Glow-in-the-dark Thread

[GregDean]

Hi everyone - I'm new here, (and new to the Amaya world too - just got our Bravo a month ago) and I've had a lot of luck with the Bravo, up until this little snag: Glow in the Dark thread.

I've tried both Glowy and Fil-Tec Luminary thread, as well as slowed down to 700 SPM, and even upped the needle size to 90/14 as per Fil-Tec's recommendations. Despite this, I'm still getting pretty common fraying breaks, or false bobbin breaks on some materials. I've noticed that the top thread tension is a touch on the wobbly side when it's sewing, but I'm just a little too new with this machine to know how to work through these sorts of issues. Anybody have some pointers they can toss my way?

[Greenwing]

I have found that the texture of the coating on the thread has caused the issue your describing for me.
I have helped it with a spray of silicone on the cone & on the fabric.
The coating that makes this thread glow can be stiff and it helps everything flow better.
That is why they are saying to use a larger needle, though I don't.

not really sure what you mean by wobbly?
(loose Missing stitches? maybe)

[GregDean]

Heh - "wobbly" was my completely uninformed way of saying that as I watched the thread down near the needle, it'd be alternately tight like normal, and then sometimes form pretty big loops - all ABOVE the needle, which seemed to indicate that the acti-feed was having trouble adjusting to it.

Would spraying the cone with silicone spray affect the feed rollers? I'm hesitant to do it, but I have heard that solution before... just worried about it with the acti-feed.

[GregDean]

A little extra followup - I've loosened the bobbin tension A LOT, and with the size 14's, I just sewed a tester with no issues (even at 1000 SPM)... but we typically sew on Polyurethane laminate, so the size 14 needle is kind of fraying the fabric around the stitches. Is there a size 11 or 12 DBxK5 needle out there with a larger-than-average eye? The large eye on the 14 seems great, but I just need to find a slightly smaller needle, and then I'm golden.

[HERB]

IMO and just IMO spraying your thread with silicone is a bad idea. This will transfer to your rollers and affect the thread feed of the machine. May not happen instantly but with enough use it is going to. The tension on the thread created by the rollers is a critical component of the acti feed system. Goof it up and all bets are off. Again just my opinion....

[Greenwing]

If It were oil I would agree, Most of the commercial threads are siliconized during manufacturing. Arc, Madera, Fufus, RA to name a few.

as long as it is dry it should not cause a problem.
Everything in moderation...

Going on 23 years and no problem yet.

JMHO

[Mama Kass]

OK, Jerome, I've always hesitated to try silicone on my metallic thread for fear of ruining either my embroidery or my machine but your advice is usually "spot on", so....how much spray do you use on the cone; how do you determine when to respray the cone because the coated thread has spooled off; how much do you use on the fabric (front or back?), and what brand of spray do you use? Not asking for much, am I?

[Greenwing]

it takes very little just a quick shot or two.
I encourage you to shield a paper bag or even a sheet of paper behind the cone on the machine as the over spray can make your floor very slick.
(ask me how I know!)
The Type we have used is the same used in the food service industry Marathon and MyEnmart.com both sell one.
Sprayway 946 Silicone Spray
Marathon is the same they just have sprayway lable it for them...

I also will use it on designs that are very layered or dense by a qick shot right on the sewing field stops flaging and false thread breaks sometimes.
It is not staining, even on satin.

[Rod or Sharon]

Rod and I highly discourage any of you from using Silicone spray on your threads. Melco says not to use it as well. It was a discussion at one time during tech training several years back. I use it on my home sewing machines but they don't run with the same tension rollers as our Amaya machines. Just a word of caution from both of us and the head of Melco training and tech trainer as well.
Sharon Springer

[GregDean]

I'm probably going to avoid the silicone, anyhow - After running it on the 14's, the ONLY issue I've had is the fraying of the Polyester on the PUL fabric. Using it for patches, hats, and towels is all a-ok, and break free. Still on the lookout for a larger-eye 11 or 12 needle, but for now, the 14's will do the trick. Thanks for the advice though, guys!

[Rod or Sharon]

DBXK5 is the designation for larger eyes intended for higher speed sewing. I haven't heard of any other with a larger eye.
Sharon

[GregDean]

Pretty much what I figured. Ah well - all that's left is to try it with the other brands, I suppose. Thanks!

[GregDean]

Slight update - while poking around on Colman and Company, I noticed that Organ makes a Metallic DBx7ST needle with a much larger eye - http://colmanandcompany.com/static_s...BP-Sleeve.html

No idea if this will solve the issue, but it's certainly promising! I'll update with more info. (The 14's are still working great on fabrics that don't fray, so at least there's that.)