How long does a needle last?

[mudslinger]

I am running a single color thread on some hats and I have ran about 8 hours on a needle and now I am starting to get shreading and thread breaks, is this about the average a needle will last. I am using
"Organ Brand" DB X K5 75/11 BP

[Judy]

WOW - eight hours on one #11 on a HAT?? I nominate that needle for the Organ Hall of Fame! Typically on hats I use a #12 sharp, and I usually change them out after running for a few hours. I also rotate needles after about 10,000 stitches so they all wear evenly. Yes, I over pamper my machine. It's my baby. I should make it a quilt for winter! ROFLOL

[mudslinger]

I ran about 152750 stiches on that needle today, so am i pushing that little organ to far??

[Rod or Sharon]

You may get away with sewing that many stitches with the needle...depending on the type of fabric, flat sewing vs cap sewing, or the needle has developed a burr, etc....

But, you will need to oil this needle bar and at least grease the pinch roller too. If either of these go dry then friction and drag will cause fraying, breaks , grief & frustration....

Rod Springer
Amaya Tech & Trainer

[mudslinger]

Don't want any extra frustration When running a longer running job (300) hats, aprox how long should I go before oiling and greasing or would it just be easier to switch to a different needle after so many stitches?
also
Thanks for the Help

[Rod or Sharon]

If you were to stay around the 100,000 mark, you should be pretty safe..you could, as you say, switch needles to spread the wear factor around a bit....

Rod Springer
Amaya Tech & Trainer

[mudslinger]

I think it would be easier to just switch to a different needle, You would think they could come up with a automatic oiling system that they have on industrial equipment, or at least a outside oil cup and grease fittings, that way maintenance wouldn't be so time consuming and such a pain.

[Rod or Sharon]

Hummmm,
Lets see....oiling the needle bar...15 seconds ....lubricating the pinch roller ...15 to 20 seconds and if threadfeed roller is lubricated at the same time 1 to 1.5 minutes....

Time consumming?

Rod Springer
Amaya Tech & Trainer

[mudslinger]

for the lube of the needle bar is quick it takes me about lets say 4 minutes, but when I get into those pinch rollers and thread feeders it took me 40 minutes, I cant figure how you get in and out so quickly, maybe I am to meticulous

[Juli in Kona]

I helps to have a second set of pinch rollers (both reds and yellows). Then you can grease them first, take off the old, slap on the new and you are set. Just doing one or two wouldn't take long at all. Except for needle #1. That is a pain in the #!**.

And don't forget, when oiling the needle bar because you just have used that needle a lot, and you just want to give it a little TLC, don't forget to also oil the needles next to it.

Juli

[Rod or Sharon]

Mud,

You were originally talking 150,000 plus stitches on 1 needle....the reference to time was based on the 1 needle. It would not be necessary to lube all needles if only using the 1 needle mentioned....

I tell all of the people I train to not use the "timers" as the gospel. I do tell them to consider, before a production run, to determine how many colors are in the design, which needles are going to be used and to then lube these needle bars, rollers and put a few extra drops of oil in the reciprocator slot and to oil the rotary hook....then go to town....you stay way ahead of the lube game this way and will have far less frustration because of the lack of lubrication on those critical areas of the machine.....

Rod Springer
Amaya Tech & Trainer

[smeggy345o]

What is the reciprocator slot?

[signman]

The needle 'rods' are behind the slots behind your thread...look through a slot and you'll see the rods. Above and below are felt 'pads' that hold the oil against the rod-and if you run the same needle(s) continously the heat generated will dry out the oil in that pad, AND suck it away from the next one also. So, before you start, and after a couple hours, use the long tip on your oiler and put a couple drops on each rod for the needle you are using, AND the rod on either side-even if you don't use those needles. You'll 'hear' a big difference in how it runs.
No more than a few drops-I generally just do 2-3 on each rod.As Rod points out, more lubrication over all instead of following a strict time table is better for the machine.
Roland

[smeggy345o]

I was just following the above steps and after oiling in the slots (actually I took the front cover off to see everything) and after oiling I went from needle to needle doing a head up to observe. I started at needle 16 and went all the way back to needle 2 and then tried to move over to do a head up on needle one when it got stuck and would nly go 1/2 way between needle 2 and needle one. The machine made a nasty noise and stopped and I got a I look under the sensor menu and most every thing
x axis -952
y axix -146
z axix -20
color change blocked and the rest are open
I got the error "Color change timeout" and the needle is stuck between 1 and 2 and if I try to move back to a different needle, it does not go to the correct position but stays half way between correct positions until I restart the machine. Still will not go all the way over to needle one though. At some point in trying to figure out what is going on I get this error "color change stepper index error - off index when sewing" I don't see anything stuck or anything physicall holding it up.

[smeggy345o]

why don't they have any diagrams or pictures that show where things are in this stupid on online manual? When they tell you to open this or that they do not tell you where it is? I am getting REALLY aggravated and need to walk a way for a while before I hit it with a hammer. It is the dum manual that makes me so mad! - mary