Going to stop at a Joanns on the way home tonight because I need to get needles for my thread injector. Can someone tell me which needles I need to get to sew silnylon, ripstop nylon, plain weave nylon, and polyester webbing please? Thanks in advance!
Yukon
There is a lot of discussion about this. Some folks get very specific with sizes and match the thread to the needle (or vice versa). _My_ answer is you need a needle big enough that it won't break and small enough that it's not overkill. More important _to me_ is the type of needle.
"Sharps" are very sharp. They pierce the fabric and slide through easily. They are more susceptible to damage if you hit a pin or bend the needle and hit the throat plate. But if used properly they will retain their tip point for a surprisingly long time. I would recommend the sharps in an appropriate size (not being anal about it) for all of the fabrics you mentioned. "Denim" needles are a "sharp"
"Ballpoint" needles have a blunt tip. The true ballpoin tneedle has a visible lack of a point on the end. It looks like a ballpoint pen. They are used for knits and extremely loose weaves like cheese cloth. They don't dull easily but they were never sharp to start with. They require more ummph from the machine for woven fabrics. I've heard of people using ballpoint needles for webbing but I have not. IMO a sharp is best for wovens.
"Leather" needles are designed for leather and heavy duty non-wovens. Never use a leather needle on a woven fabric and that goes double for knits. They have cutting edges along the shank of the needle and will slice and dice your material to the point of failure. Leather, vinyl, Naugahyde and other non-wovens use a leather needle. Nothing else.
"Universal" needles are now the most common and for most cases usable. However, they are to some degree the worst of both worlds. They are a hybrid of the sharp/ballpoint needles. Not real sharp for wovens but too sharp to be safe on most knits (IMO).
Given a choice.... I recommend sharps for gear making with universal a lagging second.
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
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I'd recommend a sharp as Rev mentioned, and anything like a size 11 to 14 should be fine for all those materials.
There are two numbers in needle sizes, you'll see something like: 75/11, 90/14, or 110/18. Those are just two ways of saying the same size (mas o menos).
I recommend using the second number in size referencing, it's more universal (as, you can find 75/11 or 80/11... just go with the 11 to save confusion).
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Thanks for the info fellas, it's greatly appreciated. Can't wait to start sewing, just want to make sure I have everything I need and it's the proper equipment.
i'm using a sharps 14 right now to make doors for my tarp and am sewing 1.1oz sil, and it is working great, i am using gutermann's mara 70 thread which is great thread by the way, but is heavier and i find i need the larger needle eye to keep the thread traveling through it and not catch up and twist and break, was having trouble with this when i was trying to use to small a needle
boot
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I think Schmetz is one of the best brand needles and their "Sharps" are good. I'd specifically go with their "Microtex Sharps" needle, which has a grooved shape at the end of the needle. I've found that it pierces the nylon fabric better and produces a smaller hole and less damage overall.
You can see the difference in both nylon and especially the sil coated nylons where the needle can create what looks like a crater mark around the needle hole.
We use exclusively #8 needles in the shop, but I think a #9 or even a #10 would work well. I think above a 10 you'll start seeing more damage to the fabric than you'd like unless you deal specifically with fabrics weighing at least 1.3oz/yd or even heavier than that.
Walking into Joanns as I type this on my lunch, feel like a kid in a toy store lol
Well I got some needles, but I think I will exclusively order online now as the guy that helped me was completely rude and basically said my machine wasn't going to work good and that I had to buy a new one. I was telling him about it and everything I said about my old machine he was like "no, you're wrong, I've been doing this 35 years" blah blah. Then I show him a picture of it and he changes his tone completely and actually starts listening to me. And for someone who supposedly has been doing this stuff for 35 years he didn't know squat about needles...
Just did an online order for some Schmetz microtek sharps, thanks for the advice...Originally Posted by BlackRock
Would it be safe to assume that a "ballpoint" needle is the one to use on mosquito or no-see-um netting? Do I need to use needles from the same manufacturer as my machine? The owners manual says I have too but, it also says I have to use their brand of sewing machine oil (I didn't fall for that one).
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