# Needles for heavy caps and puff embroidery?



## tryplecrown (Jan 24, 2007)

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.


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## nalob (Jun 23, 2011)

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.


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## zoom_monster (Sep 20, 2006)

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.


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## 2dhy4 (Jan 20, 2014)

Hi. I am having sort of the same problems. I am embroidering on a flexfit/yupoong 6089 snapback hat. Except I am using an SWF/B T1501. My needles are 75/11. They aren't breaking but my thread keeps popping every ten seconds. I tried loosening the tensions on the needle and also slowing the speed down. That helped but the machine still isn't running smooth enough and I constantly have to rethread. Does anyone have any advise?


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## tfalk (Apr 3, 2008)

What do you mean by your thread keeps popping? Are you sure you have the needle scarf to the back? If it's doing it on more than 1 needle, most likely it is something in the digitizing.


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## learner (Dec 27, 2009)

My Tajima Neo used to break needles on flexfit all the time I now put two or three cap backing under flexfit hat and that helped me a lot.


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## binki (Jul 16, 2006)

For puff we like the 80/12. It seems to cut the puff better


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## SunEmbroidery (Oct 18, 2007)

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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## David09 (Oct 2, 2015)

80/12 ????


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## SunEmbroidery (Oct 18, 2007)

The 80/12 needles are slightly bigger/stronger than the 75/11 needles so its less likely to break. Some people always use 80/12's for hats.


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## brembroidery (Aug 30, 2014)

My brother machines hated certain flex fit hats broke threads needles you name it, ran them on a day when it was beer 30 when they where done. I will say my new barudans have not had any issues with them. I hope it stays this way


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## chuckh (Mar 22, 2008)

Old post - new idea
Try switching to titanium needles


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