Excessive thread breaks on cap

[Sarah at Oneway]

the cap is a paneled structured one. I've changed my needle twice (different ballpoint sizes) and the thread is still breaking. Although, at first changing needles, it works great but then goes back to breaking every 5 seconds. Help! I'm new.

[Rod or Sharon]

I'm new,

You should be using Sharp point needles on caps, not Ballpoints.

Set your Auto Lower Limit to 6 for starters using Auto Acti-feed.

What is your machine speed? Try 1000 for starters.

Where is your Presserfoot height set at? Should be all the way down and not up more than two(2) clicks for starters.

Hope you are not using rayon thread.

Are you hooping the cap as tight as you can?

Have you watched the video Herb Acree and my wife made and put on this group? http://www.amayausers.com/tips/default.asp

How tall is your design? Should not be more than 2" to 2.25" approximately.

Is this a design digitized for cap sewing?

Is it breaking in lettering or the design. If lettering, how small is the lettering?

Are you using backing? Do so even if the cap is structured.....

Lots of questions...

Rod Springer
Amaya Tech & Trainer

[sschroed2]

I read all of these posts & sometimes wonder why what works best for me can be so different from what others recommend.

In Melco training we were told for caps not to exceed 600spm & set pressure foot 1 to 2 clicks down from the top. Also was told to take a piece of paper or business card & if you can slip it under the pressure foot & easily slide it back & forth (between the hat & pressure foot) you should be good. I use a post it note, slide with minimum drag & works well every time on most anything I am sewing.

I do mostly custom work, lots of leather, vinyl, suede, very high density designs, very detailed designs, rarely do I sew over 650. On a good day I may get up to 800. Only time I ever getup to 1000 is on low density low stitch count small logo's on shirts. I sew tons of hats, 99 percent are flex fit. Most of my hat designs average between 12,000 & 20,000 stitches. Rarely do I get a 5000 to 8000 stitch design.

[Rod or Sharon]

If you are sewing caps on a "Big Red" and sewing with the "raised" needleplate, you are right in setting your presser foot up all the way and down 2 clicks. This isn't the case with the XT, XTS or Bravo. What version of software are you running? The beauty of the Amaya is so you can sew caps (and flats) at higher speeds. If our design is well digitized, we can sew at 1200. We never recommend sewing over 1200--that is the speed Melco tests all the machines. There are exceptions such as using rayon or metallic thread.
Sharon

[sschroed2]

No, not big red. I have a 2004 XT. Received training on XT as well. Using DS PRO. It was explained in training that because of the possibility of needle deflection when sewing hats, it is best to keep speed at 600 to 650. I have experienced this deflection, also has issues with some caps that have like a carbon fiber in them, the needle will deflect off that.

Also with the vinyls if run at higher speeds material will stretch & push even if it is hoop properly with adhesives.

[levelbest]

We sew on hats comfortably with our big red at 850-900 and on most flats at 1150-1200. If your machine is well maintained and has proper cable tension, neither should be an issue. Have never heard of sewing hats that slow. Melco on the showfloors at tradeshows regularly run hats at high speed on the xt's

[sschroed2]

I know this, machine is well maintained and when my tech checks cable tension says its perfect. Maybe my machine is a Lemon? Wouldn't surprise me. But again I refer to the training. Why would they instruct to sew hats at 650, 2 clicks down from top, etc if it wasn't right. I have sewn flats faster, but depends on material. Obviously we deal with much different issues, materials & designs.

[Frecklebelly]

On our XT we regularly stitch caps at 1000-1200 with no problems. The times we stitch at slower speeds is if using 60 wt. or specialty threads. Even then, averaging around 900spm, depending on the design details. As John said, a well maintained machine should not have issues, especially with a properly digitzed design. Sometimes it just takes some experimenting - and lots of patience - to see what works best for you. Hang in there!

[levelbest]

Where were you trained?

[sschroed2]

Fullerton, Ca, by Cynthia Tisby

[sschroed2]

Sorry it was Torrance, Ca

[Sarah at Oneway]

Got the caps done! Like I said, I'M NEW!!! I have no clue what half of this means. What I did was change the needle and thread to 40weight and that did the trick. Had that not helped, I'd have been in trouble b/c the boss is out of town until Thanksgiving so I'm on my own learning right now. Thanks for all your help!!!!!

[Rod or Sharon]

From what we understand, Cynthia is no longer training for Melco.
Sharon

[Rod or Sharon]

I will add that there is some deflection with most caps due to the shape of the cap but you can still sew at 1200spm if your machine is maintained and your design is properly digitized but you do slow down for specialty threads, etc. If you could actually see a machine sewing in slow motion, the needle looks like a wet noodle and it is amazing they stitch at all! As for the presser foot height, on the Big Reds it was all the way up and down 2 clicks but on the XT's, Bravos and XTS's it is all the way down and up 2. We have even gone all the way down or up one click on some unstructured caps depending on the flagging of the particular cap. The whole point is you want to keep the cap from flagging regardless of how many clicks that takes. Nothing is set in absolute stone with these machines
Sharon

[Rod or Sharon]

Quote..."But again I refer to the training. Why would they instruct to sew hats at 650, 2 clicks down from top, etc if it wasn't right."

To chime in on this and add to what Sharon has said......In answer to the above quote.....it wasn't "they" meaning Melco saying that, it was Cynthia saying that. I remember many years ago when Sharon and I took some digitizing training at Torrance, CA, Cynthia was the instructor at that time. She "personally" did not like to sew on the "Big Reds" faster than 900 tops. This was before XT's were introduced to the public. Obviously, from what you are saying, this personal preference may have carried over into the XT era.

Cynthia had Cynthia's way of doing things and I don't believe it always followed Melco's pattern to the "T". To be fair....when dealing with "newbies", it is sometimes eaiser to teach them the "slow" way. When you "slow" things down, you don't have to pay as much attention to all of the other kinks and quirks that require additional settings to be used in the software to get the machines to behave and sew properly at high speed. It becomes very easy to "overload" the newbie with information. In a nut shell, start slow and work your way to the higher speeds with aquired knowledge.

As far as that Presserfoot thing and caps goes, The Big Reds used a raised Needleplate and the Presserfoot setting was all the way up and 2 clicks down. The XT and Bravo series do not use a raised needleplate and therefore have the Presserfoot set all the way down and up 2 clicks. The piece of paper slid under the Presserfoot for a clearance reference was an "old" rule of thumb mainly for thin wovens, t shirts, broadcloth and the like. For sweats, sweaters or anything with loft to it, the Presserfoot should "compress" the material for it to do its job properly at higher speeds....no exceptions.

Everyone settles into their own "comfort area" with these machines. If continuing to run slow works for you and you are more comfortable doing it that way, that's ok. If you love speed and learn how to use all the tools that allow you to operate that way, that's ok too. Trainers teach in different ways and have a tendency to push their own style based on some of their own experiences and this definitely is based on the available time they have in which to train someone in a classrom environment.

Rod Springer
Amaya Tech & Trainer