Thread breaks are an irritating part of embroidery, but they do not have to be merely tolerated. By following a few steps when rethreading the needle, you can begin to diagnose the nature of the thread break and hopefully avoid a subsequent one.
Diagnosing a Thread Break
Following a diagnostic method when rethreading a needle is a good way to eliminate the simplest and most common causes of thread breaks. Start with the following steps. Each step is linked to a more detailed explanation.
After the first thread break,
Rethread the machine and sew. If a second thread break occurs in a relatively short time,
Rethread the machine and sew. If a third thread break occurs in a relatively short time,
Things to Consider When Troubleshooting
Thread breaks can be caused by a multitude of factors. This guide breaks them down into four categories.
- Machine (User) - Is the machine threaded properly? Is the needle oriented correctly? Has the machine been maintained?
- Design - is the design a good design, or could it be causing the issues? Has the design been scaled down too much?
- Application - is there something about the thread, material, or this particular application that is causing the issue?
- Machine (Mechanical) - While tempting to immediately jump to this cause for a thread break, most thread breaks are not a mechanical failure of the machine. However, there are a few things that an embroiderer may be able to address without needing to call Melco for technical help.
These categories can be referenced independently of the thread break diagnostic tool by selecting them from the table of contents.