• 678-431-1467
  • This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
  • Mon - Fri 9am - 5pm EST

Frequently asked questions (FAQ)

I get asked a lot of questions about so many things concerning embroidery machines and how to use them. Here are some Frequently asked Question and my responses.

 


Free Images - faq

 

 

 

Embroidery Information:

Which embroidery machines are best and what to look out for when shopping for a machine. Information on legalities. 


 What about Embroidery Machines: Which embroidery machines are best and what to look out for when shopping for a machine.

 Used Embroidery Machine Landmines: Do your homework before you spring for a machine. You don’t want a $3000 boat anchor

 What is a used embroidery machine worth? I wish they made a Kellys Blue book for embroidery machines but I havent found one.


CUSTOMER SUPPLIED GARMENT WAIVER: People bring you all kinds of things to embroider, and you can get into some real trouble if you mess it up.

 

 Needful Things: Reviews and information on some things that I have found help with your embroidery.

 

 

Let's talk about it!

 

 

 

DIY Embroidery Machine Repair:

Articles from AJST on repairing and working on your Embroidery Machine.

 

 Electronics in an embroidery machine: What are the boards and electronics in a commercial embroider machine, and how do they interact with each other?

 Oil and Grease for your Embroidery Machine: Machine maintenance will prolong the life of your machine and give you more sewing time. Embroidery machines do not last forever but a little preventive maintenance will keep your machine running and trouble free.

 

 Thread Tension: Understanding and setting your thread tension properly can mean the difference in high-quality good-looking embroidery and frustrating and ugly stitches.

 

 Rotary Hooks: Information on Rotary hooks. Rotary hook prices range from about $18.00 to over $300.00 and may need to be replaced at around 3 to 5 years. Quality does make a difference.

 Hook Timing: Information on replacing your rotary hook and/or setting your hook timing. 

 My embroidery machine wont turn: This is a very common error that you may get with an embroidery machine is when the main shaft does not rotate. follow the steps to diagnose and remedy this error.

 Needle stuck in rotary hook: Facebook video on jammed rotary hook. 

 Updating your floppy drive to a USB Drive. Some things you may need to know.

Emergency Parts Information 

 

Machine specific information:

 

 Happy:

 Happy Machine - Needle Bar Driver Roller BearingsSome Happy Embroidery machines use a Needle Bar Driver and roller bearings instead of a Reciprocator. Here is some information on Needle bar drivers. 

 


 

Ricoma:

 Ricoma: My Main Axis is does not stop at 100 Degrees. This information also applys to most Chinese embroidery machines. 


SWF:

SWF Serial Number Decode - Here is how to determine the year model of your SWF Embroidery Machine from your serial number.

 


Toyota:

 Stitch count on a Toyota Embroidery Machine: How do you find out how many stitches on a Tajima Neo or Toyota Embroidery Machine? 

 

 

 

 

Shade tree embroidery machine mechanic. 

 

 

 

 

 Embroidering tips and discussion:

Tips and How-to information on how to use your embroidery machine.

  

Metallic thread problem:  Help: Sewing with Metallic thread can be a challenge. I have some successful customers that are willing to share how they make it work. 

Stitching on hard structured, buckram caps: We receive a lot of complaints and concerns about hard structured caps including The Infamous Richardson 112 and similar model caps. Here are few things that you can do that may help when embroidering these caps.

 

 Richardson 112

The Infamous Richardson 112

 

 

 

Library and Links: 

Links, PDFs, and other sources of knowledge.

 

Quick Links Here are some quick links to things you might need as you are running your embroidery business.

 

Needful Things: Reviews and information on some things that I have found help with your embroidery.

 


20 Terrible Tales of True Horror From the Library | Ghostbusters ...

The Library. 

 

 

 

Document Dump:

 

Suggested Training Supplies: These are tools supplies and materials that you may need to have on hand for training.

 

Emergency Repair Kits:

 

Fonts for Wilcom

 

 

 MJ-12: New Document Dump, Labeled 'Ultra Top Secret'

 

 

 

 

 
 
 
 

 

 

 

Information on replacing your rotary hook and/or setting your hook timing. 

