Tention guide my tension dial wont work. i can put it to 0 or 9 and there is not difference in the tension. i am working with a pfaff smart 100.

The Hobby 1200 is a Pfaff sewing machine that they call the Grand Quilter. First raise the presser foot and make sure that the needle is at the highest position (press the needle up/down button twice with the machine on). Then turn off the machine and unplug it for the maximum safety. For the top thread, place a spool on the spool pin and guide the thread through one of the two thread guides on the thread guide bar. The thread starts from behind the guide. (The post holding the guide bar is next to the spool pin.) As with most sewing machines, you will work from right to left and lead the thread down then up before going down to the needle. Bring the thread to the next thread guide (in front of the bobbin winding pin) and pass it through one of the holes from the back. Wrap the thread to the back of the guide and then through another of the holes. If the thread tension is very loose, try going through all three holes. Bring the thread down between the pre-tension discs going counter-clockwise.

Hold the thread in both hands and guide it around down and around the tension dial from right to left. Bring the thread up to get it between the tension discs and behind the tail of the check spring. Bring the thread back down over the loop of the check spring then under the thread guide that looks like an upside down L with a curve in it. Bring the thread up and through the next thread guide. (This guide is horizontal and just above the previous guide and one side ends near the center of the tension dial.)

Bring the thread up and pass it through the eye in the thread take-up lever and then back down through the horizontal thread guide above. Slip the thread into the thread guide and then down to the needle bar thread guide. Thread the needle from front to back. The thread should be along the groove in the needle.

You can find the manual at Pfaff's Machine Update page: http://www.pfaff.com/en-US/Support-and-Updates/Support . Search for the model and then you'll get to the product page: http://www.pfaff.com/en-US/Support/3336 . The direct link to the manual is http://www.pfaff.com/SiteMedia/PFAFF/Products/Machines/Support-manuals/GrandQuilter-manual-EN.pdf . The threading section starts on page 21 (page 23 of the PDF). The manual has good pictures that are better than my attempts to describe the guides.

I hope this helps.

Cindy Wells

Install a brand new needle.

Remove all the top thread from the machine, ALWAYS RAISE the presser foot and rethread from the beginning (this insures the thread is completely seated in the tension disk). Verify the thread path is correct.

Set the top tension to the midway point (the factory standard), but you may need to tweak it because every machine differs.

Understanding Thread Tension Threads

Hmm, be sure when you thread your top thread that you ALWAYS RAISE the presser foot. That allows the thread to seat completely in the tension disk. However, in your case, the tension mechanism may need repair or replacement. Most often, there is a spring involved that will wear or be damaged over time. May be time to take it for service.

In my opinion, those older mechanicals are keepers. Consider that it has lasted you 40 years---can't beat that! And it's still worth fixing.

Hi Kathi it soulds like your not geting the thread in the tension unit.
Try this, thread the machine all the way to the needle but not in the eye.
Lift the presser foot up and down and pull on the thread at the same time.
You should feal the thread tension when the presser foot is down and not tension when it is up.
If this is the case then try and sew, if not then its not threaded right or your machine needs adjusting.
For were the tension dial should be set, I would put it on 4-5 for straigt and 3 for satin/button hole.

Refer to the manual. If you do not have a manual, start at 4 and work your way through the numbers, bit by bit until you get good results.

The bobbin thread should pull the top thread slightly under and to the back.

Machine embroidery bobbin thread is heavier than the standard size machine embroidery top thread and this also helps to pull the top thread to the back.

I would try embroidering on a scrap of like material to get the tension you want. My Brother (different model) manual doesn't say any specific tension setting for embroidering but just says to set the tension right for the fabric to be worked. If the fabric is stretchy, I suggest using a little looser tension than say cotton, just make sure it doesn't pucker the fabric.

The timing is set at the factory. If the threads are not hooking together, then perhaps try one of three things.

1. remove the thread, and run the machine at full speed for three minutes or more. This warms up the hardware, loosens gelled up oil, and get's all the parts in allignment.

2. (and 3.) Check the thread tentions. On the top thread, it will be a dial with numbers, over a spring and two plates that the thread runs through. On the bottom, it's a tiny screw on the side of the casing that the bobbin sits inside.

If the machine sews loose threads, then tighten these, a bit at at time, and if the machine jams up with a knot of thread at the needle, then loosen these. I believe that if the sewn threads are loose at the top, the bobbin tention neeeds tightening, and if the sewn threads on the bottom are loose, then the top tention dial needs tightening.

Cheers.

You need to do a tension assembly test.
Normal 0 MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman";} Tension assembly test. To do this test. Pull the thread through the tension assembly and test it to make sure the tension is working correctly.
(To do this test, adjust your tension setting to normal or medium or 5 or something in the middle. Raise the presser foot and pull the thread through the tension. It should pull easily!! Lower the presser foot and pull the thread. It should pull noticeably harder.)
If it doesn’t work this way then you probably have a piece of thread or lint stuck inside the tension discs. To remove it, turn the tension to 0 zero and raise the presser foot.Using a small screwdriver, open the space between the discs and spray with canned or compressed air. The stuff should come out. Do the tension test again to make sure you got everything and then try sewing again.
sewman7

Normal 0 MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman";}You need to do a tension assembly test

Tension assembly test. To do this test. Pull the threadthrough the tension assembly and test it to make sure the tension is workingcorrectly.
(To do this test, adjust your tension setting to normal or medium or 5 orsomething in the middle. Raise the presser foot and pull the thread through thetension. It should pull easily!! Lower the presser foot and pull the thread. Itshould pull noticeably harder.)
If it doesn’t work this way then you probably have a pieceof thread or lint stuck inside the tension discs. To remove it, turn thetension to 0 zero and raise the presser foot.Using a small screwdriver, openthe space between the discs and spray with canned or compressed air( a needle will work also). The stuffshould come out. Do the tension test again to make sure you got everything andthen try sewing again.
sewman7

Check your bobbin tension also. Embroidery bobbin thread is finer than sewing thread and you may need to make adjustment on the bobbing case by turning the small screw slightly. The type of stabilizer can affect your embroidery. An excellent reference for machine embroidery is Embroidery Machine Essentials by Jeanine Twigg, available on Amazon.