Brother Super Ace 3 Manual
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29 1 ———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————— REPLACING THE NEEDLE This section provides information on sewing machine needles. Needle precautions Be sure to observe the following precautions concerning the handling of the needle. Failure to observe these precautions is extremely dangerous. Be sure to read and carefully follow the instructions below. Needle types and their uses The sewing machine needle that should be used depends on the fabric and thread thickness. Refer to the following table when choosing the thread and needle appropriate for the fabric that you wish to sew. Note ●Never use a thread of weight 20 or lower. It may cause malfunctions. Memo ●The smaller the thread number, the thicker the thread; and the larger the needle number, the thicker the needle. ●Only use home sewing machine needles. Use of any other needle may bend the needle or damage the machine. ●Never use bent needles. Bent needles can easily break, possibly resulting in injury. Fabric Type/ApplicationThreadSize of NeedleTypeSize Medium weight fabricsBroadclothCotton thread 60–90 75/11–90/14 TaffetaSynthetic thread Flannel, GabardineSilk thread 50 Thin fabrics LawnCotton thread 60–90 65/9–75/11 GeorgetteSynthetic thread Challis, SatinSilk thread 50 Thick fabrics DenimCotton thread30 100/16 50 90/14–100/16 CorduroySynthetic thread 50–60 TweedSilk thread Stretch fabricsJersey Thread for knits 50–60Ball point needle 75/11–90/14 (gold colored) Tricot Easily frayed fabricsCotton thread 50–90 65/9–90/14 Synthetic thread Silk thread 50 For top-stitchingSynthetic thread Silk thread30 100/16 50–60 75/11–90/14 CAUTION
30 KNOWING YOUR SEWING MACHINE ——————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————— ■Ball point needle Use the ball point needle when sewing on stretch fabrics or fabrics where skipped stitches easily occur. Use the ball point needle for best results when sewing patterns using monogramming foot “N”. The factory recommended needle is “HG-4BR” (Organ). Schmetz needles “JERSEY BALL POINT” 130/705H SUK 90/14 may be used as a substitute. ■Transparent nylon thread Use a 90/14 to 100/16 needle, regardless of the fabric or thread. Checking the needle Sewing with a bent needle is extremely dangerous since the needle may break while the machine is being operated. Before using the needle, place the flat side of the needle on a flat surface and check that the distance between the needle and the flat surface is even. aFlat side bNeedle type marking ■Correct needle aFlat surface ■Incorrect needle If the distance between the needle and the flat surface is not even, the needle is bent. Do not use a bent needle. aFlat surface Replacing the needle Replace the needle as described below. Use the disc-shaped screwdriver and a needle that has been determined to be straight according to the instructions in “Checking the needle”. aRaise the needle by turning the handwheel toward you (counterclockwise) so that the mark on the wheel points up. (With models equipped with (needle position button), raise the needle by pressing once or twice.) bTurn off the sewing machine. ●The appropriate fabric, thread and needle combinations are shown in the table on the previous page. If the combination of the fabric, thread and needle is not correct, particularly when sewing thick fabrics (such as denim) with thin needles (such as 65/9 to 75/11), the needle may bend or break. In addition, the stitching may be uneven or puckered or there may be skipped stitches. CAUTION 1 2 1 aMarkbNeedle position button ●Before replacing the needle, be sure to turn off the sewing machine, otherwise injuries may occur if the foot controller or the start/ stop button is accidentally pressed and the machine starts sewing. 1 or CAUTION
31 1 ———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————— c Lower the presser foot lever. aPresser foot lever d Hold the needle with your left hand, and then use a disc-shaped screwdriver to turn the needle clamp screw counterclockwise to remove the needle. Note ●The needle can be removed by simply loosening the needle clamp screw about one turn. (If the needle clamp screw is loosened too much, the needle clamp (which holds the needle) may fall off. Therefore, do not loosen the needle clamp screw too much.) aDisc-shaped screwdriver bNeedle clamp screw Do not apply strong force when loosening or tightening the needle clamp screw, otherwise certain parts of the sewing machine may be damaged. eWith the flat side of the needle toward the rear of the machine, insert the needle until it touches the needle stopper. aNeedle stopper f While holding the needle with your left hand, use the disc-shaped screwdriver to tighten the needle clamp screw by turning it clockwise. Install the twin needle in the same way. ●Before replacing the needle, place fabric or paper under the presser foot to prevent the needle from falling into the hole in the needle plate. CAUTION ●Be sure to insert the needle until it touches the needle stopper and securely tighten the needle clamp screw with the disc-shaped screwdriver, otherwise the needle may break or damage may result. CAUTION
