Tenara sewing threads
- Thread starter Ken13559
- Start date
I haven't used Tenara. To deal with slipperiness the tension will need to be adjusted at the bobbin and the needle. Sailrite is pretty good with tech support, have you checked their website for their thoughts?
We have been using Tenara thread in our LSZ1 for all of our outdoor projects on our boat for about 10-years and will never go back to polyester thread when exposed to the sun. All of our Sunbrella has rot-free thread. That said, Sailrite recommends their PTFE Lifetime Thread over Tenara in the oscillating hook LSZ1 machines.
They say that it is easier to get good stiches with it. We have had problems with Tenara in our LSZ1 but for the most part have overcome them after a lot of messing around with tension top and bottom and building a TP roller thread holder.
They say that it is easier to get good stiches with it. We have had problems with Tenara in our LSZ1 but for the most part have overcome them after a lot of messing around with tension top and bottom and building a TP roller thread holder.
It is actually worth it to sew a seam once and have it last until the fabric falls apart. You can now get sails that are totally sewn with PTFE thread.
As Hayden says, it is significantly more difficult to use than polyester. I'll use poly on hidden seams and or to baste something then go back with Tenara. It'll outlast the fabric it's holding together. I will not use poly on flat-felled or half flat-felled types of seams.
Biggest problem is you _will_ get some skipped stiches with an oscillating hook machine (LZ-1, LS-1, home machines). Lots more tension and a roller feed like above to keep the thread from twisting are the solutions.
If you're paying somebody for sail or canvas work require it to be used.
If you're investing the hours to sew some canvas, use it to save that time later.
Yes, $140 for a spool of thread is outrageous. But it'll never go bad. (Sailrite will sell you a half-spool of lifetime, which I want to try soon) In the scheme of things, $1K for a machine, $100 for a big cutting mat, notions, good scissors, $35/yard sunbrella, that thread cost is minor.
Biggest problem is you _will_ get some skipped stiches with an oscillating hook machine (LZ-1, LS-1, home machines). Lots more tension and a roller feed like above to keep the thread from twisting are the solutions.
If you're paying somebody for sail or canvas work require it to be used.
If you're investing the hours to sew some canvas, use it to save that time later.
Yes, $140 for a spool of thread is outrageous. But it'll never go bad. (Sailrite will sell you a half-spool of lifetime, which I want to try soon) In the scheme of things, $1K for a machine, $100 for a big cutting mat, notions, good scissors, $35/yard sunbrella, that thread cost is minor.
I did all of the tricks that sailrite lists for getting Tenara to sew on the LSZ1 and have finally gotten it to work very well with only a few skipped stitches. The biggest possitive changes came from
- Makeing the TP roller cone holder so that the thread unrolled instead of twisting off the top
- Getting a second bobbin holder just for Tenara with the tension down a lot harder than normal.
Ok I just bite the bullet, or more like bite a grenade and ordered the Tenara thread 'cos this has been keeping me awake for some nights. Will have to cut back on beer to pay for the thread 
Hopefully I've good experience to feedback to forum.
Hopefully I've good experience to feedback to forum.
How did you arrive at the decision for Tenara vs PTFE Lifetime? Appears to be a significant difference in cost for comparable results, or am I missing something?
Cost between the 2 isn't much different from my quick check. Tenara comes in 1500+yd whereas PTFE in 800+yd at about 1/2 the price of Tenara. Also read PTFE tends to be more slippery, mentioned somewhere at Sailrite site. As I'm using Brother sewing machine (shared with my daughter for her dress
) i think its more manageable with Tenara....hopefully.
The question to ask is what type of bobbin hook does it have. If the machine is a rotary hook, use Tenara. If it is an oscillating hook, use PTFE Lifetime.Cost between the 2 isn't much different from my quick check. Tenara comes in 1500+yd whereas PTFE in 800+yd at about 1/2 the price of Tenara. Also read PTFE tends to be more slippery, mentioned somewhere at Sailrite site. As I'm using Brother sewing machine (shared with my daughter for her dress
I have a Sailrite LSZ1 which is an oscillating bobbin hook and our next spool of outdoor thread will be PTFE Lifetime because it is easier to get working correctly on my machine. I am not familiar with the Brother you are using but think that most home machines have oscillating bobbins.
The rotary bobbin is a commercial thing.
If you do not know which you have, open the bobbin door and turn the wheel by hand to run the needle through one full cycle. An oscillating hook will travel one-have circle counterclockwise and then turn clockwise back to the starting position. A rotary hook just turns continuously counterclockwise.
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Hayden,
Thanks for the advice. I have a sailrite mini walker, guess that one has an oscillating bobbin also??
I do not know. SailRite sells both rotary and oscillating hook machines. The Fabricator, Sailrite 111, the Sailrite Professional Series and the Sailrite Big-N-Tall are all rotary machines but I have never seen anything on the mini walker. It is easy to tell just by looking at the hook motion when you hand wind the needle through a cycle. rotary and oscillating are pretty evident.
Got it! The mini walker was the entry level sailrite machine about 20 years ago. Has a walking foot, forward & backward straight stitch only. Has the hand crank flywheel. The thing is built like a tank!
I used to have a Sailrite SailMaker but it was also a straight stich only and I gave it to my sister-in-law for some heavy-duty projects she had going.
This thread biggrin has caused me to rethink using Tenara or PTFE Lifetime.
When I started sewing with my LSZ1 in 2016 I looked at the Sailrite info on Tenara, Profilen (now PTFE Lifetime) and polyester V92. I went with polyester V92 for ease of the learning curve of sewing.
Most of my sewing projects have been repairing UV damaged zippers, dodger windows and some restitching of the dodger, bimini and sail cover that came on my boat.
My canvas comes off the boat in October or November and goes back on in May so a lot less UV exposure than sunny CA or FL so repairing existing canvass with PTFE Lifetime sounds like overkill.
But now I'll give some more thought to using PTFE Lifetime thread on my projects that will see the most UV and I'm building new out of new canvass.
biggrin has caused me to rethink using Tenara or PTFE Lifetime.When I started sewing with my LSZ1 in 2016 I looked at the Sailrite info on Tenara, Profilen (now PTFE Lifetime) and polyester V92. I went with polyester V92 for ease of the learning curve of sewing.
Most of my sewing projects have been repairing UV damaged zippers, dodger windows and some restitching of the dodger, bimini and sail cover that came on my boat.
My canvas comes off the boat in October or November and goes back on in May so a lot less UV exposure than sunny CA or FL so repairing existing canvass with PTFE Lifetime sounds like overkill.
But now I'll give some more thought to using PTFE Lifetime thread on my projects that will see the most UV and I'm building new out of new canvass.