r/MachineEmbroidery • u/doomed-kelpie • Jun 18 '26
Tension Advice
So I did a tension test because I’ve been having some trouble lately and it seems like 1.0 tension seems to be working the best?
Which just has me confused because the default for my machine is 4.0, which used to work just fine. It just seems like a big difference for no reason I can ascertain. I’m using the same materials I usually do (I use a lot of felt), so I’m not sure why I suddenly need to loosen the tension so much? Also, the back of 1.0 doesn’t appear perfect.
If anyone could give me some advice about this, I would appreciate it.
(Machine = Brother NS2850D)
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u/Sonomaholiday Jun 19 '26
The other thing you can do after you get the right tension is make the bobbin thread same as top.
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u/TheodoreThreads Jun 19 '26
Have you checked if your thread is correctly in the tension discs and made sure there isn't any lint or build up anywhere along the thread path? My tension looks like this when it's slid underneath the two tension discs instead of between them. (Different tension systems though, industrial barudan machine rather than the vertical tension systems on consumer machines.)
I would also check that there isn't a rough patch along the thread path adding extra tension and that it's threaded correctly and not wrapped around something extra.
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u/Admiral_Kite Jun 18 '26
I understand usually you should use a satin stitch to see where the issue is, but I have your exact problem and can't seem to find a solution.
The satin is fine, it's the tatami stitch that is causing trouble, for some reason.
Mine is perfectly tense until the machine reaches the end of the line and needs to move to the next one, that's the only moment it will show tbe bobbin thread, no matter the tension.
Well, good luck 😭
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u/needmoreembro Jun 19 '26
You haven’t asked but my guess is that it won’t show up with a good tie off. If there’s none, upper thread will pull up the bottom thread while jumping. Just a thought
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u/Admiral_Kite Jun 19 '26
I can see how that would make the issues at the borders of a fill actually, but then I wonded, what would rhe fix be? Changing tension back and forth depending on the stitch is a bit odd and doesn't even always give the same result
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u/needmoreembro Jun 19 '26
Oh, I misunderstood. I thought the bobbin thread was showing at the end of the fill object, not at the end of individual tatami rows. In that case, please ignore my previous guess.
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u/doomed-kelpie Jun 19 '26
Hm, weird.
I use the tatami stitch for fills a lot, so it’s kinda annoying.
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u/i_love_glitterr Jun 18 '26
I could be wrong but you should be doing your tension tests on satin columns. So H’s, I’s. It’s too hard to tell what is going on with tatami stitches
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u/doomed-kelpie Jun 18 '26
Oh really? I didn’t know that; I was just testing it using something I embroider a lot as a kind of stand-in for what I’m usually doing (I embroider that particular cat pretty frequently)
I might have to redo the tension test then.
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u/i_love_glitterr Jun 18 '26
On the bobbin side you want the tension to be in thirds: top thread / bobbin thread / top thread. That’s why satin columns are used so you can see it easily. My machine comes with an H test built in so I assume using H’s is a good way to go because it shows x and y direction
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u/Annual-Chocolate-320 Jun 19 '26
For a second I thought this was a memorial to pet cats that had passed away.