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Help ... top thread constantly shredding -- UPDATE


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Please help. I'm having issues with my top thread shredding. Superior Threads #50 So Fine top and bobbin ... I've oiled the bobbin area, the machine is fine with oil, changed the needle three times ... adjusted the tension so all is well ... the stitches are beautiful and then after a while the thread shreds so it's just that thin little core of polyester. I'm using IQ so it doesn't catch that there's a thread break right away. I'm watching it like a hawk and pause it as soon as I see it but of course by then it's stitched a few inches worth of just that thin polyester core stuff.

 

What do I do? I'd really like to get this quilt finished today so that I can put on a muslin sandwich. My dad is driving up from LA and I wanted to show him the machine and let him try it out. But I can't do that until this quilt is finished. I'm so frustrated ... especially since I got this loaded up all straight and the quilting is going to be a fantastic pattern for the quilt. Ugh!

 

UPDATE:

So I finally figured out what was causing the problem. The main problem is that the thread was only shredding when I was going from Right to Left in a long continuous curved line. It also didn't help that at first the thread had jumped out of the upside down hook next to the top tension dial. But even with that fixed (and DUH! to why I didn't think to double check the thread path) I still was having troubles. I finally took my quilt off and loaded a muslin quilt and rethreaded the machine. I had no problems with FMQ. Then I did three different panto patterns with IQ and had no problems. But when I tried that long curvy pattern I had the thread shredding again. That's when I discovered what the problem was. Aha! The quick fix was to use the L to R only variation of the pattern (Modern Curves by Anita Shackelford).

 

Someone on another forum suggested that I was having this problem because my timing was slightly off. Is that true? I thought that timing was a binary thing, either working or not. If that's true then I probably did it when I broke those needles on the thick seams a few quilts back. Right now regular pantos are stitching out fine so I don't want to fiddle with the timing quite yet.

 

And here's pictures of the customer quilt that I was able to finally complete (all done Left to Right and stopping to cut threads.)

post-18162-0-82453000-1416559864_thumb.jpgpost-18162-0-10900600-1416559875_thumb.jpgpost-18162-0-01613100-1416559883_thumb.jpg

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Tami, what changed between quilting without shredding and the first experience of shredding?  No needle breaks or anything like that??  Are you pulling the quilt sandwich tighter than normal at all?  Try soaking your hook assembly with WD40 and doing a thorough clean, just in case there is something hidden down in the hook.

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Shredding means there is a burr somewhere....try seeing if it is in the underside of the needle plate opening, or anywhere on the bobbin assembly, try also the little finger that holds the bobbin in place...(I am sure it has a name I just don't know what it is called...)  It is also possible you have an old spool that may have a bad area on it....

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Okay, I've switched needles out, I've turned the two pigtails upside down, switched out cones of thread and new bobbins of thread ... still was having issues. Then I thought that perhaps it was because the pattern I'm stitching is mostly one long continuous curvy line and IQ was merrily speeding along ... slowed it down, nope still shredding.

 

So my next thought was to just baste this quilt and take it off the frame so that I can experiment on a muslin sandwich ... in the middle of basting it (single stitch up/down) the doggone needle is stopped in the middle of the quilt. The single stitch button won't work to get it out and the needle isn't caught in a seam. Ugh! So frustrated right now. I turned off the machine and will call APQS in the morning. I've only done about a dozen or so quilts so I really don't think that I got a burr somewhere and of course the single stitch button is an entirely separate and new issue. Just venting ... I'm hopeful that the fine people at APQS will be able to assist me tomorrow morning. But just one more yell .... UGHHHHHH!!!! Okay, I feel better.

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Tami, send an email to service@apqs, marked "high priority" telling them that you will be calling, and describing in detail what you have experienced.  That will help them to walk through the problems with you.

 

The stuck-down needle problem: with the machine turned off, can you move the needle with the flywheel?  You might need to "back" it out, if the needle is somehow caught on the hook.  If you need someone to vent to this afternoon, you can call me at (509) 671-1467.  I may not be able to solve your problems, but I can at least be a sounding board while you wait for the experts at APQS.....

 

You can also post in the "APQS Help" forum - sometimes Dawn will monitor there and be available on weekends.  I don't actually expect that this weekend, since the APQS crew is headed home from a looooong visit to Houston....

