Thread Match

[Just Sew It]

My spool of ARC 5559 is only half used but will not sew without breaking. The program I use to match thread says Isacord #0176 is a good match. Cannot find it on the Isacord thread chart. Anyone have a suggested match?
Thank you.
Jo

[The Embroidery Authority - OLD]

I doubt that your thread is the problem. Unless this is Rayon thread, you should be able to use it. Is your needle inserted correctly??

Ed

[Just Sew It]

Ed, I am getting so old the needles are one of my main problems. Mike was here and said all my needles were facing front so he reset them. I have changed the needle twice and it seems to be slightly to the right. When the thread breaks, it makes a curly corkscrew. Anyway, I changed the spool and things are sewing better but the color is not quite the same.
Jo

[The Embroidery Authority - OLD]

Jo,
Question for you...
Are you able to explain why one would need to turn a needle in any direction on the machine?

What troubles me as a tech is that quite a few customers of mine tell me the only reason they turn their needles is because that's what they were told to do and nobody took the time to explain to them why they should turn their needles and exactly how much to turn.

What this lack of information does is causes all forms of inconsistencies from shop to shop and ultimately sewing problems for you, the sewer.

In short, if the thread you are using comes off the spool relatively straight, then your needle eyes should be straight forward.
If you find that the thread you are sewing with has a tendency to curl when it released from the spool, then you may want to turn your needles slighty to the right. Just don't over do it with the turning to the right as can also cause thread breaks. 5 degrees to the right is considered optimal. On a clock, the first minute mark past 12 o'clock is at 6 degrees. Meaning 5 degrees rotation is almost un-noticeable by most folks.

Think for a moment that you had to throw a ball through a spare tire hanging from a rope. If you are perpendicular to that tire, the shape of the tire is round. If you turn the tire slightly, then the shape turns to an oval.
What I'm talking about has everything to do with the shape of the loop of thread behind the needle when the needle is in the fabric.
If you turn your needle, then you are turning the loop of thread behind the needle. The rotary hook point has to shoot through this tiny loop that is formed and it does so around 20 times a second. Meaning it's very important to get your needle position correct.

If your thread started to become more "curly like" as you got closer to the spool, then turning your needle slightly to the right is a trick we do to get that thread to sew better. However you may simply decide to put a new spool of thread on the machine and call it a day.

I hope this information helps you in understanding more about needle orientation (rotation).

Ed Orantes

[namingit4u]

I was taught in melco class by cynthia and she said the reasn for turning the needle 5 degrees is because yor eye is not straight. That being said since I read every post I now know that I should not tuurn it, and using a needle in the eye is not a good idea either....which I was taughht too. Thanks ed for all the awesome info

[Just Sew It]

Thank you, Ed. I understand what to do, it is just hard for me to see if I did it.
Ah, trifocals and magnifying glasses....

[Wayne]

Just curious. Can Cynthia JUDGE 5 degrees with her eye.

TOOOOOO much kool Aid in the water.

[The Embroidery Authority - OLD]

Hey, No kidding about the magnifying glass and flashlight.
My magnifier is 10-X and my flashlight is considered Police grade - really bright.

And consider this, "even monkeys fall from trees".
Meaning, every once and a while, I'll accidentally put a needle in backwards. Whoops!

Now, what SHOULD be turned to about a 45 degree angle is the needle bar clamp. Although, this should have been done at the factory. There is what I call, a "valley", between the needle clamp screw and the front corner of the clamp. This is where the thread will pass across while sewing. If your screw is straight forward, then there's a chance the thread could rub against it while sewing and if the clamp is too far to the right, then it simply makes it hard to tighten the screw.
Just a little FYI.

Ed

[Jenny]

Hehehehehehe...Ed you're so funny...LOL...and your flashlight is very bright...and Ed I'm glad to know we are all Monkeys from one time to another...Monkey See Monkey Do...

Jenny
Westbrook Wonders