How can you tell if your embroidery machine timing is off?

Hook Timing is the point in the machines rotation that the needle, in an upward stroke, passes the point of the rotary hook and connects with the thread.

Timing usually goes out in your sewing machine after the Needle and thread gets jammed or you have a birds nest.  You can tell you sewing machine is out of time when you can no longer sew, your machine is missing stitches, fraying thread, and you stich-outs look horrible. 

Most brands of embroidery machines use the same methods for timing rotary hooks, the degree that the machine is set at may differ but the method is usually the same.

 

 

CNC BoardWhat are the boards and electronics in a commercial embroider machine, and how do they interact with each other?

I get quite a few questions about electronics and boards in embroidery machines. This is some basic information about the boards involved. Your commercial embroidery machine is basically a CNC Sewing machine. CNC stands for 'computer numerical control' which is a system that tells a machine to move to this coordinate and do something. then move tho this location and do something else.

You may use a CNC machine every day and not know it as a cnc machine. Your Printer is a CNC machine. Laser cutters, plasma cutters, 3d printers, and cnc routers are examples of other CNC machines.

Again basically the machine moves to a X - Y Coordinate and then does something. Your embroidery machine moves a shirt or cap to a specific location and does a stitch.

Click "Read More" to find out more information on this topic.

 

 

 

 

 

      Here are some quick links to things you might need as you are running your embroidery business.

Page Links:

 

 

Rotary hooks rotate twice every time the needle comes down, so if you run your machine at 700 stitches per minute the hook spins at 1400 stitches per minute (SPM). The interior of the Hook has a rail that slides in a raceway and holds the hook together. There are no bearings, so the rail and raceway are metal on metal. This is the only point on the machine that most manufactures recommend you lubricate every four hours of use. ​Rotary hooks may need to be replaced at around 3 to 5 years, depending on use and maintenance of the machine.

 

People bring you all kinds of things to embroider, and you can get into some real trouble if you mess it up.

People bring you all kinds of things to embroider, and you can get into some real trouble if you mess it up. Stitching the wrong color, in the wrong place and any other various errors can put a real cramp in your paycheck.

When we first started business we were doing some towels for a friend of the wife's. We were sewing one initial on a set of 8 towels, and we gave them the friends and family discount, a whopping $3.00 a piece. Everything was going well until the last towel when my machine became hungry and ate it. The towel slipped and the hoop came apart. I tried to fix the towel and knocked a hole in it. I tried something else and hole got bigger. We finally decided that we had to replace the towel.

The label had a fancy name and informed us that the towel was made of 800 thread count Egyptian cotton. So the search began. Over the next few days Tracee went to Macys, Bed Bath and Beyond, Target, Sears, Neiman Marcus etc.. and could not find a replacement for the Fancy Named, 800 thread count, Egyptian cotton towel. She finally gave up and called her friend.

Her friend told her not to worry about it, she bought the towel at Walmart.

So to recap this sad tale, Tracee spent about three days searching for a towel to replace a 5 dollar towel from Walmart. We only made $3.00 on it.

 

That is why we have a CUSTOMER SUPPLIED GARMENT WAIVER.

Feel free to copy and use it in your business.

 

 

Nothing is worse than having a technician arrive at your business and after a brief look he tells you we must order parts. The repair is delayed, additional expenses of return service, and the lost use of the machine gets expensive. I have created a list of the most common parts and suggested things that may need to be replaced on a machine.

I call it an Emergency Repair Kit. I suggest you order one for each head, but you will probably not need everything in a set for each head. This list of parts is a suggested list. They cover the most common parts that may need replacing when you have a service on the machine. This is also a list of a good set of spare parts to have on hand.

You know your machine so if you don’t have issues with it trimming you may not need to order the knife sets. If you haven’t replaced the rotary hooks since you bought the machine you may want to order all four. If you don’t need a new set of needles you don’t need to order them.

​Consult your parts supplier and parts manual for the correct parts for your machine.