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Posted by penny on April 3, 2009, 9:07 am
I have had my Elna 7000 about 20 years, but have never been able to get
the
tension right on the underside of my stitch. Elna said it adjusts
automatically
or doesn't need adjusting, but I only find the topside appears right, and
am
forced to stitch blind to get the right finish appearing outside and the
underside appears too loose and irregular.
It appears to be a very good machine, but my old bog standard Alpha
machine,
without any of the extras, gave much better results.
Any ideas on how I might address this problem?
Penny
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Posted by Judie in Penfield NY on April 3, 2009, 9:37 am
penny wrote:
show/hide quoted text
> I have had my Elna 7000 about 20 years, but have never been able to get
> the
> tension right on the underside of my stitch. Elna said it adjusts
> automatically
> or doesn't need adjusting, but I only find the topside appears right, and
> am
> forced to stitch blind to get the right finish appearing outside and the
> underside appears too loose and irregular.
> It appears to be a very good machine, but my old bog standard Alpha
> machine,
> without any of the extras, gave much better results.
> Any ideas on how I might address this problem?
> Penny
>
>
Penny,
I would try adjusting the top tension a little tighter and see if that
improves the stitch.
There are others here who know more than I so you are bound to have
better advice soon. I have no experience with an Elna but I do believe
that the stitches underneath are controlled by the top tension adjustment.
Judie
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Posted by robb on April 3, 2009, 11:17 am
show/hide quoted text
> I have had my Elna 7000 about 20 years, but have never been
able to get
show/hide quoted text
> the
> tension right on the underside of my stitch. Elna said it
adjusts
show/hide quoted text
> automatically
> or doesn't need adjusting, but I only find the topside appears
right, and
show/hide quoted text
> am
> forced to stitch blind to get the right finish appearing
outside and the
show/hide quoted text
> underside appears too loose and irregular.
> It appears to be a very good machine, but my old bog standard
Alpha
show/hide quoted text
> machine,
> without any of the extras, gave much better results.
> Any ideas on how I might address this problem?
> Penny
Hello Penny,
According to the service manual, there is a lower thread tension
adjustment on the 7000/8000/9000 machines.
It is a baseline adjustment for the machine to sew properly.
The manual calls for the lower thread tension to be set at 30 -
40 (g)rams. Elna has a special tensiometer tool but i have found
other suitable ways to gauge the tension.
A U.S Quarter is 5.6 g and a nickle is 5.0 g so doing the math
either (6 Quarters) or (7 nickles) will get you ~35 g
So, to test if your machine already has a good tension you can
try this test.
This is all paraphrased out of the service manual.
Start with a machine that has the bobbin set up like you are
ready to sew.
You would turn the hand crank until the top thread take up arm
is at its highest point. Then pull the bobbin thread up and loop
it through that thread take up arm ( sort of like backwards
threading the machine but you are not going back through the
needle).
Now tape (6 Quarters) or (7 nickles) together and tape that
bundle to the end of the loose bobbin thread.
Slowly lower the weight.
1. If the weight zooms down really fast then i suspect your
baseline tension is too loose.
2. If the weight drops slowly with very little budge or
incouragement then your tension is great.
3. If the weight takes alot of encouragement to move down then
tension is too tight.
4. If the weight kind of drops irregular fast/slow/stop/slow/fast
etc then you may just need to clean the bobbin case area and
check for any sticking problems where thread is rubbing feed dog
or nedle plate etc.
A "fancier" test (my favorite, and yes i am a sewing machine
geek) is to tie loose end of that thread to a small corner of
plastic bag and drop your weights in bag one by one until it
starts to slowly drop and then you calculate what the tension
actually is.
If tension needs adjusting there is a small screw on the side of
the bobbin case that points at the center of the bobbin case.
actually ther are two screws tha do that. One holds the tension
spring onto the bobbin case the other affects the tension. The
only way to describe is the tension screw probably turns alot
easier than the non-tension screw :)
HTH
robb
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Posted by robb on April 3, 2009, 11:29 am
I forgot to mention that the tesnsion test called for usnig a
full bobbin wound with Embroidery thread no. 30 - 2 ply.
But i do not know how important that is unless you are using
some exotic or peculiar thread.
I usually test tension with whatever common/general thread i sew
with like C&C all purpose / dual duty plus or Metler cotton etc
robb
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Posted by robb on April 3, 2009, 11:39 am
show/hide quoted text
> > I have had my Elna 7000 about 20 years, but have never been
> able to get
> > the tension right on the underside of my stitch.
brain fade ....
If you have not already done so ....
make sure the bobbin case thread path and tension spring is clean
first. maybe use some thread to floss under the spring a bit,
doesn't take much of a spec of thread or trash or gunk or thread
lint ball lodged under the tension spring to goof up the tension.
robb
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> the
> tension right on the underside of my stitch. Elna said it adjusts
> automatically
> or doesn't need adjusting, but I only find the topside appears right, and
> am
> forced to stitch blind to get the right finish appearing outside and the
> underside appears too loose and irregular.
> It appears to be a very good machine, but my old bog standard Alpha
> machine,
> without any of the extras, gave much better results.
> Any ideas on how I might address this problem?
> Penny
>
>