The Sewing Place

Embroidery needle breaking

Sewgorgeous

Embroidery needle breaking
« on: May 09, 2020, 22:28:19 PM »
Before I chuck my Bernina 580 out of the window, Any ideas on why my needle keeps breaking?  I am only trying to stitch a word and when it comes to the last letter the needle hits the presser foot and breaks, I've gone through 7 needles today.  I am using the built in letters that come with the machine on T-shirt fabric with gun gold stabiliser size 11 needle and gun gold embroidery thread,  I've cleaned it and oiled it but its not helped, Also with the built in letters I was trying to do them 25% smaller but the machine stitches them really messy, constantly stops and shows bobbin error or thread error, does anyone else have that trouble? its a combination machine so Im thinking maybe the separate embroidery machines are better anyone else experienced this? Maybe just user error  :thinking:

Kad

Re: Embroidery needle breaking
« Reply #1 on: May 10, 2020, 01:45:19 AM »
I suggest that it's thread tension problem due to you reducing the embroidery size by 25% and  almost certainly not reducing the stitch density accordingly.
Try stitching the embroidery at 100% + does the problem recur?

Try reducing by 10%, same question

Usually the instruction manual will tell you the min/max sizes of fonts, some cannot  be seen successfully much smaller than supplied. You would need to choose a different font.
'Jill' of many aspects of sewing, "Mistress" of few.

Celia

Re: Embroidery needle breaking
« Reply #2 on: May 10, 2020, 11:26:58 AM »
I agree 25% is more than a lot of machines can cope with, if you have software you could reduce the size in the software as that recalculated everything for you usually.

Bodgeitandscarper

Re: Embroidery needle breaking
« Reply #3 on: May 10, 2020, 11:31:53 AM »
I'd agree with the others that you're trying to reduce it too much and therefore the stitching gets too dense.

Could you look for a suitably sized font on t'internet that won't need the size altering?  There are lots available.

Kenora

Re: Embroidery needle breaking
« Reply #4 on: May 10, 2020, 18:17:32 PM »
I have a Bernina 570 and a 720. In both manuals it suggests that 20% is the maximum you should increase or decrease a design by for successful stitchout.
Minding my P's & Q's in Portreath

Sewgorgeous

Re: Embroidery needle breaking
« Reply #5 on: May 10, 2020, 21:24:14 PM »
Thanks you for all your replies, I thought that may be the problem reducing the size to much, had a go not reducing the size at all, it stitched out the word better without stopping until the last letter and the needle was hitting the presser foot and broke still, so there is still something not right, I've re-threaded, new needle, re hooped, still can't work!  :facepalm:

@Kenora - thanks for the 20% I couldn't find it in the manual,
@Kad - great idea reducing gradually for future reference I never thought of that!
@ celia - if the software works it out then I think I should try getting some

Ohsewsimple

Re: Embroidery needle breaking
« Reply #6 on: May 10, 2020, 21:50:42 PM »
Just a thought.  What size thread cap are you using with the reel of thread?  If the needle is hitting the presser foot it sounds like there is too much stress on the top thread.  If you are using a spool cap that is too large for the reel it puts extra tension on the thread as it goes through and often ends up with breakages like this. 

Kenora

Re: Embroidery needle breaking
« Reply #7 on: May 10, 2020, 22:31:33 PM »
@Sewgorgeous - I had another look at both my instruction manuals. The 20% rule is not mentioned in the 570QE manual, but in the 720 manual it states that:-

"The size of the embroidery motif
Embroidery motifs can be enlarged or downsized on the embroidery machine or on the PC using the
BERNINA Embroidery software (optional accessory). Enlargements or reductions up to 20% achieve the best results."

