RoseCity Quilter Posted March 27, 2013 Report Share Posted March 27, 2013 For no explainable reason my Milli has broke a needle three times in the last two days and my thread keeps breaking. Mostly the top thread, but sometimes the bottom. Have checked timing and checked for burrs, over and over. Thread breaking on all types of thread...... Ideas? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisquilter Posted March 27, 2013 Report Share Posted March 27, 2013 Wow Ardelle! This scares me! You are the last person I expected to have problems with your machine! You are so experienced. It sure sounds like timing to me, but I know you checked that. Hope the experts chime in soon. It scares me to death when I break a needle. Then I am gun shy for days after. Hope it get corrected quickly for you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JustSewSimple Posted March 27, 2013 Report Share Posted March 27, 2013 I agree with Chris on this one! How the heck do you "check" your timing. I hope mine never gets out of time cause I'd just think it was broken for good! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RunningThreads Posted March 28, 2013 Report Share Posted March 28, 2013 Ardelle You might try checking your needlebar for play. Move it front to back and side to side, there should be no play. If there is you might be hitting the hook and breaking the needles. Jim Erickson had this problem a few weeks ago and was bending the tips of his needles. Nigel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Busy Quilting Posted March 28, 2013 Report Share Posted March 28, 2013 Check the needlebar to make sure it is in straight, easiest way is to look at the needlebar screw from the side and see if it is centred.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shirleyl Posted March 28, 2013 Report Share Posted March 28, 2013 Did you get a bad pack of needles? Seems strange unless you have the above mentioned needle bar issue. Shirley Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RoseCity Quilter Posted March 28, 2013 Author Report Share Posted March 28, 2013 I am at home at the moment and Milli is at my store. In the morning I will check the needle bar. All needles were from the same pkg so will try a different pack. Thanks for the ideas..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Busy Quilting Posted March 28, 2013 Report Share Posted March 28, 2013 Ardelle, my needle break problem reared its ugly head with firstly a white on white fabric, and then a quilt top with asian fabric with metallic prints. There was enough "stuff" coming off the fabric each time the needle passed through the top to put a large deposit on the hook assembly. Along with my slightly misaligned needle bar I broke 10 needles from many different packs before I resorted to a thorough clean of the hook every bobbin change. Hope you can sort yours out quicker than me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RoseCity Quilter Posted March 28, 2013 Author Report Share Posted March 28, 2013 No play in my needle bar and it appears to be straight..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
witha'K'quilting Posted March 28, 2013 Report Share Posted March 28, 2013 this is a dumb question...but is your needle in correctly? i have done this and it always results in broken needles and thread. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnCavanaugh Posted March 28, 2013 Report Share Posted March 28, 2013 Ardelle, Check for hook shaft collar play (see the attachment.) Provided your needles are OK, they're in straight, etc., then a needle breaks for these main reasons: 1. Improper deflection from fabric (bulky seams, adhesive build up, paint build up [white-on-white fabric]) 2. Tension too tight on top and bottom (with both set very tight, they pull hard on the needle and increase flex.) 3. Needle too small for thread or fabric (if the eye is too small, the thread drags through too hard and pulls the needle around.) 4. Moving too fast for the needle size 5. Timing is slightly off (if the hook rotation is off slightly then the needle will strike the hook on the downstroke. If you've had needle breaks, there has got to be a burr somewhere on that hook. If there aren't any to be found, then it means the needle is most likely breaking before it even gets down to the hook assembly. It may be striking the needle plate instead.) I've attached another document that might help with the thread breaks, Arlene. Let us know how it's going! Hook Shaft Collar adjustment .pdf Thread Breakage-Tension info.pdf Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RoseCity Quilter Posted March 28, 2013 Author Report Share Posted March 28, 2013 Dawn, thanks. I can move the hook shaft collar but just the tiniest bit. Not sure how to describe it, but just a fraction.....so what do you think, should I do the adjustment? Have looked and looked for burrs. We found one yesterday and got it out. No more needle breaks (using a different pkg) but still getting thread breakage..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RoseCity Quilter Posted March 28, 2013 Author Report Share Posted March 28, 2013 Oh, I did have to replace a needle today because of a burr on the tip. It was new at the end of yesterday and I have had a lot of interruptions today and so not much time on the needle. Been doing pantos since this started, so no ruler work.....??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RoseCity Quilter Posted March 28, 2013 Author Report Share Posted March 28, 2013 15 minutes layer and I have another burr on my needle. Calling it quits till Sat........ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnCavanaugh Posted March 29, 2013 Report Share Posted March 29, 2013 Ardelle, Yes, do take the play out of the hook collar. It may be allowing the hook shaft to float forward and backward just enough to cause the burr or deflection. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RoseCity Quilter Posted March 29, 2013 Author Report Share Posted March 29, 2013 Ok, we will try that tomorrow. Thank you.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RoseCity Quilter Posted March 30, 2013 Author Report Share Posted March 30, 2013 :) Seems to be fixed! Adjusted the hook collar...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oireachtas Posted March 30, 2013 Report Share Posted March 30, 2013 Glad you got your problem fixed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
witha'K'quilting Posted March 31, 2013 Report Share Posted March 31, 2013 great news ardelle! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beachside Quilter Posted March 31, 2013 Report Share Posted March 31, 2013 Glad you solved the problem, Ardelle!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tella Posted March 31, 2013 Report Share Posted March 31, 2013 Ladies, you are like "engineers".... I am very impressed... Here is a really dumb question... What is a " burr"? Is it like a scratch or a bumpy ? Arielle talked about removing it? Just want to learn so when I experience this I won't cry? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shirleyl Posted March 31, 2013 Report Share Posted March 31, 2013 Okay this may sound stupid. A burr to me is like a hangnail or a sharp scratch. You sand it out with fine grit sandpaper. You need to use your fingernail to find it not skin and if you have acrylic nails they wont find it. Shirley Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnCavanaugh Posted April 1, 2013 Report Share Posted April 1, 2013 Tella, Shirley is right on the money! In the case of the hook assembly, it's a piece of metal that's been displaced by the needle, creating a lump or rough spot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RoseCity Quilter Posted April 1, 2013 Author Report Share Posted April 1, 2013 I am so lucky, Roger was a farmer for many years and is use to finding the problem in machines. He found the burr and used his "needle files" to remove it. When I try and file one out, I am not strong enough, but Roger gets it out with just a few passes..... He always tells me try Milli is a simple machine in comparison with his square bailer and its knotter! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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