New User help needed - digitizing/sewing

[Shuffletown Embroidery]

Check the bobbin case tension.

Mary

[JuneForever]

Would that be a case of too tight or too loose bobbin tension?

I am trying to make sure I am doing it right and it says to hold the bobbin and gently bounce it to test tension... how do you do that without the bobbin falling out? LOL!

[Shuffletown Embroidery]

I think it's too loose. There's not enought tension on the thread to do the trim.
Take the thread out of the pigtail to do the test. First thing is just hold it by the thread. If it drops without shaking, it's very loose. It should only drop about an inch (I think) when you shake it. If it falls too much, it's still too loose. Tighten the screw in very small increments.
Good luck,
Mary

[sschroed2]

I've had the same problem with my machine since day 1. Problem is it's very inconsistent. I can sew the same design out several times, same or different bobbin tension and get different thread breaks, thread flagging in different spots every time. When it got really bad and I could only sew a few stitches at a time, my tech got my thread feed roller assy replaced. I've just learned to deal with it, which is not really a satisfactory solution.

[signman]

Start by removing the bobbin and sliding a business card corner under the metal 'tension' bar to make sure there isn't lint under there. Check INSIDE the bobbin holder for lint and stuff, clean out everything inside it. Put the bobbin back in correctly, and feed the thread through the slot but NOT into the pigtail. Now hold the thread between thumb and finger and lift up...if the bobbin doesn't move-the tension is too tight. If it starts unrolling, too lose. What you want it just enough tension that when you 'jiggle' your thumb and finger a little bit-the bobbin unwinds a little but stops...jiggle again, it unrolls...you don't want it lose enough to continue unwinding by itself. Now wrap it around the pigtail and install it...and make sure your THREAD is properly fed through the entire 'path' up and down and around the front of the machine.
Now you have eliminated one possible problem.
Good luck!

[signman]

Just for anyone to think about...read the post above about leaving the raised needle plate on (Big Red) instead of swapping it for hats...ran a dozen hats with lettering, no logo...and did not change density like I normally do-had it set for 4.3 or so...presser foot is up 1 click from bottom...and had I think 3 thread breaks in 12 hats. Speed was 1100. Normally we get 1 or more thread breaks per hat.
On the presser foot setting...if we don't have it touching the hat...sewouts are horrible, lots of breaks, designs won't align...so I'm curious how anyone gets it to work with it raised way up?

[levelbest]

R:

Not sure what you are saying. You said leaving the raised needle plate on - but did you mean leaving the standard needle plate on?

If so, you need to run the presser foot as you would for flats.

[signman]

Yes, I meant that we leave the standard plate on the machine. Just tried it yesterday after reading the posts about others doing it.
Typically we set the presser foot (with needle center down) at just pushing down the material and up 1 click (or more if warranted as the first test sewout), for hats, always have had to run it 'down' and touching to prevent flagging.
So yesterday's test was same as the flat sample sewout-up one click from all the way down. This was on unstructured or 'medium' structured Flexfit hats-not the buckram backing but the large size had a layer of poplin backing, the small/mediums had none.
Worked like a charm-never been able to do hats so fast and easy!

[levelbest]

I would agree - fast and easy.