Thread Tension Gauge

[chrisash]

A tension gauge was a blessing to me when i had embroidery machines totaling 18 heads and each head had 12 threads, the operator girls would play with the tensions after nearly every new design and often get completely lost no matter how many times i tried to teach them the basics. With the gauge I could quickly reset them all to a common position and slightly adjust from there as necessary. Quite a large adjustment from light colour thread to dark 

[Silverd]

7 hours ago, chrisash said:

A tension gauge was a blessing to me when i had embroidery machines totaling 18 heads and each head had 12 threads, the operator girls would play with the tensions after nearly every new design and often get completely lost no matter how many times i tried to teach them the basics. With the gauge I could quickly reset them all to a common position and slightly adjust from there as necessary. Quite a large adjustment from light colour thread to dark 

My point exactly in that using a tool to measure a variable can serve to get a machine into its nominal setting value quickly.  Please note that at no time do I make the argument that a tension gauge can replace the trials method for arriving at a final setting.  There are too many other factors as you all indicate for that to be expected.  I would think however that using a gauge in the process of establishing a nominal tension setting for top and bottom when loading a completely different thread for instance may be helpful.  Or when returning a machine back to a previously established configuration....followed by a trial event to finalize.  Rocky, have you ever used a thread tension measuring device in this way?

Silverd

[Silverd]

11 hours ago, Bert51 said:

As far as I see it, there is no set tension for setting up your tension.

I cannot say you need to set your bobbin at 5 pounds to sew 6oz leather and 8 pounds for 8 oz leather.

The leather can vary, as can what size needle you are using. Just way to many variables.

I say to people, when you make your project, keep the scraps and use them to to set up your machine.

Here is Australia I can have 25C° and tomorrow 35C° and what tension I'm sew with today, will be different tomorrow.

Rocky put up a good article about tensions and if I can find it, I will list it for your reading.

Have fun, play with your scraps and set up your machine.

Bert.

I am not advocating a direct relationship between leather weight and thread tension.  Rather, using a gauge to help set the tension ratio between top and bottom when introducing a new thread. Then fine tune using the trials method.  

Silverd

[DonInReno]

I think of it like cooking - some cooks lean toward French methods and have to measure everything and others cook more by feel and can only talk in generalizations and recipes change slightly every time.  Some have two knives for everything and others have a dozen knives each specifically for a single purpose.
 

if you love kitchen gadgets then by all means buy a tension gauge.  If you love meticulous record keeping and want to have recipe cards for every thread combination then there’s nothing wrong with that.   I personally can’t imagine there is any time saved over setting tensions the traditional way, but to each his own.

 

[Silverd]

1 hour ago, DonInReno said:

I think of it like cooking - some cooks lean toward French methods and have to measure everything and others cook more by feel and can only talk in generalizations and recipes change slightly every time.  Some have two knives for everything and others have a dozen knives each specifically for a single purpose.
 

if you love kitchen gadgets then by all means buy a tension gauge.  If you love meticulous record keeping and want to have recipe cards for every thread combination then there’s nothing wrong with that.   I personally can’t imagine there is any time saved over setting tensions the traditional way, but to each his own.

 

Your statement speaks to my original question.   Has anyone experience actualy using a tension gauge?  I've been sewing a few years on several machines and understand how to set tension using the trials method quite successfully.  Introducing more tools to a process can mean more time. Introducing the right tools can save time.  We advance skills, technology and capabilities by questioning the status quo then working toward better solutions.  This topic is just another example.  I appreciate your keep it simple approach.  If the benefits don't out weight the added complexity then it certainly would be something I wouldnt use long term.  But I'm curious.  Apparently the only participate in this thread who has used a tension tool had good things to say about it, albeit in a different setting and application.  Are you certain there is not a viable place in your tool box for such a device?

[dikman]

In answer to your last question, in my case no. While I am an inveterate collector of things (tools?) I see no value to me in such a device for my small number of sewing machines. If I run into a tension problem and I think it's the bobbin then I will tweak it by hand, realistically  the amount of tweaking will be quite small anyway. I can, of course, see the value of such a gauge in the case Chris mentioned, it would be much easier to keep multiple machines all set the same.

Now, if said gauge could also be used to measure trigger pull on revolvers then that would be useful to me.

[chrisash]

I thought you Aussies had your guns taken away by the government

[Silverd]

I

33 minutes ago, dikman said:

In answer to your last question, in my case no. While I am an inveterate collector of things (tools?) I see no value to me in such a device for my small number of sewing machines. If I run into a tension problem and I think it's the bobbin then I will tweak it by hand, realistically  the amount of tweaking will be quite small anyway. I can, of course, see the value of such a gauge in the case Chris mentioned, it would be much easier to keep multiple machines all set the same.

Now, if said gauge could also be used to measure trigger pull on revolvers then that would be useful to me.

The sewing community collects more than one kind of iron...

I'll let you know about the versatility if I proceed.

[Bert51]

Yeah, they took some off some people, but not all and they gave other the power to take your licenses.

Bert.

[Wizcrafts]

4 hours ago, Silverd said:

Has anyone experience actualy using a tension gauge?

Indeed, there was a discussion about using bobbin tension gauges back in November and December.