Caps Suck! I have been trying to embroider a co. logo on some caps. I have broken 5 needles and ruined 2 caps, can't figure out what is wrong. I have used 75/11 sharp point, 80/10 sharp point, and 80/12 sharp point and have broken them all at some time during the design, not always in the same place. can anybody help?
Hats are not east to deal with. What type of design is it(text only) or design and lettering. Was the desigm digitized for a cap. What speed are you sewing at and what machine are you using. I will try to help you when I know all the info. .... JB
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What type of hat is it a 5 or 6 panel. Is the needle breaking at or near a seam. If the answer is yes then move the design slightly to the left or right of center before yo start the design. .... JB
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One more thing to watch is that you're not too low on the hat, if it's down to close to the bill it will break your needle.
I forgot that one too. .... JB
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Most likely, your problem lies in the way you hooped the hat and your stitch location. Make sure you are not sewing too close to the brim and try to hoop the hat perfectly every time. 700 is plenty slow and those needles should be fine.
Another issue could be your cap is flexing, or moving, in the cap frame. Make sure you cap frame is adjusted to hold the cap tightly...run your finger across the front of the cap after it's hooped. If the cap fabric moves, or creates a "wave" ahead of your finger, then you're going to have problems. Generally what causes a needle to break when sewing caps is: 1. The seam if a 6 panel cap. 2. The cap flexing or moving around while the needle is going up & down thru the fabric. 3. Improper digitizing; too many stitches in one place. (Proper cap hooping is usually the #1 issue.)
Also if you don't already, add some pellon backing to the rear of the cap when hooping; this sometimes help give the rear of the cap a smooth area, especially going over the seam on a 6 panel cap.
Yes, constructed, or buckram backed caps, do flex less, but we have found the less expensive brands are cut so poorly that they never hoop properly, the middle of the cap pokes up higher, and as the needle bar move toward the center, it's pushing the rest of the cap fabric ahead of it. We don't have that problem much any more, as the qualtity of cap construction has gotten much better, expecially w/ the good caps such as Yupoong, Otto, KC Caps. Years ago, it was a nightmare.
After hooping tightly take up additional room with extra backing. You might start slower and increase speed after you're past the difficult part. If there is a lot of flagging you'll be less likely to break needles if you're running slower.
I would bet that the needle is breaking when sewing the lower portion next to the bill of the cap. I had this problem with a set of caps. When sewing close to the bill, there is more of a space between the fabric and the needle plate. When the presser foot presses it down, at the same time the needle in making a stitch, it acts as a lever and pulls the needle towards the brim. This causes the needle to strike the needle plate. Thus the needle breaks.
At least that is what I figure caused mine. It was a stiff constructed cap.
When I first got my machine, I could not for the life of me do caps. I wasn't able to go to the training, so I didn't know how to hoop them properly, and I wasn't attaching the cap hoop to the machine properly either.
Once I realized that I had a hoop holder that clamped onto my work table that holds the hoop while putting the cap on it, it suddenly became easy to hoop the caps. (I know, sounds stupid, but the box said it was a frame, and I thought it was the old style frame since the new quick change one had just come out).
I also broke lots of needles and ruined several caps before I saw a training video that showed me that when putting the cap hoop on the machine, I had to make sure to "click in" the bottom before "clicking in" the top.
I knocked my head against the wall for the longest time, and then when I found the magic bullet, I kicked myself for not figuring it out sooner.
Moral of story...most instructions that come with machines don't tell you these necessary little details.
Embroidering caps 
