| Breaking
Latch Hooks |
| Check the
setting of the Hook versus the Needle. The Hook should
pass the NNeedle on its outward and inward strokes through
the Scarf Area of the Needle. Make sure the Needle Guard
is set flush to the back edge of the Needle. It helps
to align the Needle or Needle Bar and Needle so that the
Scarf of the Needle when viewed from above would run from
8:00 to 2:00 as opposed to dead flat (9:00 to 3:00). The
Latch hook itself can be set with a slight downward tilt
from rear to front; this gains room between the Latch
and the Needle and aids in the Latch Hook’s shedding process.
The Hook Carrier Guide can be so tight that it is forcing
the Hook into the Needle. Loosen the Hook Carrier Guide
Screw and tap the Hook Carrier Guide towards the rear
of the machine. Warning: too loose and the Hook
will not engage the Needle.
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| Loose
Stitches |
| The stitch
is loose on the fabric. Adjust Edge Guide to allow more
material to get into the stitch. Tighten Thread Tension(s).
You may have the wrong Crochet Machine for your particular
application. The main Cams fix the width of the stitch
in these machines. You can’t make an 18-E (1/2") produce
a _" stitch by tightening the Thread Tension, or changing
a Finger Plate.
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| Skipped
Stitches |
| As a general
rule, try replacing the Latch Hook and/or the Needle when
a skipping problem is present. Some times the Latch Hook
or the Needle has become bent or damaged slightly, and
therefore not sewing correctly. If you still have a skip,
determine the nature and location of the stitch, and it
will help you correct the problem. Does the skip always
occur at or near a specific location, if so it probably
has to do with handling or thickness of the material.
Handling cause a skip when the operator pulls the goods
off the Finger as the stitch is being formed. Thickness
or a tight corner can cause a skip as the stitch can only
be formed at speed in a consistent smooth manner. A single
skip that is consistently a set distance apart on the
goods shows a disturbance in the flow of the thread to
the machine. Check for proper threading, check the Thread
Guides for burrs, check the Thread Stand, and check the
spool of yarn itself. The thread can wrap around the Thread
Stand and cause extra drag. The Spool itself can have
a consistent bad spot every so many inches that are due
to damage or tension during its winding process. A skip
on the top of the goods versus the bottom points you to
the relationship between the Needle and the Latch Hook.
A skip on top of the goods means the Latch is not picking
off the Needle above the work, or the Latch is not shedding
the loop properly. A skip on the bottom of the goods means
that the Hook is not catching the thread off the Needle
below the Needle Plate. Adjustment of Hook Setting, (length
and tilt) and adjustment of the Needle Timing in relation
to the Latch Hook should correct this problem. Skipping
can also occur if the Feed Dogs are dull or improperly
set. Poor feeding doesn’t allow the natural chaining of
the stitch to occur, thus changing the timing of the interaction
of the loops. Note that fabric and Stitch Guards can also
cause this poor chaining. On some of the Crochet Machines
the Presser Foot must be in place in order for the machine
to stitch. This again is because the foot holds the thread
in time and location to allow the interaction of the Hook
and Needle. The Supplemental Thread Carrier on some models
also plays a key role, whether it is carrying a thread
or not. The Supplemental Thread Carrier actually pushes
the thread from the Needle above the Plate back into the
Latch Hook; similar to the way the Presser Foot on some
models holds the same thread to be caught by the Latch
Hook. The Moving Cast Off Horn and the Fixed Cast Off
Horn also can cause a skip if improperly set, they must
force the shedding of the loop down the Latch Hook past
the Latch. This allows the Latch to close around the next
loop and interlock the two loops thus forming a stitch.
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| Breaking
Needles |
| Check that
Needle is set properly. Check the setting of Needle Guard.
Make sure you are using a suitable size Needle for the
style of machine, and the material you are sewing.
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| Needle
Holes |
| Check the
size of the Needle. Make sure you are using the smallest
possible for your application. Use Ball Points if available.
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