In our daily communication with our customers, many of them inevitably mention the birds nesting, and those who have suffered from the birds nesting express their great distress and eagerness to know the reasons for the emergence of the birds nesting and the solutions to the problem. Therefore, in this article, we will explore the birds nesting problem. After reading this article, you will have a better understanding of the birds nesting problem.
What is the birds nesting?
First, you need to know what the birds nesting is. The birds nesting, in layman's terms, is actually the stuffed thread, where the thread balls up under the needle plate and clogs the needle hole, as shown in the picture below.
The stuffed thread is one of the most common fault problems in the embroidery process, and for the vast majority of embroiderers, it's an all-too-familiar malfunction. While bird's nesting isn't a big deal, those who encounter this problem on a regular basis know that not only can it damage the fabric, but it's also very challenging to get your mind around. Especially for beginners, who don't have much knowledge or experience with embroidery, encountering such a glitch can often be overwhelming. What's more unfortunate is that these small problems can easily sap their enthusiasm and confidence in embroidery.
Therefore, in order to make your embroidery process smoother and more enjoyable, it is crucial to understand the birds nesting problem and master the ability to deal with and prevent it. This article will explore the following 3 aspects of the birds nesting, hoping to bring some help to your embroidery:
Why does the birds nesting problem occur?
1 ) Why does the birds nesting problem occur?
In fact, there are many reasons for the appearance of birds nesting problem, and even very small details in the embroidery process that are not taken care of can trigger birds nesting. In a nutshell, stuffing threads can be attributed to 8 main reasons:
#1 Bobbin
In many cases, thread plugging is caused by the bobbin being inserted the wrong way or the bobbin thread being wound the wrong way. So make sure that the bobbin thread is wound correctly. If the bobbin thread is not wound correctly, then it's easy to get tangled threads. Also, if the bobbin is not installed properly, for example, maybe you accidentally forgot to insert the bobbin into the machine or installed the bobbin the other way around, or maybe you didn't push the bobbin in hard enough to get it firmly seated in the machine, then these can all lead to birds nesting. It is also worth noting that if the bobbin itself is scratched or cracked, it will not only directly affect the quality of the embroidery, but may also lead to birds nesting.
#2 Tension
Tension problem is also a very common cause of birds nesting, tension refers to two main aspects, on the one hand is the bobbin thread tension, on the other hand is the top thread tension. Whether the bobbin thread tension is too loose or the top thread tension is too loose will lead to the loosened thread to accumulate under the needle plate, thus triggering the plugging fault. So it is better to test the tension before embroidering, which will really avoid a lot of trouble. To determine whether the tension is appropriate, you can refer to the picture below.
#3 Threading
Every threading path on an embroidery machine makes sense, and only by threading correctly can the machine run smoothly and normally. However, threading is a delicate task, and if you are not careful enough, then you can easily thread in the wrong place or miss a certain place that should be crossed. Don't underestimate the importance of any threading path, even if you miss a spot, may make the tension of the embroidery thread is not enough or the hook on the machine can not be correctly drawn, then all kinds of malfunctions may follow, the birds nesting problem is one of them.
#4 Hooping
If you have made sure that the bobbin, tension, and threading are all fine, then I think you can check to see if the fabric being embroidered has come loose during the embroidery process. Because if the fabric is not securely hooped and jumps up and down during the embroidery, then the top and bottom threads may not be embroidered onto the fabric, and those extra threads get tangled together and become birds nesting.
#5 Cleaning
For any machine, regular cleaning and maintenance is necessary to ensure proper operation of the machine. Not cleaning the machine for a long period of time is also a major cause of birds nesting. For example, there are burrs on the needle plate that may trap threads; sometimes threads get stuck inside the machine, lint or threads may get stuck in the bobbin case, etc. All these small details can directly or indirectly lead to birds nesting problems.
#6 Needle
For many embroiderers, the needle is an easy one to overlook. It must always be remembered that the needle has a front and back side. If the front and back of the needle are installed incorrectly or even just the needle is installed at the wrong angle, it can lead to a lot of problems, and thread plugging fault is one of them. You can refer to the picture below for the proper installation of the needle. In addition, needles are consumables, so it is recommended that you check the needles regularly and remember to replace any faulty needles in time, as bent needles may also cause thread plugging faults.
