Help, Broken needles doing free motion
03-20-2011, 10:16 PM
#1
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Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Joliet IL
Posts: 69
Not to sure if it is my machine or me..... Not quite a beginner at free motion, but not a pro eighter. My machine seems ok to just sew. Start free motioning and just when I get cruizing along needle breaks. BAM
Changed threads, cleaned every oriface, threaded and retreaded... Went thru about 10 needles in a 10 X 10 area. Didn't have this problem in past free motion projects.
Any ideas why this is happening?
Thanks
Changed threads, cleaned every oriface, threaded and retreaded... Went thru about 10 needles in a 10 X 10 area. Didn't have this problem in past free motion projects.
Any ideas why this is happening?
Thanks
03-20-2011, 10:19 PM
#3
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Join Date: Jul 2010
Posts: 2,500
Sounds like you are trying to move the quilt too fast for the sewing speed. That is what causes me to break needles. Also could check your thread tension. Oh and one more thing, make sure your thread is not getting caught in that little slit some spools have (mostly Coats and Clark in my collection) to hold the tail of the thread.
03-20-2011, 10:21 PM
#4
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Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Grand Junction, CO
Posts: 1,452
I agree, try speeding up the machine a bit
Originally Posted by scowlkat
Sounds like you are trying to move the quilt too fast for the sewing speed. That is what causes me to break needles. Also could check your thread tension. Oh and one more thing, make sure your thread is not getting caught in that little slit some spools have (mostly Coats and Clark in my collection) to hold the tail of the thread.
03-21-2011, 01:41 AM
#5
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Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: North Carolina
Posts: 1,837
I had that problem with my designer 1 a while back. Turned out that the throat plate was a tiny bit loose and off center just a hair so that when I would start free motioning it kept breaking needles I took out the throat plate and cleaned under it and put back in place making sure everything lined up and was tight.
03-21-2011, 02:40 AM
#6
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Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: In Hiding
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I am wondering if you have the correct needle size...as you say yours is shredding. Is your thread on this project different..as in possibly thicker to cause this problem? The other solutions sound good especially tension issues.. I don't have this machine but was just wondering about the thead shredding problem as that is usually an incorrectly placement/put in needle or that the needle eye is too small for a particular thread. Hope you find out the problem soon as it can be so aggrivating to have these problems.
03-21-2011, 04:54 AM
#8
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Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: in retirement
Posts: 1,513
I have same machine,, occcasionally have same problems:
Try these ideas,, they have worked for me in the past at different times:
1 use dental floss & run it through the threading path,, sometimes there is lint buildup & causes thread to fray & break.
2 check the plate where the needle goes down,, I. Had a small burr from breaking a needle & it kept catching & breaking the thread. DH sanded it with fine sandpaaper, problem solved.
3 check that the thread is not hanging on, , caaught on spool or post. I find that if I use the netting it helps,, especially if using the horizontal spool.
4 I also find that moving sideways instead oof up & down seems to result in less needle breakage.
Hope these ideas help
Try these ideas,, they have worked for me in the past at different times:
1 use dental floss & run it through the threading path,, sometimes there is lint buildup & causes thread to fray & break.
2 check the plate where the needle goes down,, I. Had a small burr from breaking a needle & it kept catching & breaking the thread. DH sanded it with fine sandpaaper, problem solved.
3 check that the thread is not hanging on, , caaught on spool or post. I find that if I use the netting it helps,, especially if using the horizontal spool.
4 I also find that moving sideways instead oof up & down seems to result in less needle breakage.
Hope these ideas help
03-21-2011, 05:06 AM
#9
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Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: North Carolina
Posts: 1,837
Originally Posted by gal288
I have same machine,, occcasionally have same problems:
Try these ideas,, they have worked for me in the past at different times:
1 use dental floss & run it through the threading path,, sometimes there is lint buildup & causes thread to fray & break.
2 check the plate where the needle goes down,, I. Had a small burr from breaking a needle & it kept catching & breaking the thread. DH sanded it with fine sandpaaper, problem solved.
Great ideas! I hadn't thought of checking for burrs! I do have problems with thread fraying and will try the dental floss idea too!
3 check that the thread is not hanging on, , caaught on spool or post. I find that if I use the netting it helps,, especially if using the horizontal spool.
4 I also find that moving sideways instead oof up & down seems to result in less needle breakage.
Hope these ideas help
Try these ideas,, they have worked for me in the past at different times:
1 use dental floss & run it through the threading path,, sometimes there is lint buildup & causes thread to fray & break.
2 check the plate where the needle goes down,, I. Had a small burr from breaking a needle & it kept catching & breaking the thread. DH sanded it with fine sandpaaper, problem solved.
Great ideas! I hadn't thought of checking for burrs! I do have problems with thread fraying and will try the dental floss idea too!
3 check that the thread is not hanging on, , caaught on spool or post. I find that if I use the netting it helps,, especially if using the horizontal spool.
4 I also find that moving sideways instead oof up & down seems to result in less needle breakage.
Hope these ideas help
03-21-2011, 08:21 AM
#10
Super Member
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: New York City/Manhattan
Posts: 1,316
if you pull too much on the fabric, the needle gets pulled too and then, being pulled, it hits the plate instead of going through the hole in the plate. the only answer to this problem is the old one--practice practice practice. You want to put your foot to the metal but not so fast with your hands. It is hard at first but does get easier. It has almost nothing to do with thread or needle size, sadly, just your pulling on it. (ask me how I know--LOL)
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