bobbins since I got it back. But I'm holding on to those bobbin washers if the problem arises again.
Last edited by CAS49OR; 04-29-2012 at 12:56 PM.
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