#7 Mechanical
If you still haven't found the cause after following the above one by one, perhaps you can think back to whether you accidentally hit the frame? Maybe you're wondering why I'm mentioning this all of a sudden, the fact is that if the machine's needle bar is not at the correct height, it can lead to more birds nesting problems. Due to the large size of commercial embroidery machines, it is not uncommon for us to bump into the frame, which can lead to deviations in the height of the machine's needle bar.
#8 Thread
If you have ruled out all of the above possibilities, then the birds nesting problem you are experiencing may stem from the embroidery thread you are using. Embroidery thread is the foundation of embroidery, and the quality of the thread will have a direct impact on the quality of the embroidery work. You get what you pay for, and embroidery threads that are too cheap are often not of good quality. If you use thread that is too old or has a lot of lint on the surface, it is not hard to imagine that birds nesting may appear frequently.
2 ) How to solve the birds nesting problem?
If you're experiencing the birds nesting, don't do anything rash just yet - it may not be that bad! As long as there is not yet a hole in the fabric or garment, you still have a chance to fix it. Never pull hard on the ball of thread straight away, as this could damage your fabric or garment, and don't start cutting before you know what's going on underneath.
The correct approach is: first, stop the machine, check what is happening at the bottom of the machine, and carefully lift up the nest to see how much thread is actually there. Next, clean up the threads. You can either just cut the threads and remove the nest or slowly pick out the dense threads from the needle plate. After removing the garment, you may find thread nests on the needle plate. At this point, you need to use a Z-wrench to remove the screws, remove the needle plate, and then clear the thread from the bobbin case. Finally, remember to adjust the thread clamp, tighten the thread, and install the needle plate and you're done.
Here are some tips:
(1) Don't try to cut a bunch of threads at once, be patient and cut a few at a time until you can get the fabric safely out of the machine.
(2) Try to gently leave a little space between the bobbin plate and the loop, then use the tweezers and knife in your kit to cut the threads.
(3) Always place the knife under the needle hook and cut against the hook, not the fabric.
(4) After removing, remember to check the needle plate and bobbin case for damage, if damaged please replace the needle plate and bobbin case.
As for the clothes after the birds nesting encounter, if you still want to salvage it, I suppose you could pick up the thread from the back, cut it, and then pull out the remaining thread from the front. For clothes that aren't overly damaged, you can either re-sew and embroider or find some other way to cover up the damage.
3 ) How can the birds nesting problem be prevented?
Of course, it would be great to avoid the birds nesting problem, which can save you a lot of trouble, so why not learn how to prevent it? Here are some tips on how to prevent the problem, so take a look.
(1) Install the bobbin and wind the bobbin thread in the correct way.
(2) Test and adjust the appropriate tension before embroidering.
(3) Master the correct method of threading cables to ensure the correct threading.
(4) Hoop the fabric or garment correctly to ensure that it does not come loose during embroidery.
(5) Clean regularly to keep the inside of the machine clean.
(6) Check the embroidery needle, needle plate and bobbin for damage before embroidery, and replace the problematic parts in time.
(7) It is recommended to use good quality needles, threads, bobbins and other accessories.
(8) Pay attention to observe the embroidery process to see if there are any abnormal changes in the quality of the stitches, machine noise and so on. If you feel any abnormality, please stop the machine immediately to avoid damaging the clothes.
(9) Sometimes when the machine signals a broken needle, it may not be a real broken needle, but birds nesting, so be careful to judge.
Here are some related instructional videos:
How to adjust the tension of the thread?
How to thread your embroidery machine?
How to choose accessories for embroidery?
If you want more instructional videos, you can follow our official Youtube account: BAI TV.
Well, that's all the content of this article to explore the birds nesting problem. If you still have any doubts, feel free to contact us! In addition, if you want to know more about embroidery, you are welcome to join our Facebook group, where not only our staff but also many embroidery store owners with rich embroidery experience are available, you can get embroidery experience, find embroidery inspiration or share embroidery joy there ...... Anyway, if you run into any embroidery problems, don't worry and remember, you are not alone.