The above quote is at the beginning of the Embroidery Section. I've successfully reduced lettering by up to 20% so I think your problem of needle breaking on the presser foot means there is definitely something else wrong. Are you using the embroidery foot? (Probably a stupid question but I thought I'd ask anyway.) :)
Minding my P's & Q's in Portreath

Sewgorgeous

Re: Embroidery needle breaking
« Reply #8 on: May 10, 2020, 22:34:48 PM »
Just a thought.  What size thread cap are you using with the reel of thread?  If the needle is hitting the presser foot it sounds like there is too much stress on the top thread.  If you are using a spool cap that is too large for the reel it puts extra tension on the thread as it goes through and often ends up with breakages like this.

Actually its a small one, I lost the other so this is worth giving a try thank you

Sewgorgeous

Re: Embroidery needle breaking
« Reply #9 on: May 10, 2020, 22:37:12 PM »
@Sewgorgeous - I had another look at both my instruction manuals. The 20% rule is not mentioned in the 570QE manual, but in the 720 manual it states that:-

"The size of the embroidery motif
Embroidery motifs can be enlarged or downsized on the embroidery machine or on the PC using the
BERNINA Embroidery software (optional accessory). Enlargements or reductions up to 20% achieve the best results."

The above quote is at the beginning of the Embroidery Section. I've successfully reduced lettering by up to 20% so I think your problem of needle breaking on the presser foot means there is definitely something else wrong. Are you using the embroidery foot? (Probably a stupid question but I thought I'd ask anyway.) :)

thanks for that, its good to know for future, yes I'm using the embroidery foot, I'm thinking maybe there is something wrong with the machine, and not me  ;) its never actually stitched out anything without stopping a million times and I lose patience and then don't use it for ages

Ohsewsimple

Re: Embroidery needle breaking
« Reply #10 on: May 11, 2020, 16:39:22 PM »
Actually its a small one, I lost the other so this is worth giving a try thank you

Don’t use a spool cap wider than the reel of thread.   
I would suggest trying an inbuilt design in the machine rather than lettering and see what happens.  Are you using bobbin thread in the bobbin and proper embroidery thread?   While mentioning that, what machine embroidery thread are you using.  There are good and bad makes.  Some can damage the machines. 

Sewgorgeous

Re: Embroidery needle breaking
« Reply #11 on: May 12, 2020, 10:00:50 AM »
Thanks ohsewsimple - following your advice - I have the correct spool cap (does it look right pic attached?) using built in design, thread is gungold and the bobbin thread is gungold bobbin thread   [ You are not allowed to view attachments ]    [ You are not allowed to view attachments ]  Do you find other threads better? and needle just broke again.   :thinking:

Ohsewsimple

Re: Embroidery needle breaking
« Reply #12 on: May 12, 2020, 11:51:52 AM »
Well the thread should be fine.  I think the spool cap should be on the other way up according to your instruction manual.  I’m not so clued up with Berninas as some other makes. But it should be held enough so it doesn’t really wobble up and down.   Have you got your foam pad on before the thread?  Sew a design, not lettering, and see how that goes.   Are you using embroidery needles?   Are you sure it’s threaded correctly?

Just gone back and read your original post.  Are you using a sticky stabiliser?  There are all sorts of things that cause problems. 

How does the machine perform on normal sewing?   That’s always a good test.  Try straight stitch and a zig zag.  That was always the first way we tested them when I was at the shop. 
And no, embroidery only machines aren’t necessarily better than a combination machine.  I use a combination, actually have two :P, but I’ve also had a dedicated embroidery machine too. 

twopence

Re: Embroidery needle breaking
« Reply #13 on: May 12, 2020, 13:43:11 PM »
The Bernina spool caps should be the other way round and the foam pad on the other end of the thread.  I always check that the thread runs well before I thread up through the machine.

Kenora

Re: Embroidery needle breaking
« Reply #14 on: May 12, 2020, 14:03:33 PM »
Also check with your manual whether the thread should come off the spool clockwise or anti-clockwise. Each of my Berninas is different!!! You'd think it would be the same for the same brand, wouldn't you? :S
Minding my P's & Q's in Portreath