that should read 'jog' my memory...duh.
spent all of christmas eve day on high dose of percosets...decided to give myself a kidney stone for christmas! Whoopee!!!
still foggy headed but feeling much better!
Can't type worth a darn today though...

No rubber pads on my WACF, just slide the frame on the hooping sleeve, flex the hat brim as straight as possible, fit the band around the frame, unrolling to include as much material as possible, pull down on the hat and swing the arm with the teeth over to get all along the seam in front; clamp it down, centering as best possible and slip on the machine. No clamps needed for 6-panel structured but you may need to clamp some material tothe arms on a flex-fit. Just my 2 cents worth. JO

Roland,
When using the WACF, make sure you select the WACF in the hoop selection as the first step.

I am sure the style of WACF frame you have is the one with the two cross strap bands on them. One of thse bands goes behind the bill in a recessed area or channel of the frame center, the other has teeth on it and goes across the front of the bill. These straps are adjustable, so make sure that they are adjusted for a very tight grip. You don't want the front band slipping out of the bill seam and sliding down toward the back of the presser foot or a needle strike will surely happen.

This style of cap frame also has a little shelf that you slide the backing under. I also used small peices of tape to hold the ends of the backing ,just so they didn't slide around on me. The rubber strip is kind of optional. If used it would be placed on top of the guage after the cap frame is installed on it. Just drape it over the top before placing the backing in place. It's only function was to help create a totally smooth surface on the guage to stretch the cap over. For some reason it seems to be a dificult thing to remember to REMOVE this rubber strip before placing the cap frame on the AMAYA and I have sewn it to the inside of too many caps , just dumb , I guess. It really doesn't seem to matter whether or not it is used....but with a problem cap....try it both ways, with and without it...

The little clips you referred to were to help stretch the cap and keep it tight. Here again, they can be used or not used, depending on the style of cap and/or whether or not the "sides" of the cap are being embroideried. On most caps, I preferred not to use the clips and kind of let the cap breath but Flexfits are a pain.....come to think of it I believe that I did have better luck with the Flexfits by "not" using the clips.
I also used to layers of tear-a-way backing and really slowed the machine down. If I remember right, 650 spm rings a bell and new Sharp needles. Stretch those babies down just as tight as you can get them without tearing them helped me too......

I refer to having done this in the past tense as I do my very best to talk people out of them every chance I get.....haven't had to do any for over a year....don't want to start either. Good Luck with you adventure

Rod Springer
Melco tech

Another WACF tip: I keep a rubberband on the frame that holds the backing when hooping. When unhooping the hat, the backing slides out from under the rubberband.

David