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Is This A Thread Tension Issue? Tippmann Boss

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Long story short ... I'm on my 3rd Boss from the Factory, and it's still doing the same thing. I'm wondering if I have my thread tensions set wrong.

I spoke with 2 different people there at Tippmann, and both times I have reset the thread setting back to factory and worked up.

The machine will work fine for 10 to 20 stitches, and then it goes back to this.

I'm scratching my head here, and need the Guru's to help me out on this one.

Could this be something as simple as not winding the bobbin correctly? I could understand if 1 machine were bad, but 3? I'm leaning towards user error on this one.

Your thoughts?

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I have occasionally seen the same thing, . . . VERY occasionally, . . . and not lately.

Generally, . . . I have chalked it up to a harder / softer piece of leather in the affected areas, . . . and it seems to be the answer, . . . though I would not bet the world series on that answer.

Try tightening up the top tension a good solid 2/3 of a turn, . . . then adjust the bobbin accordingly. Also, . . . make sure the needle you are using will slide freely down a piece of the thread you are sewing with. A needle with a smaller hole will give you fits too.

I found shortly after getting mine a number of years ago, . . . the instructions point you in the general direction, . . . but you have to walk the course. Play with it.

And, . . . go get a couple of 1/4 x 20 wing nuts, . . . and a couple of 1/4 inch lock washers. Use the wing nuts & lock washers to lock your top adjustments in place. I've had em move on me during a big holster or belt, . . . and it is some kind of aggravating.

May God bless,

Dwight

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As Dwight mentioned, sometimes tightening both tensions will help stabilize the placement of knots in problematic leathers.

However, not mentioned in his suggestions, is carefully inspecting the top thread path, from the top of the cone, to the needle. A sudden change in the upper thread tension always results in the knots being pulled upwards. When you begin getting knots visible on the top, look to see if the top thread has twisted around a post, guide, or disk assembly. Make sure that the thread feeds off the top of the cone, straight up to the thread stand, through the eye in the top arm, on to the machine and its post and guides.

If there are no top path problems, it could be bobbin related. Stop sewing when you see knots appear. Inspect the bobbin case and make sure that the bobbin thread is feeding under the tension spring. Poorly wound bobbins can cause the thread to twist out from under the tension spring. Load the bobbins inside the bobbin case so they feed backwards, with a sharp turn into the slot and tension spring. Then snap the thread into the center of the spring and pull it out for a foot or two, checking for smoothness of pull.

If there is unevenness in the pull it could be caused by a thread stub from where you started winding the bobbin. Cut the starting thread stub flush with the bobbins. If there is any appreciable stub sticking out of the bobbin thread hole, it can catch on the spring inside the case, if facing inward, or against the shuttle if on the inside. This stub will cause uneven knot placement as it catches and releases.

Last, match the needle size to the thread. Use the smallest best results needle size when sewing leather. Go too small and it will be hard to get the knots off the bottom. Too big and it's difficult to balance the knots at all. Plus, you'll have huge holes.

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Make sure that the thread feeds off the top of the cone, straight up to the thread stand, through the eye in the top arm, on to the machine and its post and guides.

I agree with all Wizcrafts said except for this one statement. Back after I got mine, . . . I posted a query on this forum, . . . and I really wish I could remember who it was that answered it.

We sat and talked on the phone for about an hour one Sunday afternoon, . . . and the very first thing he brought up was how the thread was feeding off the spool.

i told him, . . . factory specs, . . . and he indicated that was the very first thing I needed to change. I bent my thread arm down so the eye was parallel to the middle of the spool, . . . added a ring to the eye that had no edges on it, . . . and I pull the thread through it first, . . .

It makes the spool turn around on the post, . . . like the spool in a regular sewing machine, . . .

The thread will either wind tighter, . . . or unwind (depending on the direction of twist) if you leave it as per factory specs. It only makes a difference on a long run like the outside of a purse or a belt, . . . but it can and will make a difference.

May God bless,

Dwight

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I'm having trouble visualizing what you are talking about with the thread feeding from the spool Wizcrafts.

The following pic shows how I set mine up due to the fact that I kept getting twisted thread in the eye of the Thread Guide. Should I be using a different angle on the Thread Guide?

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And here is how I have mine set up, . . . it causes me less problems.

May God bless,

Dwight

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And here is how I have mine set up, . . . it causes me less problems.

May God bless,

Dwight

I try to line up the thread stand guides directly over the cones, rather than off to one side. Industrial machine thread cones are wound differently than domestic spools. Spools are wound with direct from the side feeding in mind. Commercial cones and large spools are wound differently, with a top pull in mind.

That said, pulling as Dwight does will work, but with a variable amount of added tension, which changes as the spool becomes smaller. If you are only doing short stitch runs, this is probably acceptable. Some folks even pull some thread loose off the spool when using a side pull. This changes the tension again.

The hand cranked Boss machines can get away with configurations like this, where a motorized machine sewing belts and straps cannot. I can't even consider such a side-feed setup on my Cowboy stitcher, unless I got some kind of ball bearing, "Lazy Susan" platter for the thread cones to sit on and revolve freely.

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Wiz's comments are spot on. I have had my Boss since before dirt was invented! It took me a long time to get it working the way I liked, however; being a stubborn old, well you get the idea, I kept at it for a while till I got it. The way I rout my thread is pictured and it keeps a very consistent tension on the top thread. I then adjust my bottom thread to suit. This works really well for me. Hope this helps.

Bob

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You may want to take a look at this blog, as there is some pretty good information and troubleshooting tips over there.

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