Fed up with needle breaking, help please?

What needles are using, I must admit I threw my machine out of the window, I didn't have software and it was useless embroidering without and I couldn't get the hang of that dreadful front loading bobbin. Liz

Hi Liz

Right its beaten me tonight. I did one design of 12000 stitches and went through seven needles. I kept going, trying different remedies each time to no avail. In the end i've run out of embroidery needles so with two minutes left on the design i've abandoned it :-(

I'm using Schmetz Embroidery 75 and 90 mix. I've tried using polyester and rayon. I've tried taking the thread from the stand and moving it away from the machine as I've read that can be helpful. I've slowed the machine right down. Everything I can thing of. But now I'm out of embroidery needles so thats it until I can get to the shops.

I just don't know what else to try

The needle might be hitting the bobbin case. If the bobbin case turns, it has to be synchronized with the needle coming down - once they're out of synch - broken needles. There's supposed to be a way for YOU to fix the timing - try contacting ken at this email address: drivewithken at blueyonder.co.uk [replacing the at with no spaces and an @ ]

Or, it could be out of alignment - particularly if "new to you" means that it's been previously used. A stop at your local dealer should help.

Yes you are right, new to me means I recently purchased it from a dealer but the machine is probably five to eight years old.

I will try the contact you mentioned thank you. I will also have a chat with the dealer.

If I can get hold of more needles today I will also have a go at a design that is built into the machine. My thinking is that if the internal designs stitch out fine then its clearly me doing something wrong. Its not at the same time that the needle breaks you see, sometimes I can be twenty minutes into a design whilst last night I couldn't even get more than a few stitches in.

Thanks again

Ok i've had a chat with the dealer who suggests I use topstitch needles instead of embroidery needles. He also says to hook the thread up to my serger which is to be placed behind the embroidery machine to give the thread a better path.

If this doesn't work he wants me to take the machine in. Its under warranty as I've only had it a few weeks so thats fine.

I've ordered the topstitch needles and I'm hoping they make a difference.

Thanks everyone

Is your needle catching in the leading thread (you know, that part of the thread you had through the needle when you started)? Every time I have a needle break, that's the reason. (well, except for the time I sewed my finger!) Then the needle hits the bobbin case and pow--need new needle and new bobbin case. A rather expensive mistake to make more than once or twice. I am now very careful to pull the thread out the back and stop after a few stitches and trim.

Jon

Hi Jon

I've just mentally gone through your answer and actually I make an effort to pull the thread out the back so I know thats ok.

I've put the machine into full speed and done normal sewing to test whether the needle is catching on the bar but its not. I tried wide zig zag and everything to get the needle 'rushing' about but not one needle break. It has to be something I'm doing in embroidery mode.

Hopefully the topstitch needles will be with me tomorrow and I can give it a go with them.

Its very frustrating because I've seen the lovely designs that can be done on this machine but they always end up with ugly marks where the broken needle smashes into the fabric. :-(

PS when I was a young factory machinist I put a needle through my finger.... hurts a bit doesn't it lol

I also sewed my finger, rushing to get an outfit done for a Christmas party. Went right through the bone and I had to get it removed at the emergency room (did have time to finish the outfit though!) Mostly embarrassing after 15 years of sewing.

-K

I was really fortunate that I just sewed the side of my right index finger--no bone, no nail. It hurt like a &^%^(* , and in my confusion, I didn't take my foot off the pedal, so I was sewed to the curtain I was making. My wife could barely keep a straight face!

Jon

I had to re-read that twice to be sure you didn't have the FINGER (or bone) removed. ;-}

What's the problem? She's got nine more. :^P

Alas, you are neither the first nor the last. Did I mention my friend who knitted her hair into a sweater she was making on her knitting machine? Not quite so painful......except that she couldn't reach the scissors or anything else that might have freed her, and had to wait for her husband to hear her cries for help.....good thing he was at home at the time. She had him cut the hair, not the yarn.