Presser Foot Hitting Needles

[SewingMatters]

Need help! My presser foot on big red is hitting needles during color change. Actually I have 2 big reds just had them serviced! And we are talking top to bottom. The first one started doing this, I kept hearing a clicking noise then it hit hard the whole head jumped. Hard enough to move the whole machine. Needless to say she has been out of commission for over a week. Now number two has started the same clicking I can see it hitting, anything I can do? I don't want to run her and have the same thing happen. I have never had this problem and would think both machine being serviced in the last month that everything would be aligned properly. Anyone had this problem? Any suggestions?

[signman]

I'd take a look and see if the presser foot was pulled forward-got hooked on a hat hoop or caught in something you were removing...or you had a hoop size wrong and when the carriage moved forward the frame hit and bent the pressor foot. If you were running the same thing on both machines that would be my first thought!
The foot can be easily bent-side to side, front to back, etc. so it is easily caught by something or hit and moved. Then it can end up too far forward and hits the needles as they move to new needle, or (as ours did) it got bent sideways and the needle would hit it on the way down-snapping off the needle tip. Tech showed us how easily it can happen and how simple to fix it by bending it back into place...CAREFULLY.
But first you want to investigate and find out why it happened.
I'll bet if you call a tech he's going to run through the same steps...what could it have been hooked on or hit by that moved it?

[TinaK]

We have a big red as well and our presser foot hits the needles because it is bent. We have tried to bend it back into place but ended up Orderin a new one just haven't had time to put on the new one yet. Tech's didn't seem to think it was a huge deal but it is annoying.
We know what caused ours to bend but not knowing would also drive me crazy...

Good Luck!

[Debbie Rinehart]

Just this weekend, my new XT started making an occasional clicking-snaping sound as the needle case moves from one needle to the other. It sounds like it is catching on something behind the needle case. IF it is moving over from needle 5 to needle 10, it will snap on all 5 needles, but it doesn't do it all the time. It really catches your attention...sounds like someone snaping their fingers real loud. It did it once on two different designs this past weekend. Just wondering if can be corrected by making an adjustment that a tech could walk me through? Debbie

[Rod or Sharon]

Guys and gals,

The presser foot will fatigue and have a tendendcy to bend forward toward the back side of the needle......especially if you are doing caps. The presser foot will slide down the sloping crown/seam of the cap and doing this at 8 to 1200 stitches a minute, it is no surprise that this little piece of metal will flex.

The answer is to check this often and simply bend it back so that there is sufficient clearance between it and the needle. Just because a tech checked it last week does not mean that this particular presser foot now decides to say "Hey, yoo-hoo, it's my time to get tired! Think I will just bent for a while."

The way to fix this problem is also simple. Take a medium size flat blade screwdriver, put it (part of the blade tip)flat/verticle up against the center of the curved portion of the bottom of the presser foot and push back with just enough force to bend the presser foot slightly back to a clearance position. It doesn't take all that much pressure to get results.

You did not say why your one Big Red was out of commission? Is it just because the pressure foot is still bent or did it hook up badly enough that you now have some dropped needle bars?? If it is just the presser foot is bent--bend it back....simple as that....you may have to go into maintanance--steppers and click on the color change home position to get the needle case back into sync if it is beween needles and will not cycle to a headup position.......

Rod Springer
Amaya Tech and Trainer

[SewingMatters]

Thank You! I pushed back on it a little and that seemed to help keep it from hitting. I may order a new one just to keep things running smoothlty.

[SewingMatters]

Rod,
Ref: #1 Big Red
When she was changing colors something in there hit, and it was hard enough that it raised the entire head off track and moved my entire machine. I don't know if the presser foot hitting the needles broke something off behind there? Or what really happened behind that head, I can't really see anything. But, it will not move! It jumped off center and we lined it back up with the presser foot, but when you turn it on it sounds like it's tring to move but can't and I don't want to burn a motor up. So, we shut her down and she will just have to wait till I can get a tech again. We bought the two big reds used and one new xt. In the last six months we've spent over $2000.00 on tech not to mention buying two new z motors, two new main circuit boards, and some sensors. previous owners never had a problem. Anyway, the last tech was here for two days and went over them top to bottom. I was really hoping not to see them for a while. But, at this point I just can't afford to see them. The embroidery business is breaking me. Anyway #1 will just have to sit for a while till I can get a tech unless you know a soloution. And I would gladly take any advice your willing to offer. Thanks for helping with the other one. I need at least to running to complete my orders. Have a good day and again thanks for all your help.