I have an XTS that is all screwed up

[Posylane]

My wife broke a needle into several pieces (don't know what happened, did not hit hoop) and she thinks this is what kicked off the following problem.

When I got the machine, it would not even pick up the bobbin thread. So I cleaned it, changed needle, recentered needle plate, etc, and something fixed that. But it would now sew for more than 100-1000 stitches and the thread would shred. Not break, shred.

So I called Melco this morning and we both came to the conclusion the problem is on the bottom of the machine (same problem on all needles we tried).

They sent me a document on checking and changing the timings and spacings on the bottom. So I did that, over and over and over. Now all the spacings look right according to the document, and they look like the second machine we have that is running fine, but if anything the problem is worse.

I have felt around everywhere I can to feel a burr and don't feel one. Our tech is out of town till Friday.

Any ideas?

[Rod or Sharon]

Posy,

Assuming that you do in fact have the hook timing set correctly and assuming that you have gapped the retaining support finger with the appropriate guage that is supplied with your machine.....

Shredding may be the clue here....take off the retaining support finger....this is the part on the left side of the sewing arm that has a finger that goes into a vertical slot in the rotary hook basket.....take this off of the machine and look at the face of this finger....the thread must go back and forth over it. if there is a burr, gouge, groove or any kind of roughness on it, it will shred thread....it must either be replaced or the face of this finger polished mirror smooth....

Rod Springer
Amaya Tech & Trainer

[Posylane]

I did not guage the support finger, how critical is it and would that shred thread if it has an incorrect gap?

I just pulled off the support finger and it feels smooth. It is hard to check the inside part but I didn't see anything.

[Rod or Sharon]

Posy,

It is very critical to have the proper gap on the support finger. The gauge is approximately a 22 thousands feeler gauge.

As the thread slides across the face of the bobbin case, it drops into the vertical slot in the rotary hook body and rubs across the face of the support finger. There can not be any burrs on either side or the face of the support finger.

The reason Melco has you focusing on the rotary hook/bobbin area is that it appears to be happening on all needles. That immediately tends to limit and narrow the search to something that has a common denominator to the thread by the time it gets to the needle. The odds that "all" 16 needles are burred or bent would be extremely high. The odds that the thread path from the cone to the needle on "all" 16 needles having a burr, is also extremely high.

So, you look for the common denominator.

1. The rotary hook....timing is critical (all phases of it)....the left and right position as well as the needle guard gap....

2.A scratch on the face or point of the rotary hook point or any place that the thread touches must be eliminated .

3.The retaining support finger....no roughness, scratches or burrs allowed...

4. The needleplate.....is it centered properly? Is it scratched? Does the hole have any nicks or gouges from broken or bent needle strikes? If so, they need to be polished out. the "proper way to install the needle plate on the XT series is to alway replace it at the number 1 needle position. Has to do with calibration procedures and needlecase home position. Big Reds use the number 9 needle position.

5. Did you find all the pieces of the "broken" needle? Are you sure that a piece of the broken needle is not lodged somewhere in the rotary hook that the thread is now hanging up on? Your needles...no burrs allowed...orientation is critical.

6. Bobbin case....no scratches or burrs allowed here either. Bobbin tension, is it correct?

7. A bit of trivia information....At 1200 stitches per minute, for every stitch that is actually "left" on top of the garment, that length of thread has moved back and forth through the needle approximately 40, yes 40 times!, before it gets left on the garment. This applies to anywhere else the thread may touch also for the takeup lever eye to the needle for the most part...This simply means that, that one little bitty burr or nick has approximate 40 chances to grab the thread, break a strand and start a fray for every stitch left behind on the garment!!

8. It simply amazes me that embroidery machines can even sew at all with all the critical timing that is necessary in them.... ;-}

Rod Springer
Amaya Tech & Trainer

[Steve I]

Look at the entire hook not just the tip. I had a little bur way back on the hook from a needle break that was causing the same problem.

Steve I
Trinity emb

[Mama Kass]

I learn something new every time I read this list. Use needle #9 for centering my needleplate - news to me. Thanks Rod.

[gcannon]

Well, Posey Lane, did the information Rod gave us help you to fix the machine?

[Rod or Sharon]

Yo Mamma Kass,

Needle nine(9) for the Big Reds, Needle one (1)for the XT and Bravo series.

You have a Big Red....but not all folks take the time to read the entire email....got-cha... ;-}}

Rod Springer
Amaya Tech & Trainer

[Mama Kass]

I did think about that, but obviously not hard enough - I suppose that's how a lot of incorrect info gets passed on. Mea Culpa.

[Posylane]

There was a scratch on the side of the spinning hook. I didn't see it or feel it (I wasn't looking there either) but our tech Jonathan just stopped by and spotted it right away.

It seems that when the needle broke somehow two light scratches developed where the thread pulls around. When he pulled a thread taught and rubbed the scratch, the thread cut clean through.

I live a learn, it won't get past me again. And he gave me a crash course in timing the machine as he put it all back right.

I was prepared to pay for the whole adventure, but it only cost me $50 and Melco picked up the rest.