1st day on the Consew 206 Blues.

[FredF]

Today is the first day I sat down to try the Consew 206 I just bought. This is my first time operating a sewing machine. I am having trouble with balancing the thread tension. The needle thread seems to have much more tension than the bobin thread, and I cant get it any looser. I notice that the spool seems to add a lot of tension because it doesn't roll as loosely (In other words, it doesn't roll as if it were on bearings, but rather drags on the surface of the spool holder).The spools seem to be adding a significant amount of needle thread tension, if fact, it seems to be the major factor in the thread tension. As a result I am getting stitches with a dash-dot pattern (where the top thread just lays across, and the bottom thread just pokes through enough to form a dot).

The question is : How loose do the spools have to be? Are the spindles that hold the spools supposed to turn with the spool, or does the spool turn (and drag!) on the spindle base?

Thanks in advance,

Fred

(BTW- I had a lot of fun messing around with it anyway)

[barra]

The top thread needs to feed from the top of the spool. Of course the attached pic is not a consew but the principal is the same. Can you see the white thread coming off the top of the spool, over the thread guide before it heads to the thread guides that are actually on the machine.

Barra

[FredF]

The top thread needs to feed from the top of the spool. Of course the attached pic is not a consew but the principal is the same. Can you see the white thread coming off the top of the spool, over the thread guide before it heads to the thread guides that are actually on the machine.

Barra

Ha, Ha!!! I feel pretty stupid! So that's what that bar with the holes above the spools is for!!! 1000% Better! Thanks a million Barra!

Fred

[Henry]

The top thread needs to feed from the top of the spool. Of course the attached pic is not a consew but the principal is the same. Can you see the white thread coming off the top of the spool, over the thread guide before it heads to the thread guides that are actually on the machine.

Barra

Barra,

Just curious,

What is that machine to the left in the picture?? It looks a little like 3 different machines! Do you have any more pictures of it?

Thanks,

Henry

[Rayban]

Fred, I just bought a knock-off of the grey Singer in Barra's picture....nice shop BTW Barra!!......the problem you were describing is one common to just about any sewing machine. Sounds like you worked it out and that's good...but my point is that if you ever get stuck with a problem it's usually something simple and even Aunt Mable across the lane who has been making curtains and clothes for the children for about 80 years can probably work it out for ya. So don't be afraid to ask most anybody who knows how to operate a machine.

My brother is a tailor, as my Dad was....I wanted nothing to do with it, but I was around machines all my life, which means nothing here, cept my brother can't wait to get over here to play with my new toy. Every now and then he comes across a project where he needs a machine like mine.

I'm having a problem when I go from one layer of cow and suede, to two layers of cow and suede on the same project, in this case, a knife sheath. The stitch is different from one to the other and my bro is gonna show me how to fix that....I hope.

Edited March 9, 2009 by Rayban

[FredF]

Fred, I just bought a knock-off of the grey Singer in Barra's picture....nice shop BTW Barra!!......the problem you were describing is one common to just about any sewing machine. Sounds like you worked it out and that's good...but my point is that if you ever get stuck with a problem it's usually something simple and even Aunt Mable across the lane who has been making curtains and clothes for the children for about 80 years can probably work it out for ya. So don't be afraid to ask most anybody who knows how to operate a machine.

My brother is a tailor, as my Dad was....I wanted nothing to do with it, but I was around machines all my life, which means nothing here, cept my brother can't wait to get over here to play with my new toy. Every now and then he comes across a project where he needs a machine like mine.

I'm having a problem when I go from one layer of cow and suede, to two layers of cow and suede on the same project, in this case, a knife sheath. The stitch is different from one to the other and my bro is gonna show me how to fix that....I hope.

Yes, Nice shop Barra.

Thanks, I did work it out and am glad it was something so simple. I was left scratching my head though as to why the manual wouldn't include that minute piece of information in the threading instructions (?). I guess they assume that a complete newbie like myself would not be buying this machine as their first machine. Let me know how the thickness problem is worked out.

Can't wait to get that servo motor to slow this thing down and get a handle on it.

Fred

[barra]

Henry. That is my Jones stitcher. Yeah it kinda is a hodge podge of machines. At the moment it is mounted on my 29K13 boot patcher treadle base and that is on wheels. The actual Jones treadle base has had a new top put on it and because it is so solid has become my stamp bench. With the Jones the thread must feed off the spool from the side, so in this case the spool spins. The top thread then feeds thru the wax pot, around 2 tensioning posts before heading to the needle. Any attempt to feed it off the top and it has a fit. I have tried all sorts like cannabalising thread tension discs of other machines and cranking the discs right up.

Barra

Edited March 10, 2009 by barra