32 KNOWING YOUR SEWING MACHINE ——————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————— Sewing with the twin needle We have designed your machine so you can sew with this needle and two top threads. You can use the same color or two different colors of thread for making decorative stitches. For details on the stitches that can be sewn with the twin needle, refer to “STITCH SETTINGS” (page 79). aInstall the twin needle. For details on installing a needle, refer to “Replacing the needle” (page 30). bThread the upper thread for the left needle. For details, refer to steps a through l of “Upper threading” (page 23). cManually thread the left needle with the upper thread. Pass the thread through the eye of the needle from the front to the back. dInsert the extra spool pin onto the end of the bobbin winder shaft. eInstall the thread spool and thread the upper thread. Memo ●When setting the thread spool, set it so that the thread winds off from the front of the spool. aTwin needlebExtra spool pin ●Use only twin needles that have been made for this machine (part code: 131096-121). Other needles could break, and damage the machine. ●Do not sew with bent needles. The needle could break and injure you. ●You can not use the needle threader to thread the twin needle. Instead, thread the twin needle by hand, from front to back. Using the needle threader may damage the machine. ●When using the twin needle, be sure to select an appropriate stitch, otherwise the needle may break or the machine may be damaged. ●Select a stitch width of 5.0 mm (3/16 inch) or less, otherwise the needle may break or the machine may be damaged. CAUTION aBobbin winder shaft bExtra spool pin cThread spool
33 1 ———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————— f Thread the upper thread for the right side in the same way that the upper thread for the left side was threaded. aThread guide cover For details, refer to step a through l of “Upper threading” (page 23). gWithout passing the thread through the needle bar thread guide, manually thread the right needle. Pass the thread through the eye of the needle from the front to the back. hAttach zigzag foot “J”. For details on changing the presser foot, refer to “Replacing the presser foot” (page 34). Note Models equipped with a needle threader ●You cannot use the needle threader to thread the twin needle. Instead, thread the twin needle by hand, from front to back. Using the needle threader may damage the machine. iTurn on the sewing machine. jSelect a stitch. For details on selecting a stitch, refer to “Selecting a stitch” (page 37). For details on the stitches that can be sewn with the twin needle, refer to “STITCH SETTINGS” (page 79). kStart sewing. For details on starting to sew, refer to “Starting to sew” (page 39). XTwo lines of stitching are sewn parallel to each other. Note ●When using the twin needle, the stitches may become bunched together, depending on the types of thread and fabric that are used. If this occurs, increase the stitch length. For details on adjusting the stitch length, refer to “Adjusting the stitch length and width” (page 38). ●When using the twin needle, be sure to attach zigzag foot “J”, otherwise the needle may break or the machine may be damaged. CAUTION ●After adjusting the stitch width, slowly turn the handwheel toward you (counterclockwise) and check that the needle does not touch the presser foot. If the needle hits the presser foot, the needle may bend or break. ●When changing the sewing direction, be sure to raise the needle from the fabric, and then raise the presser foot lever and turn the fabric. Otherwise the needle may break or the machine may be damaged. ●Do not try turning the fabric with the twin needle left down in the fabric, otherwise the needle may break or the machine may be damaged. CAUTION CAUTION
34 KNOWING YOUR SEWING MACHINE ——————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————— REPLACING THE PRESSER FOOT Replacing the presser foot Replace the presser foot as described below. aRaise the needle by turning the handwheel toward you (counterclockwise) so that the mark on the wheel points up. (With models equipped with (needle position button), raise the needle by pressing once or twice.) bIf the sewing machine has been turned on, turn it off. cRaise the presser foot lever. aPresser foot leverd Press the black button at the back of the presser foot holder to release the presser foot. aBlack button bPresser foot holder e Place a different presser foot below the holder so that the presser foot pin is aligned with the shank in the holder. Position the presser foot so the letter indicating the presser foot type (J, A, etc.) is positioned to be read. aPresser foot holder bShank cPin Note ●The presser foot to be used with each stitch appears in the LCD. To select a stitch, refer to “Selecting a stitch” (page 37). ●Always turn off the power before you change the presser foot. If you leave the power on and step on the controller, the machine will start and you may be injured. ●Always use the correct presser foot for the stitch pattern you have chosen. If you use the wrong presser foot, the needle may strike the presser foot and bend or break, and may cause injury. ●Only use presser feet that have been designed to be used with this machine. Using other any presser feet may cause an accident or injury. CAUTION aMarkbNeedle position button ●Before replacing the presser foot, be sure to turn off the sewing machine, otherwise injuries may occur if the foot controller or the start/stop button is accidentally pressed and the machine starts sewing. or CAUTION
