Knocking Noise

[SuitUpLacey]

My machine has been making a knocking noise that is pretty loud. It does not seem to be creating problems but it is worrying me. Is something loose?
Thanks

[TinaK]

Lacey~

Can you be more specific on where you think the noise is coming from? Is your pressure foot at the correct height for your garment? Have you done any recent maintenance? How long have you had your machine? Is it an XT or a big red? Did you go to any classes yet?

The techs on this board are awesome but you need to supply as much information as possible when posting a problem...

[Rod or Sharon]

Lacey,

How old is the machine? Is it an XT or Big Red? Have you recently had needle breaks or hit a hoop with a needle? Has the "lubrication" been kept up with...lots of questions....could be several things, like for instance connecting rod bearings and/or connecting rod stud worn out.

A suggsting, with the E-Stop depressed, turn the Z-axis shaft slowly by hand 360 degrees several times and pay close attention to see if anything is binding or touching where it should not be.

Does the presser foot have good clearance with the edge of the grabber trap and is the presser foot height adjustment correct for the garment you are sewing on?

Rod Springer
Amaya Tech & Trainer

[Rod or Sharon]

Gee whiz Tina....you are beginning to sound just like me!!!! Did not see your post as I was posting myself at the same time...

Rod Springer
Amaya Tech & Trainer

[SuitUpLacey]

The machine is an XT, only a year old
We have not had recent needle breaks or hit a hoop with a needle. I have been keeping up with the lubrication and regular maintenance.
I have checked the presser foot to make sure it is correct, didnt seem to change the noise.
The noise is coming from the main part of the machine, where the up and down levers are(dont know the technical name). It gets loud when we run is fast.

[Rod or Sharon]

Is this more pronounced on any specific needles?

Another area to check...is any of the takeup levers touching the sides of or impacting the bottom of the slots in the needlecase cover?

Rod Springer
Amaya Tech & Trainer

[sschroed2]

I know there will be a lot of you out there that probably laugh at this one, but when you are new to this some noises turn out the be a simple thing that sounded terrible.

I thought my machine was literaaly falling apart one day. The knocking sound was so loud and the faster it went the louder it got. It turned out that the hoop was bouncing when sewing and hitting the shaft underneath. It was nothing but sounded really bad. Don't know why it was bouncing and making that noise, only happened on the large rectangle frames, guess there's more flex in them. I've had it happen a few other times but it doesn't scare me anymore since I know what it is. Hope the problem is the same with you.

[TinaK]

Sorry Rod thought I would get some of your questions answered before you started to help or anyone else...

Lacey~ what speed are you sewing at? When I go over 1200 spm my machine really clatters for some reason..

[signman]

If you are using thread needles 'next to' each other the oil is evaporating faster than you think. Dick Beauregard (we miss him!) taught us to pop off the magnetic 'face' of the needle assembly and add a couple drops of oil to the top and bottom of each needle getting excess use, AND the one on each side-anytime we did a quantity of the same design.
Took care of the noise up there...
Hoop bounce-yup, that can make a weird thunk thunk...and also, even if your 'trace' says you are in hoop limits-the back of your presser foot 'bend' can still hit the upper right hand edge of your hoops if you are 'filling' the hoop design limits...and it REALLY sounds like you are breaking something-yet when you hear it and look-it's already gone past that spot.

[cmack]

mine was my bobbin case

[Rod or Sharon]

Hummmmm,

No more feedback from Lacey , so we don't know if any of our suggestions have worked or not.....

Rod Springer
Amaya Tech & Trainer

[Oregonian1a]

It is odd how the noise on my machine changes depending on the kind of fill. I did a heart shape design using a fill that I added a raindrop "insert outline" to. The effect was a heart filled up with raindrops (done on caps). It runs fine and the customer really liked it, but the rattle the machine makes is really loud compared with other designs. I wonder if this is an issue with the presser foot?