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Needles for heavy caps and puff embroidery?

19K views 11 replies 11 participants last post by  chuckh 
#1 ·
I am pretty new to the embroidery world. We just added our first embroidery machine to our screen printing shop about 6 months ago and had a questions regarding needles. My machine (Toyota 860) came with a box of new needles. I've broken a few on caps. In particular on a Flexfit 210 right on that middle seam in the front down low near the bill. I was wondering if I'm supposed to be using a heavier needle on those? I'm not familiar with needle sizes/weights so I wasn't sure.

Also, I've been thinking about having a design digitized for puff and running it on the front/middle of one of these types of structured caps. I was wondering if you use your normal needle for the puff or if it requires a different needle?

Thanks in advance for your help.
 
#2 ·
If you are breaking needles then your tension is too tight. Try loosening your tensions. If you do puff then your tension should be way more loose then normal.

I use 75/11 needles I bought some 80/12 because I was breaking needles but quickly found out that the problem was upper tensions.

Hope this helps

Forgot to mention I do flexfit 6210 all the time and use the 75/11 I also use it for puff as well.
 
#3 ·
a lot of the time the needle breaks are caused by the cap "flaging". The thicker seam as well as the extra movement at the center of the cap will cause the needle to deflect more. If the detail of the embroidery can handle it, then the thicker 80s could help. That being said, fixing the digitizing and adjusting the machine (tension, pressor foot, needle plate etc) and propper hooping will go a long way to preventing this from happening. Flexfit caps are usually pretty easy to embroider on, so I'd look at other variables first.
 
#8 ·
To add - if the design starts at the center seam and then breaks a needle try moving the starting point (edit the digitizing) so it doesn't start on the seam. Moving the design away from the brim will also help. We use 75/11 needles for all hats unless they repeatedly break needles. Then we use 80/12 needles. Extra backing will help take up extra room and thus reduce flagging.
 
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