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Thank you Barb. I hadn't even thought of trying the flywheel to get the needle out. Okay I'm not even going to try to finish basting the quilt. I'm just going to take it off the frame so that I can figure everything out on a muslin sandwich. I don't want to risk ruining my client's quilt. Whew ... okay one problem partially solved. Thank you!

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Tami,

 

So Fine thread should perform very well with little or no shredding. In addition, your machine is so new that it would be very unlikely that wear and tear is causing the thread to shred. Can you try one thing for me? Test whether the thread shreds when you are NOT using the IQ to stitch out the pattern. Sew something with the SR but not IQ driven.

 

I ask this because we have had two customers in the past few months that have had constant thread shredding and breakage issues that also happen to have IQ's. After many different changes to mechanical parts of each machine in search of the answer, I finally asked each one to remove IQ from the equation. In both cases, the problem did not occur when only the machine was doing the driving. Apparently the "dwell" setting for the IQ software was set incorrectly, which resulted in shredding and breakage as the system lingered in one spot too long.

 

If yours sews correctly without IQ, then give Zoltan a call to see how to change the dwell setting and see if that solves the issue. :) If it still misbehaves with no IQ in the mix, then let us know and we'll keep digging into the mechanical possibilities.

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  • 3 weeks later...

Hi Dawn,

Nope, I didn't have Dwell on because it was a curvy continuous line, no corners or points to use the dwell function. I also had no problems with FMQ (of course my feathers need practice but I didn't have thread breaks) and IQ was able to stitch out three different pantos without the thread shredding issues. Finally realized it was the long continuous curvy line going from Right to Left. I did a work-around but eventually I'd like to get the machine working back so that I can do this without thread issues.  :)

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Tami

My thought now is timing or needle flex since you have narrowed it down to sewing right to left.  You know how you can get skipped stitches if the timing is off and the hook misses picking up the loop of thread behind the needle.  I sure it is possible to almost miss the loop and actually split the thread.  Before you retime try using a 4.0 needle if you are not already and set the eye slightly to the left 6:30 on the clock.  The larger needle will flex less and sometimes turning the needle slightly will help with the hook catching the thread.  If this is the problem your timing must be so so close to being right.  Discuss it with Amy or Dawn and see if they agree.

 

Nigel

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  • 8 months later...

Hi Carrie,

The only thing that I could figure out is that there's something very fine on the bottom corner of the machine head near the light fixture that's causing the thread to shred when I go from right to left. I need to buff out everything to see if I can find it. But my work around is to attach a safety pin to the lower thread guide so that the thread is further away from the machine head when it sews. I was able to sew the long curvy line without any shredding of the thread. So from that I really was confident that nothing is wrong with the timing or needle flex. (I'm using a size 4.0 needle.)

 

https://instagram.com/p/3U9VGApmN1/?taken-by=lemontreetami (Here's an IG picture of what I did for the short term work around.)

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OMG - Tami - I absolutely love your work-around, taped-on safety pin. That is SO hilariously priceless! We have these super pricey machines and a safety pin is keeping it all running! It reminds me of so many things on my family's farm that are duct taped together. Our symptoms really sound similar - about shredding when going in long lines from right to left. I'm gonna try your approach tomorrow and see. Fingers crossed!

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Carrie, nope that wasn't happening. My stitches were perfect looking and then the thread (So Fine 50wt by Superior Threads) would shred and break. After looking closely at the stitches before the shred I'd notice that an inch or two were of just one sliver of the thread. My work around safety pin is only up for the quilt that had the long swirly R to L lines. It's not needed for the other pantos that I do. After I get this next set of quilts finished I'm going to try to find that micro burr that must be on the machine head and do some practice quilts. 

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Tami/Carrie:  I noticed sometime back that the last guide on my Ult 2 head allowed the top thread to run very close to the corner of the machine.  Last year I built a LED light for Zelda, and the edge of the mounting plate holding the light assembly also sat at that very corner.  To make sure that the thread did not drag over the potentially sharp edge, I replaced the wire "pig tail" guide with a stamped sheet metal guide off an industrial sewing machine.  The base of this guide allows me to position it so the thread can't touch the machine in that corner.  I'm not sure I ever had a problem shredding thread there, but now I know I won't.  Try and position your "pig tail" so that the thread can't touch the machine.  Jim

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