new machine owner troubles

[Debbie Rinehart]

HELP!!!!!!!!!! I'm bbaaaack!! The saga of my sister-in-laws new machine has deepened since I last wrote. I mentioned last night that her new XT was having problems with needle number one constantly breaking it's thread. Well, looks like things have worsened today. I went down to her home in Bloomington, In. and after we turned it on, cleaned and oiled the hook; reset a new design,centered the design, checked all the needles, centered and hooped up the fabric, set the tension and hit the start button, it would only go about 5-6 stitches, just enough to catch the bobbin thread,then stop and show the thread break window. Well, the thread wasn't broken, but still tight in the fabric with the bobbin thread still attached. If you hit the start button once again, it would continue to do the same thing, again and again. We looked under the fabric for any stray threads, checked the bobbin for threads and to see if it was threaded properly; tried going to a different needle and still would only go about 5-6 stitches and stop a bit lower down the fabric than where it last stitched, which would cause the thread to pull real tight. She has only had the machine since Tuesday and had actually stitched out 3-4 big shirt-size designs. The only thing she had done differently right before the problem started was to move the hoop arms to the outer holes so she could use the big hoop. I don't know if this could somehow be involved in the problem, but she did notice that one of the 2 big flat-head screws on the hoop arm had popped off cuz she didn't have it tightened enough. I sure hope someone can help her cuz she can not use her machine at all and she needs to get a lot done this week due to a show coming up this weekend. THANKS!!! Debbie SORRY FOR THE LONG POST!!!

[Russell Silva]

Have her try shutting down the AOS and the Amaya then start up the AOS then the Amaya and try it again and see if that helps.

[Just Sew It]

Debbie, I t sounds like presser foot height to me. After changing from embroidering on a thicker material to a much thinner material. You could also turn off the auto-acti feed and set at standard 3 or 4 and loosen the bobbin.
Hope that helps.

[Rod or Sharon]

I notice you indicated that it was only on the 1 needle that she was having the trouble. If this is the case there are some specific items that I would immediately look at.

1. The needle. Is it installed properly....don't laugh, many people can/will and do get one in backwards once in a while, so do check it.Is the needle turned slightly to the right and is it bottomed out up in the needle bar. Is the needle straight and not bent?

2. The Red pinch roller. Take it off. Is there a red powder residue showing up on the pinch lever axle? Does the pinch lever hub/axle look dry, if there is red powder residue or it appears dry, lubricate this with polymer grease. Not having these lubricated will definitly give you grief.

3. The Yellow thread feed rollers. Same as the red pinch rollers, these will give you grief if the brass hubs and the pockets the rotate in are not lubricated properly.

4. Remove the thread feed roller and with a flashlite, check to see if there is a thread build up around the shaft and gear that the thread feed roller meshes with. If you see any thread at all in this area, remove it. I use an Xacto knife with a #11 blade. It works better if you turn the blade up and use the back side of the blade and point to pick and dig with.

5. Check the thread feed path. Is the thread installed in all the eyelets and holes where they are suppose to be. Is the thread wrapped around the thread bread sensor bar/tube? Check this carefully. These all sound like common sense suggestions, but are easily overlooked sometimes...did it myself just the other day...failed to bring the thread down thru the hole and up around the thread break sensor bar and then wondered for a minute what the devil was going on with all the thread breaks until I put my glasses on and saw what I had done.

6.The thread feed tube. The tube running from the thread cone to the back of the needle case. Is it attached to the back of the nedle case. Check the full lengh of it to see if it has a kink in it that is pinching the thread.

7. The thread cone. Is the thread feeding off of the cone properly and not hanging up on something on the cone?

8. The thread. Have you tried a different cone of thread, from a different lot number or color?

This is how I always approach a threak issue on a specific needle......good luck and let us know what you find.....

Rod Springer
Certified Melco Tech
Boise , Idaho

[Rod or Sharon]

Oh, didn't address the jacket back hoop. These hoops must be tight on the machine and the material hooped in them so it cannot slip or loosen up in the hoop. Good backing needs to be used. If the hoop is allowed to bounce up and down or if the material is loose and can flag or if the presser foot, as others have mentioned is not set properly or if tear-a-way backing is not hooped tightly---thread breaks are garanteed.....guess that is true of the other hoops too but has to be watched more carefully with the larger hoops.....

Rod Springer
Melco Certified Tech
Boise, ID