Thread fraying/breaking

[Dianne]

Good evening, all. I'm doing a left chest logo that is fraying thread, then it's breaking with a snap. The logo is upper and lower case letters, Elegans-DAK font. These are my specs:
.35 size
100% letter width
stitch length 25
4.5 density
short stitches off
underlay is centerealk 25 pt.
Pull comp 120%
Column width 2
I'm using auto acti-feed(lower limit at 4), a 70/10 BP needle, 40 wt. thread, one layer of no-show mesh backing since the entire design is less than 3000 stitches. The shirt is an Outer Banks polo shirt. I've checked needle orientation, throat plate centering--what do I need to change????????? They also want this same logo on hats! All suggestions will be greatly appreciated! Dianne

[Juli in Kona]

A lower limit of 4 seems a little high to me. And one of the things that will snap thread for sure it the presser foot too high. You didn't mention what setting you had it at, so maybe you didn't check that.

Juli in Kona

[Dianne]

Juli, The presser foot is as low as it will go. I first had the lower limit at 3, then changed it to 4, thinking maybe that was the problem. It didn't help. Any other ideas? Thanks! Dianne

[TinaK]

Dianne:

I was having the same problem with the thread fraying and snapping like it was catching on something and I actually went through and did some maintenance and made sure I oiled the cutter and I have not had that happen to me since I did the maintenance.

Good Luck!

[Juli in Kona]

Do you have a 65/9 needle? .35 is very small and a small needle with a 60# thread really makes a difference.

Juli

[Dianne]

Yes, I have the 65/9 needle and smaller thread--I'll try that tomorrow on the shirts. But how am I going to put this logo on a hat !?!?!? Dianne

[Rod or Sharon]

Try....100% letter width

stitch length 17

5 density

short stitches off

underlay...zigzag at 15 density and 70% border width

pull comp 120%

min column width at 12 ( column width of 2 is very narrow )

use two(2) layers of polymesh cross hatched together

Make sure there is not a burr on the needle, that it is not bent and that it is oriented properly at approx 5 to 10 degrees to the right...

Run your speed at 1000spm until you get the settings fine tuned

Acti-feed lower limit at 2

bobbin tension fairly tight

Make sure there is no looseness of the fabric in the hoop...hoop as taut as you can without stretching the fabric.

Use solvy on top of the fabric

If you use the 65/9 and 60 weight thread, you may have to reduce the density number to 4 or below for coverage.

make sure the pinch and thread feed rollers ar well lubricated

Rod Springer
Amaya Tech & Trainer

[Pure Embroidery]

I've become a master a small lettering - and I mean small. I often do fonts at .15 and NO THREAD BREAKS!

No offense, but I'm the KISS kind of person. I don't use solvy or any kind of topping. Just make sure your column width is fairly large, density at 5, presser foot adjusted low, a 65/9 needle and SLOW DOWN THE MACHINE TO 600 spm to start. If it runs good - go to 700 and so on. I have found, however, that I can rarely sew at more than 800 spm and keep clean, tight stitches on small lettering. I think your backing is too flimsy for what you are sewing. Remember that the backing is for the thread to grab and hold. If you are sewing on a pique with thin backing, it's like it isn't even there and your lettering will suffer. I would definitely increase your backing for smaller stitches. It just helps them hold better.

I use this same technique on hats, but use a 75/11 SHARP needle and double up on the backing even on the structured hats.

Good luck.