35 1 ———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————— f Slowly lower the presser foot lever so that the presser foot pin snaps into the shank in the presser foot holder. aPresser foot lever bPresser foot holder cShank dPin XThe presser foot is attached. gRaise the presser foot lever to check that the presser foot is securely attached. Removing the presser foot holder Remove the presser foot holder when cleaning the sewing machine or when installing a presser foot that does not use the presser foot holder, such as the quilting foot. Use the disc-shaped screwdriver to remove the presser foot holder. aRemove the presser foot. For details, refer to “Replacing the presser foot” (page 34). bUse the disc-shaped screwdriver to loosen the presser foot holder screw. aDisc-shaped screwdriver bPresser foot holder cPresser foot holder screw ■Attaching the presser foot holder aAlign the presser foot holder with the lower- left side of the presser bar. aPresser foot holder bPresser bar b Hold the presser foot holder in place with your right hand, and then tighten the screw using the disc-shaped screwdriver in your left hand. aDisc-shaped screwdriver bPresser foot holder cPresser foot holder screw Note ●If the presser foot holder is not correctly installed, the thread tension will be incorrect. ●Be sure to securely tighten the presser foot holder screw, otherwise the presser foot holder may fall off and the needle may strike it, causing the needle to bend or break. CAUTION
36 SEWING BASICS ——————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————— 2SEWING BASICS SEWING Basic sewing operations are described below. Before operating the sewing machine, read the following precautions. General sewing procedure Follow the basic procedures below to sew.●While the machine is in operation, pay special attention to the needle location. In addition, keep your hands away from all moving parts such as the needle and handwheel, otherwise injuries may occur. ●Do not pull or push the fabric too hard while sewing, otherwise injuries may occur or the needle may break. ●Never use bent needles. Bent needles can easily break, possibly resulting in injuries. ●Make sure that the needle does not strike basting pins, otherwise the needle may break or bend. 1Turn on the machine.Turn on the sewing machine. For details on turning on the machine, refer to “Power supply” (page 12). ↓ 2Select the stitch.Select the stitch appropriate for the area to be sewn. For details on selecting a stitch, refer to “Selecting a stitch” (page 37). ↓ 3Attach the presser foot.Attach the presser foot appropriate for the stitch. For details on replacing the presser foot, refer to “Replacing the presser foot” (page 34). ↓ 4Start sewing.Position the fabric, and then start sewing. When sewing is finished, cut the threads. For details on starting to sew, refer to “Starting to sew” (page 39). CAUTION
37 2 ———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————— Selecting a stitch Using the stitch selection keys, select the desired stitch. When the sewing machine is turned on, the straight stitch ( left needle position) is selected. aTurn on the sewing machine. bConfirm that the utility stitch indicator is lit. If it is not lit, press the stitch category selection key as many times as necessary until the utility stitch indicator is lit. aStitch category selection key bUtility stitch indicator Memo ●When you want to select the mirror image stitch, press the stitch category selection key as many times as necessary until the mirror image stitch indicator is lit. aMirror image stitch indicator cPress (stitch selection keys). The number of the selected stitch is displayed. Press the “+” or “–” side of to increase or reduce the number by one. Pressing on the right changes the digit on the right and pressing on the left changes the digit on the left. XThe stitch is selected. dAttach the presser foot indicated in the LCD. aPresser foot type For details, refer to “Replacing the presser foot” (page 34) . Memo ●The presser foot to be used is indicated by the letter (J, A, etc.) that appears above or beside the stitch number. eIf necessary, adjust the stitch length and width. For details on sewing with each of the stitches, refer to the following example.
38 SEWING BASICS ——————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————— Adjusting the stitch length and width ■[Example] Selecting stitch . aPress the stitch selection keys to select stitch 04. With on the right, select “4”, and with on the left, select “0”. bPress the “+” or “–” side of (stitch length adjustment key) to increase or reduce the stitch length. aStitch length bStitch length adjustment key cShort dLongc Press the “+” or “–” side of (stitch width adjustment key) to increase or reduce the stitch width. aStitch width bStitch width adjustment key cNarrow dWide Note ●When the stitch length or stitch width is changed from the standard setting, around or disappears from the LCD. When the stitch length or stitch width is reset back to the standard setting, reappears around or in the LCD. ●After adjusting the stitch width, slowly turn the handwheel toward you (counterclockwise) and check that the needle does not touch the presser foot. If the needle hits the presser foot, the needle may bend or break. ●If the stitches are bunched together, increase the stitch length. Continuing to sew with the stitches bunched together may result in the needle bending or breaking. CAUTION