Date: Wed, 17 May 1995 16:56:56 -1000 From: jknii@aol.com (JKN II) Message-Id: <3ped1o$14o@newsbf02.news.aol.com> Organization: America Online, Inc. (1-800-827-6364) Subject: Kite Making - Hypertension caused by improper thread tension - HELP! I have just recently bought a used Singer 5107 to make my own kites. It appears to sew regular fabric with regular thread fine but I have been unable to sew spinaker cloth with dacron kite thread or polyester thread without getting loops on the bottom. Sewing leading edge banding is almost impossible. I have adjusted the top tension and the bobbin tension to the limits on both end and tried needles from 11 to 20 without success. Is it me or the machine? Any advice from people who actually know what they are doing would be greatly appreciated. I have tried the local Singer dealer ( Rude and nasty they are) and they tell me it is impossible to use that fabric or that thread on a normal machine. I find this hard to believe. Any hints or courses of action would be greatly appreciated. Anyone know of any really good books on the actual sewing of kites? I have patterns but specifics would be helpful. Thanks again, J. K. Narney = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Date: Thu, 18 May 1995 21:12:38 -1000 From: andrew@tug.com (Andrew Beattie) Message-Id: Organization: /usr/lib/news/organisation Subject: Re: Kite Making - Hypertension caused by improper thread tension - HELP! In article <3ped1o$14o@newsbf02.news.aol.com> jknii@aol.com (JKN II) writes: >I have just recently bought a used Singer 5107 to make my own kites. It >appears to sew regular fabric with regular thread fine but I have been >unable to sew spinaker cloth with dacron kite thread or polyester thread >without getting loops on the bottom. Hmm... let me dig a posting out of the archives for you... ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- While we're talking about sewing machines, let me pass on something I had to be taught: I had been fiddling with the top tension on my Singer, trying to find the loosest tension I could get away with. I took the tension well out past "far too loose" and tried to adjust back until I had just enough and no more. But then found then even when adjusted as tighly as possible, it was still too loose! Let me try to ascii-draw a cross section through the tension mechanism: (I hope you're watching Colin) :-) machine -------------------------------< >---------------------------------------- \------------- < > -------------/ <- disk O < > O <- thread /------------- < > -------------\ <- disk +-----------+ < > +-----------+ | S | < > | S | <- larger cup || P || < > || P || || R || < > || R || || I || < > || I || || +--+N || < > || N+--+ || | | |G | < > | G|++| | <-smaller cup +--+ +---+ < > +---+||+--+ <-peg & holes +------------<< >>------++----+ | << >> | | << >> | <-threaded knob | << >> | | << >> | +------------<< >>------------+ < > < > There are many holes in the smaller cup but only one peg. You can adjust the range of adjustmetn available by squeezing the cups together and putting the peg into a different hole. Of you do as I did and unwind the threaded knob untill the peg falls out of the hole, then when it re-engages, it will be on the loosest possible range of tensions. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (and of course, no top-tension leans to great wads of loops underneath...) Andrew -- New to rec.kites? START HERE! | To: www@kfs.org send an email message like this->| Subject: service /-\ () >< () |\/| () >< () /-\ | http://www.kfs.org/kites/welcome/index.html = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =