# Structured hats



## wildkatz (Sep 21, 2009)

I have a Brother 620 and a Brother 1000e machines. I'm doing structured hats and am having an awful time. The 1000e machine is working alright but the 620 will not stitch out a decent hat. I am so tired of ruining them. 

If I put an unstructured hat on it sews just fine. I have tried everything and don't know what else to try. I need these done by Thursday and 1 machine just isn't going to cut it.

Anyone who does structured hats have any hints or tips I can try for this machine? TiA


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## tfalk (Apr 3, 2008)

My car is broken, can you fix it? 

Very difficult to give you any advice when the only thing you've told us is they don't stitch correctly.


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## wildkatz (Sep 21, 2009)

The bobbin thread is showing on the lettering. I've tried the bobbin test and adjusted. I've adjusted the upper tension over and over. The tension is fine on everything else but the structured hats.


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## tfalk (Apr 3, 2008)

Is it small lettering? A picture would help.... Whenever I have an issue with bobbin thread showing, every time the problem has been lint under the tension spring on the bobbin case. Very strange that it would only happen on structured hats and nothing else...


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## wildkatz (Sep 21, 2009)

Yes, it is small lettering. I've cleaned out under the metal plate, the spring on the bobbin, the bobbin case and anything else I could think of. That's what is so weird. It works on anything else but not the structured hat. I've also tried a 80/12 titanium needle. Also, 75/11 and 70/10.


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## wildkatz (Sep 21, 2009)

I've gotten the lettering a little better but now I'm getting this. The diamond is suppose to be one line. I have the sides pulled as tight as possible and 3 layers of stabilizer.


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## tfalk (Apr 3, 2008)

Sorry, I'm at a complete loss to explain that one... Maybe have one of the digitizers take a look at the file? I'm having a hard time understanding how something that looks that bad on a structured hat could possibly look good on a non-structured hat, it makes no sense to me at all...

Are the cap drivers on the machines the same or is one the older style and one the newer style? I don't know if the newer style driver will work on the 620, maybe try swapping them? I don't have a 6xx any more so I can't try it myself, I have a PR1000E and an ENT10.


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## bwdesigns (Aug 10, 2006)

I personally would stitch a light density rectangle the same as cap color an put it underneath he small letters. I would only stitch the diamond in a satin stitch because there is too much "bounce" in the caps to do the design as it is.


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## wildkatz (Sep 21, 2009)

Thank you. I may try that. It stitches out fine on my 1000e and if I wasn't in such a time crunch I'd just use the one machine. They are different hat hoops.


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## bwdesigns (Aug 10, 2006)

I sometimes steam the fronts to flatten them a bit even though it may change the curve a little


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## wrkalot (Mar 2, 2011)

tfalk said:


> Sorry, I'm at a complete loss to explain that one... Maybe have one of the digitizers take a look at the file? I'm having a hard time understanding how something that looks that bad on a structured hat could possibly look good on a non-structured hat, it makes no sense to me at all...


I'm with tfalk on this one. I can see that happening near the top of the design if it's too tall, but not that low on the hat unless the hat is being distorted/stretched for some reason. I see that kind of thing on unstructured but not on structured.

Has something to do with the cap driver is my best guess OR digitizing issues.


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## wildkatz (Sep 21, 2009)

Well, it's just crazy. I sewed out an unstructured hat and it looked great. I put on a different brand of structured hat and another companies logo that I have to do and it worked great. I have no clue what is going on!! It's the weirdest thing I've ever run across. Thanks for all your help though. One thing for sure, I will not be using this hat again for anything!


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## medic2230 (Mar 12, 2010)

My Pr655 will do this when I run structured Flexfit hats. It drove me nuts until I figured out the edge of the needle plate was catching on the ridges inside the hat where it is sewn together when it would spin. I had gotten so frustrated with this machine ruining hats. It would throw the registration off on the hat every time it happened. Tried using stabilizer behind the design and it helped for a bit but then would catch again. I'm trading mine in on another machine. Mine also will run a unstructured hats perfectly. It only happens with structured hats.

I have also tried adjusting the hat driver up some to try and eliminate the hat catching but, no joy. Sucks too because the machine stitches flats perfectly and does a really nice job on them.


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## tfalk (Apr 3, 2008)

medic2230 said:


> I figured out the edge of the needle plate was catching on the ridges inside the hat where it is sewn together when it would spin.


We see this with appliques a lot, easy fix, put a small piece of clear packing tape over the edge of the needle plate. You will have to remove it to change the bobbin but it helps keep the edges from catching on the side of the needle plate....


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## medic2230 (Mar 12, 2010)

tfalk said:


> We see this with appliques a lot, easy fix, put a small piece of clear packing tape over the edge of the needle plate. You will have to remove it to change the bobbin but it helps keep the edges from catching on the side of the needle plate....


I saw another machine out there that had a needle plate that was extended and wrapped around about half way down the sides and wondered why no one ever made one for this machine. It looked similar to a C with the open end pointed down. Could end a lot of frustration in the 6xx series.


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