FrankenPfaff breaking thread
 

I have the most janky quilting rig ever. My new-to-me machine is an old industrial Pfaff 463, but modified for free motion quilting. No feed dogs, and a motor bolted onto the back with a dimmer switch (not kidding) for speed control. We have been calling her Ermingerd, the FrankenPfaff.

Anyway - she makes a seriously beautiful stitch, but I'm trying my first quilt on her, and she keeps breaking thread. After re-threading, correcting upper tension issues (just guessing it's my 3 year old who cranked the dial up to 100 - there's no stop, of course...) and changing needles, I have been able to quilt at very low speed for about a minute before the thread breaks. So now I'm wondering how much of it is the thread. I'm using Robison Anton rayon embroidery thread that's forever old. I'm just guessing I bought it about 12 years ago? (Sheesh. THAT dates me, I think...) Also had some issues winding the bobbin, and it might be too loose on the spindle - not sure if that could be causing trouble as well. But when I pull the bobbin thread it seems to move freely with reasonable "drag".

Any ideas?

Rayon thread break easy. It very well could be the thread. Trying using sewing thread instead of embroidery thread.

You could try a different machine if you have something to choose from. Like nabobw says, rayon tend to break more easily, but you should be able to stitch with it. Be very fuzzy about needle (large enough or just a bit larger than strictly necessary). I have managed to free motion and top stitch on an vintage singer with shiny rayon thread, it's a very basic straight stitcher (201), and I imagine any machine should be up to it.

OK, tried a different thread and it seemed to work fine. (Although I left the rayon in the bobbin. Wonder why it's fine there but breaks in the upper?)

I'm sorry, I have no help for you but just had to open a thread with "FrankenPfaff" in the title :D

The upper thread endures a lot more "abuse" going through it's path than the bottom. It goes through a lot of guides, gets rubbed and tugged at with the takeup lever, and goes through the fabric several times before it finally forms a stitch. The bobbin thread has it much easier - very short path, no friction except in the tension assembly, no passing through the fabric. That's why if thread is breaking, it's pretty much always the top thread.

Rayon thread is notoriously weak thread and shouldn't be used for quilting. Laying the completed quilt on a bed and sitting on it is enough stress to break the thread.

The rayon in your bobbin isn't breaking when quilting because there is no where near the stress on it as is on the top thread but it can easily break once the quilt is completed and slightest bit of stress is put on the quilt, even the weight of washing it. I would strongly recommend you replace the bobbin thread with either cotton or polyester thread. It would be a shame to have all the work in a completed quilt only to have the quilting threads break from normal use.

Also, I am wondering if you have the top thread sitting vertical or horizontal? Or do you have it on a thread stand behind your machine? Superior Threads has a video and explanation why you use one direction over the other. Depending of the type of thread on the spool determines the way it should be on the machine. I use rayon for my embroidery machine and it has to be on the horizontal thread holder.

I agree with switching out the bobbin thread too. Rayon is too weak for quilting.

I tossed all the rayon thread I had. I won't let it in the house. LOL

Just wound a couple bobbins of poly thread - also figured out the issue I'd been having getting that tension right. Turns out you have to go through the bobbin winder tension disk/guide. Duh. (I'm simultaneously thrilled at myself for figuring out the problem - and mortified that it took me so long. Ah, the joys of sewing without a manual...)

Quiltingcandy, I do have the thread in a stand behind the machine - and the very, very nice lady I bought it from did stress that I should always use cross-wound thread for it. Something about how it twists (or doesn't) coming off the spool? It made sense when she explained it.

Does your machine require the bobbin case to be put in only with the thread going to the back? I had a lot of breakage problems including breaking needles until I discovered that.

Whoops, just saw you figured it out!!!

I love your quilting machine set up! How ingenious!

At a quilting class I was told to piece with 60 wt. thread, quilt with 50 wt. and embroider with 40 wt.

Seems to work well.

Rayon is a hard thread to,work with. It is weak to begin with, and when you add in the age I am betting that is your problem. Buy a quality thread like Superior or Aurifil. You can use a 60 weight thread in the bobbin (I like Superior's bobbin thread but there are others). It sounds like a fabulous machine!

Pam

Don't beat yourself up because you don't know about tension/thread/ quilting on a track frame! Just think of each new issue solved as a learning experience. I had a new system, but no classes. There were MANY tears...but I kept going. Now (diff system ...) I am happier with my quilting. It was a journey.

The top thread goes through the needle about 70 times - back and forth - before it gets laid down as a stitch, so that is why you can use more fragile thread in the bobbin then on the top...friction will wear it to breaking point unless you have a strong thread. My favorite threads are all Superior Threads - King Tut (cotton), SoFine (poly) and for the bobbin I love BottomLine. We pay a ton for a longarm, fabric, batting...don't skimp on cheap thread for quilting, it just doesn't pay off! Specialty threads like Rayon have their place, but they are too fragile for use in a longarm. Without a bobbin in or thread in a needle, run your machine at the slowest speed and just watch how fast the bobbin race goes around and it takes 2 complete revolutions of the bobbin race to make a single stitch...and it is the upper thread that is going around and around!

rayon thread is not good for what you are doing

Good point, Candy. I bought a vertical thread post for my machine years ago because sliver thread needs to come off a vertical spool to not break. I've found that a lot of thread does better on a vertical spool.

I also wonder about quilting a quilt with rayon. I use it often to quilt garments because I like the look, but my garments don't get washed at all and don't get subjected to much real use.

OK, first off, I seriously love the name "FrankenPfaff"!! :)

Since this is a "new-to-you" set up, and therefore a TRUE learning experience, I would definitely recommend that
1 - you use some of the better name threads - Superior, YLI, Aurifil, etc.
2 - don't use rayon thread AT ALL for quilting
3 - be prepared to discover that your machine has certain "preferences" in thread - my machine LOVES Aurifil threads, even though (since they are cotton threads) they are very linty.
4 - watch Jamie Wallen's YouTube video on thread tension ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q1mRhcquZTM )
5 - thread breaking or shredding can have a multitude of causes - old/bad needle, bad thread, poor threading through the machine, etc.,etc.

Have fun learning your machine's quirks - everyone's can tell you that their machine has something that it likes/dislikes/quirks out on.

FrankenPfaff... seriously loving it!!

Never FMQ with embroidery thread. Too weak. There actually are quilting threads available, one for machine quilting and one for hand quilting.

I quilt with embroidery thread on my domestics and my long arm. Just not rayon, I use 40wt poly thread.

Cari