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  1. #1
    Senior Member oldgringo's Avatar
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    Needles

    Are they all pretty much the same? What I'm using now seem to dull pretty quickly, especially in heavier going.

    Are there premium needles, or a brand that stands above the rest?
    Dave

    "Loneliness is the poverty of self; solitude is the richness of self."~~~May Sarton

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    Senior Member gargoyle's Avatar
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    I can get a good week or two out of a needle. Some are better than others. But I get mine from Wally's. I have good luck with the "Jeans" style.

    Another thing to check for is that the timing is not off. If the needle is skimming the bobbin shuttle, it will dull fast.

    Pulling on the fabric can also torque the needle into the bobbin shuttle ever so slightly causing it to dull.

    And the always important "is the needle installed correctly" or "bent"...
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  3. #3
    Senior Member JohnSawyer's Avatar
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    I used some cheapo needles and had all kinds of tangle issues. I switched to Singer needles in my cheapo Brother machine... They're cheap, and I've been tossing them after 2 projects or so...
    "Do or do not, there is no try." -- Yoda


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    canoebie's Avatar
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    My wonderful wife tells me to switch needles after every project. I listen.
    “Isn't it enough to see that a garden is beautiful without having to believe that there are fairies at the bottom of it too?”
    ― Douglas Adams, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

  5. #5
    Senior Member Ramblinrev's Avatar
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    My (and my wife's) personal choice is Schmetz. They are an excellent quality and readily available.

    Things to note....

    "Ball Point" needles come dull from the factory. They are supposed to be that way. Ball point needles are intended for knits and high stretch fabrics (lycra etc.) If you use them on nylon you will dull them even farther in no time flat. (For you carpenters out there... ball point needles work on the same principle that blunting a nail will help reduce splitting wood. Totally counter intuitive.. but useful.)

    "Universal point" is a hybrid of ball point and "sharp". It is intended to do everything and just like every other multi-purpose solution they often do everything ok and do nothing really well. But they are easy to find and the most popular type of needle available.

    "Sharps" are exactly that. And they are wicked sharp. "Jeans" needle referred to above is a very heavy duty sharp needle. Their points are easily damaged by contact with the machine parts. However, used properly they are the best needle IMO for nylon and other synthetic fabrics. The size of the needle is particularly important when using sharps. Too small a needle for the density and thickness of the fabric will lead to dulling the point very quickly.

    Under no circumstances use a "Leather" needle except for leather and other thick, heavy, or sticky _non-woven_ fabrics. They have cutting edges that run along the needle itself and they will cut the weave or knits of the fabric. You can't beat them for their intended purpose. But they will trash your project if used incorrectly.

    There is a crash course in needles. At this point in time, brand is probably of less importance than matching the right style needle to the project.
    I may be slow... But I sure am gimpy.

    "Bless you child, when you set out to thread a needle don't hold the thread still and fetch the needle up to it; hold the needle still and poke the thread at it; that's the way a woman most always does, but a man always does t'other way."
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  6. #6
    Senior Member JohnSawyer's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Ramblinrev View Post
    My (and my wife's) personal choice is Schmetz. They are an excellent quality and readily available.

    Things to note....

    "Ball Point" needles come dull from the factory. They are supposed to be that way. Ball point needles are intended for knits and high stretch fabrics (lycra etc.) If you use them on nylon you will dull them even farther in no time flat. (For you carpenters out there... ball point needles work on the same principle that blunting a nail will help reduce splitting wood. Totally counter intuitive.. but useful.)

    "Universal point" is a hybrid of ball point and "sharp". It is intended to do everything and just like every other multi-purpose solution they often do everything ok and do nothing really well. But they are easy to find and the most popular type of needle available.

    "Sharps" are exactly that. And they are wicked sharp. "Jeans" needle referred to above is a very heavy duty sharp needle. Their points are easily damaged by contact with the machine parts. However, used properly they are the best needle IMO for nylon and other synthetic fabrics. The size of the needle is particularly important when using sharps. Too small a needle for the density and thickness of the fabric will lead to dulling the point very quickly.

    Under no circumstances use a "Leather" needle except for leather and other thick, heavy, or sticky _non-woven_ fabrics. They have cutting edges that run along the needle itself and they will cut the weave or knits of the fabric. You can't beat them for their intended purpose. But they will trash your project if used incorrectly.

    There is a crash course in needles. At this point in time, brand is probably of less importance than matching the right style needle to the project.
    Hmmm... I'm envisioning an addition to the great Rev's video series...
    "Do or do not, there is no try." -- Yoda


  7. #7
    New Member BigJoeTheBear's Avatar
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    I agree with Rev the Schmetz's needle are great.

    When I bought my thread injector the nice lady at the store pointed me to the Schmetz MicroTex needles and I have found them to be great to work with.

    http://www.schmetzneedles.com/sharp.htm

  8. #8
    Senior Member exdiver's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Ramblinrev View Post

    The size of the needle is particularly important when using sharps. Too small a needle for the density and thickness of the fabric will lead to dulling the point very quickly.
    There is a crash course in needles. At this point in time, brand is probably of less importance than matching the right style needle to the project.
    What size should we be using on 1.1 and 1.9 ripstop?
    I think my needle "might" need replacing, made a popping noise when "injecting" my last project, a poly covered fleece and IX top-quilt.
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  9. #9
    Senior Member Ramblinrev's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by exdiver View Post
    What size should we be using on 1.1 and 1.9 ripstop?
    I think my needle "might" need replacing, made a popping noise when "injecting" my last project, a poly covered fleece and IX top-quilt.
    Ultimately there is no absolute answer to that question. I like to use a big honking needle because I am essentially a blind klutz when it comes to threading the stupid thing. I like a BIG needle eye so I can see it. Others, not so visually challenged like to use teeny tiny needles because the holes left in the fabric are smaller. My answer has always been.. "Whatever floats your boat." Just be aware that teeny tiny needles have a more delicate point and will need to be replaced more frequently. They will bend easier. They will dull faster and they may be difficult to thread. When using a heavy thread the needle eye may snag and wear the thread causing the fibers to break. By the same token are larger needle is sturdier and able to take more abuse (although the harder you use them the faster they will wear out.) The eye is bigger so I can see the thing.

    So use what you are comfortable with and replace them when they need to be replaced. Every so many feet of stitching is a good factor, but again... I can't give you a good rule of thumb (see the above discussion). If it "pops" I would think a new needle would be in order. You may be able to gauge the point of a "sharp" with the same fingernail test for a sharp blade. The universal needle and the ball point will not respond the same way.

    There you go... clear as mud. That's why this discussion is in the video titled "Beyond the Mysteries" or something like that.
    I may be slow... But I sure am gimpy.

    "Bless you child, when you set out to thread a needle don't hold the thread still and fetch the needle up to it; hold the needle still and poke the thread at it; that's the way a woman most always does, but a man always does t'other way."
    Mrs. Loftus to Huck Finn

    We Don't Sew... We Make Gear! video series

    Important thread injector guidelines especially for Newbies

    Bobbin Tension - A Personal Viewpoint

  10. #10
    Senior Member turnerminator's Avatar
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    I'm having success with the Shmetz Microtex needles, they are designed to sew ripstop and coated fabrics.

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