Tackle Twill Troubles

[bluefoxprints]

Hi,

I am hoping somebody has some sage advice to help with some tackle twill problems.

We have two Amaya XT machines.

I am embroidering Chassé chearleeding uniforms, the shell and the jacket. They are made of polyester, and we are sewing with Madeira polyneon. The edge stitch is not satin/column, but a looser zig-zag as is traditional for typical cheer designs. The twill is pressure-sensitive poly-twill, and the backing is peel and stick adhesive tear away.

The problem is that I put some uniforms on, and the first few sewed out just fine. On about the 4th or 5th one, I began having trouble with threads shredding, birdnesting on top, and thread breaks. By the 6th one, it was skipping stitches with fair regularity, which results in 1) problems getting the letters to stay put because the straight stitch was not stitching it down. 2) zig zag not covering well and not looking like zig zag.

I struggled and struggled, and finally switched to a different needle on the same machine. Again, a few went through with no problem, but as I did them, the same problems were happening again. Every time I move to a new needle, I can get a few out fine before the problems crop up again.

I have tried so many things to try and solve these problems.

1. Silicone spray on the needle (sprayed on finger and applied to needle).
2. Regular clearing of adhesive build-up on the needle.
3. brand new sharp needles, brand new ball-point needles
4. Slowing the machine down and speeding it up.
5. Thread feed settings - autofeed settings from 1 to 5
6. Cleaning the bobbin area regularly (more often than I normally do).
7. Clearing lint and adhesive out of the bobbin parts.
8. Needles in sizes 80/12 and 75/11.
9. Presser foot anywhere from up two clicks to all the way down.

I would love to try a different backing, but it is near impossible to frame these tiny things while also messing with a separate non-stick backing.

My sense is that perhaps adhesive build-up is the problem, but I can't seem to figure out where and how it is causing the problem, and now I am to the point where switching needles no longer helps. This is a problem on both of our two machines.

Does anybody have any advice at all? I can live through the thread breaks, but the skipped stitches are a real problem. You pretty much only have one shot for tackle twill edges to look nice.

HELP! I have 54 more applications of this stuff to do and I am about to lose my mind. Oh,how I dislike cheerleaders right now...

Thanks,

Lisa, Blue Fox Prints

[Rod or Sharon]

Here are some things to try:
Use a 75/11 ballpoint needle (don't use sharps on polyester)
NEVER use Silicone on your thread or needle. Your thread passes through the eye of the needle 40 times before it is laid onto the fabric. Our machines run without the use of the tension dials because of the tension bar (actually because of vibration). Any Silicone in the thread path will decrease the sensitivity of the thread against the bar and confuse the machine as how much thread to feed so you will get false thread breaks or thread breaks. Frays can be because of:
1. burrs on the needles, in the eye of the needle, or anywhere such as on the support finger in the rotary hook area
2. orientation of the needle - never turned to the left. In straight or 5 to 10 degrees to the right.
Try using Solvy on top of the fabric
Try floating a piece of waxed paper underneath. The heat from friction is just enough to melt the wax onto the needle.
Check for any little pieces of thread that may be behind any of the rollers, in the bobbin area or under the leaf spring of your bobbin. Run the corner of a piece of paper under the leaf spring to clean it good.
Be very careful using sticky backing or spray. We have seen it work its way up the needlebars along with lint and literally freeze the bars to the point we have to break them loose with force. These are just a few things to check...
Sharon Springer

[Rod or Sharon]

Failed to mention to be sure your thread is in the little "V" notch in the black covers on the rollers. That can cause birdnesting.
Sharon Springer

[Rod or Sharon]

To add to what Sharon has said, you may have passed the point of no return with the sticky back stuff and need to do a WD-40 wash on the rotary hook area.

You will need to have a design that can run as continuously as possible, like a very large fill. It does not have to have any color changes in it.

Remove the needle plate.

Slow your machine down to 300spm.

In Settings, uncheck "All thread protection" do the machine can run without thread....un-thread the needle(s).

Raise the pinch lever(s) on the needle or needles being used to sew with.

Remove the bobbin case, but clean the bobbin case inside and out with WD-40 also.

If your machines have the black plastic rotary hook guard, it needs to be temporarily removed.

Place an old towel or some shop rags down underneath the sewing arm to catch the WD-40 drippings.

Start the machine running and aggressively spray the inside and outside of the rotary hook area with WD-40. You may want to hold something over the top of the sewing arm to catch any WD-40 that may be thrown out, but be very, very careful not to get your fingers anywhere near the spinning rotary hook.

Now blow out the area with compressed air and then do the wash again.

When finished blow it dry again and then lubricate the rotary hook thoroughly with sewing machine oil.

This will dissolve the stick that has built up on the rotary hook and the surrounding area.....

Reassemble the machine.....In settings , check your "All thread protection" back on.

If you continue to use adhesive sprays an/or the sticky backing on a regular basis, this needs to be done to remove the build up....

Juli from Kona can attest to the fact that this works very well....she may have something else to add tho.....

Rod Springer

[Mama Kass]

I do this regularly, too. After spraying the hook area, put a plastic bag around the sewing arm and let the needle "sew" through it. It catches the splatter.

[bluefoxprints]

Thanks for all of your suggestions. I had long quit using the silicone spray, because it was not helping the problem. The fraying and birdnesting, I think, is because when the machine skips stitches, this causes thread flagging which will result in the broken and frayed threads. Thread is running where it should be, and no burrs.

I had never heard of a hook wash, and these machines are 5+ years old. Thanks for the detailed instructions on that. After completing the hook wash, the problem is still not eliminated, but it is much, much better, certainly better enough for my blood pressure to manage. I also tried the waxed paper, and it does seem to be helping with the booger factor on the the needles.

I appreciate your help in making this job more manageable.

Lisa

[Rod or Sharon]

What height are you running your presser foot at?

for 99+ % of your sewing you should have the cog wheel turned counter clockwise "all" the way to the left and back up 1 or 2 clicks depending on material being sewn on. For example, T's would be all the way to the left ( meaning the presser foot is at it's lowest position ) to possibly up 1 click to prevent flagging of the material.

Where is your setting at right now?

As to the wash....I recently work on two 10 yr old Amayas where the operator was using a carpenter grade Elmers spray adhesive. They were both totally disabled and would not sew more than a half dozen stitches w/o a thread break. The hooks were in such bad shape they were both replaced and the problems went away....

Rod Springer

[bluefoxprints]

I usually work at 2 clicks up, but at the moment it is all the way down because it helps.

The adhesive is all the pressure-sensitive kind, thank goodness.

Thanks,

Lisa