Hooping Hats

[sschroed2]

I finally have my first order for hats. It's been 4 months since my training class. I'm having trouble getting a hat hooped on the WACF straight. My design has a row of small lettering across the botto, so if it's not straight it really shows. Can someone tell me if theres a trick to doing this?

Thanks for everyone's help.
Sue Schroeder

[J&O Enterprises]

HI Sue,

Been through this my self. Finally I learned one way to EASILY get the hat straight to the frame.

The frame works such that the grabbing sheet-metal part hangs off on the left side when hooping the hats, then you bring it up and over the bill of the hat, and finally clasp it with the cam-lock. I found that the side of the hat with the clasp usually does not go far enough into the hoop. The lower edges of the "sides" of the hat should be equally grasped by the left and right sides of he WACF. Once you hoop the hat, remove it from the hooping jig and turn it around in your hands. Look as the hinge and clasp sides of the WAWCF. The lower edge of the side of the hat should be equally grabbed by the device. It will be obvious if one side of the hat is well-grabbed, and one side of the hat sort of slipped-out from the teeth.
Thanks,
Jim

[sschroed2]

Thanks for your response. That is exactly the problem I'm having. It just seems I can't find a consistent method to get it straight everytime.The clasp is so flimsy, seems like if it was more solid help. I have found that if I hook the clasp, then the bill, then the clips it seems to work better for me, but still having trouble getting both sides to stay in the right place while I hook the clasp.

[Juli in Kona]

It seems to me that since everyone is having trouble with hooping hats - well, everyone will agree that hooping hats is not easy - that the hoop is poorly designed. I have another hoop for a different machine and it takes me about 30 sec to hoop a hat. And it is perfect every time. I cannot say that about the Amaya XT WAFC hoop. Does anyone know if they are looking into redsigning it?

Juli in Kona