hat hoop

[cbireley]

The hat hoop that came w/my machine is so complicated and actually is one that a fellow embroiderer told me wasn't worth a dang. I messed up so many hats. Even had my wonderful tech show me how to use it on a routine maintenance visit and he had the same troubles. So, I gave up hats and haven't done them. Well, 2 years later, the request for hats are becoming more and more common for me. So, I think I'm going to have to break down and buy a hat hoop. Which one should I invest in and which one works the best? I don't even know what I have, but it's not the one my technician said I should have gotten. Oh, I have an Amaya XT. Thanks for any suggestions. Happy New Year!

[HERB]

The spending of your money is up to you, but I am not sure it will solve your issues. I have used my Big Red cap hoops on my XT and my XT hoops on my Big Red. No issues at all. Give some specifics as to what is or is not happening and lets see if we can get to the bottom of your problems. Caps = $$$$$$

[GameDayDesigns]

Cindy,
Herb is right CAPS=$$$$ At first it took a lot of practice and I ruined countless hats but after getting over being terrified of the whole hoop and of embroidery all together it has worked out nicely. Please do post what problems you are having and maybe all the veterns can offer their advise.

[Rod or Sharon]

Cindy,

Have you viewed the cap video that my wife Sharon and Herb made...very good info here. Herb does an excellent job of explaining and showing the proper way to hoop caps. Here is the link.

http://www.amayausers.com/tips/default.asp

Rod Springer
Amaya Tech & Trainer

[levelbest]

Cindy:

When I was starting out, I found the Wide Angle Cap Frame (WACF) difficult to hoop properly - so we ended up purchasing a Conventional Cap Frame (CCF). We havn't looked back since.

Now, having done this a few years, it would probably be interesting to go back and see whether I could take what I learned and use the WACF more successfully - just havn't had a need to do so yet.

Herb shows how to use the frame properly in the video and is an excellent guide. He shows you how to avoid blood blisters

[Ballyhoo]

Tip: I put a fat (3.5" x .25" [#64]) rubber band around the inner (closest to brim holder) on my WACF. I just grab the top of the rubber band and move it left and then right as I slide the backing (one piece or two) under it. The backing virtually never slips this way. When the cap is removed the rubber band usually stays in place.

Also, sometimes it seems to make more sense not to open the fastener in the back of the cap. This way the fastener can be pulled down with one finger rather than trying to pull both side down with one hand. With some caps I don't get the same tension this way, but it usually is good.

Question: There is a thick piece of black rubber that came with the gauge or hoop. Does anyone use this? How does it help?

David Sklar
Ballyhoo!
Arlington VA

[GameDayDesigns]

I also learned a lot from Herb's video as well as the training with Nate in Denver. I have always used the WACF since it came with my machine. Just be patient and practice, practice, practice and you will be sewing caps in no time. You can also practice hooping and sewing on scrap material instead of ruining countless hats like I did. Now my next 'cap goal' is 3D puff...it's not going very well so far.

[signman]

I just watched Herb's video...and realize why we threw out all our WACF hoops and went to the CCF...our WACF hoop (we kept 1) is nothing at all like any that Herb shows in use! So the 'original' WACF is the problem-must be several 'upgraded' versions available (maybe just for the XT-we have Big Red) and we can see from the video the differences in the hoop frame AND how to hoop.
Now I know why we never got any hat order to sew out decently, couldn't get close to the brim, etc....it's the hoop!
For the limited hat orders we get (I send out all orders over a couple dozen) we'll stick with the CCF...not worth spending a fortune to get newer WACF hoops.

[cbireley]

Thank you all for the feeedback. To be honest, I'm not sure exactly what the problems were b/c my husband is the one that has tried to do the hats. I just know no matter what he did, they didn't stitch out right and when we had someone that has used the same hoop come over and show us, he couldn't get it to work, either. We were trying to do the "low profile" type hats, not the ones that have the high front. I do not get many requests for the taller hats, just the low profile type. Once my husband returns, we will look at the video and try again. Thanks so much. Our tecchnician did recommend an easier one to use, but I didn't write that down. Happy New Year to you all!

[signman]

Cindy-90% of the hats we do are the low profile, unstructured or light structured...and I use the CCF hoop. I have the long 'hat backing' (Madeira) and for the really flimsy 'stone wash' canvas hats I've used 2 layers at times...but since Rod gave us tricks on lettering haven't done that much of double backing.
For small lettering, NO short stitch (click that OFF), no additional underlayment-only what the lettering does itself. Density 5 or even higher (less dense). Speed-700 to start, increase until you get thread breaks and then back off 50.
Try to get all lettering and design to sew from 'center' out, and 'brim' UP, do all lettering down near the brim first-before the logo. This way the presser foot isn't pushing a roll of denim ahead of it.
Hat brim-get the 'adaptor' (brim clip) from Melco for the hoop and use it. If the hat brim rubs against the back of the needle housing-you can actually watch it PULL the face of the cap as it moves-needle and thread breaks, distortion of design, all from that pulling. The adaptor pulls the cap brim down (like the WACF has a clip)and holds it rigid. Made all the difference for us. But we only do small orders here-much cheaper, more efficient, and more profitable to have Pat do them up north on her 15 machines...and ship them down to us. She has done 200 hats in a couple hours-would take us about 4 days.

[HERB]

In the video, the first cap is done on a pre-production XT cap frame. I do not know if the production XT's use this same frame or not. The second cap is hooped on an early (12/02) Big Red cap frame. The procedures are really the same. I also use a frame from later model Big Red that is different from both of these. It works fine as well. As I stated in the video, this is the way I do it. This may not be the way you do it but if you are successful then stay with what works for you. If you are having trouble then this "may" (or may not) help you.

[signman]

I was wondering about the difference...the 'single' strap version looks interesting, but does it hold the cap in place as firmly as the double strap we have?
And, I notice you don't use the black plastic strip like we were taught...do your hoops not need it or did you find it unneccessary?

Roland

[HERB]

The black rubber was to be used as a spacer on the early Big Reds ring gauge. It brought the backing up level with the cap frame. I have not used it in years and see no real difference with or without it. The double strap is more of a pain as you have to locate both straps when you hoop. The later Big Red has a single strap similar to the XT. The single straps hold just fine. I find my Big Reds, with the wings properly adjusted, do a better job on unstructured caps while the XT is a little better on structured.

[signman]

I"ll have to play with the WACF sometime soon and try it without the backing. We've also never had to use the wings-or else it's been so many years since we tried the WACF I can't remember using them.
Besides the 'single' strap hold down-does the hoop frame 'under' the hat still have the serrated 'jaw' to grip the inside of the hat? Couldn't tell from the picture.

[HERB]

Yup, great big gnarley teeth.