Trouble with adhesives.

[Thumper144]

Hi all,

     I’ve been sewing for quite sometime but still consider myself an amateur. Have been mostly working with leather and canvas/duck material. 
     Recently I started a project in which I used sunbrella (probably around 10oz) and sewed it to Velcro with 138 thread(gore Tex). Sewed the sunbrella to itself (2 layers of 10oz) without issue. Sewed 1 piece of Velcro loop to 1 piece of sunbrella without issue. 
    Sewed a piece of Velcro hook to the subrella and can’t get a stitch to stick!  The bottom threads seem to not be able to lock into the top. After looking at the needle I noticed it is full of adhesive. Some type of glue that is in the backside of the Velcro.
     Went up one size needle thinking it may help but didn’t. Checked several videos to make sure I hadn’t forgotten how to thread the machine(juki LS1341) but I was ok there.  Adjusted tension up and down but I do think it’s the fact that the needle(especially the long groove)is gummed up with adhesive/glue. 
      Any recommendations or thoughts from someone that may have experienced this before?
     
     

[nylonRigging]

Dont understand ? you say ..." can’t get a stitch to stick!  " are you talking about tension ?
Might try a Titanium plated needle, as  they tend to be slicker surface and better for sticky and needle stays cleaner. 

Are you sewing threw that really sticky ( peal and Stick ) Velcro ?  that adhesive backing is pretty gawd awful 'GUMMY' especially that 3M brand . in general almost never buy and avoid that adhesive Velcro product, and just use rolls of sew-on . I would suggest not even using that sticky-back Velcro.

I always sewing Velcro and keep hundreds of yards always on hand of different size/color. Like you saying, the fluffy 'Loop' side sews easy, looks good . but Hook is different animal, Going sewing around the boarder edge of Velcro Hook always looks great, But In general though anytime you sewing right on Top of Velcro Hook is hard to make look good because your feet are on-top of tiny 'unstable' flexible pillars .Stitches never look consistent pretty .

.

[TonyV]

Yeah, get the non-adhesive velcro.  It's much easier to work with on your machines and sold about everywhere the adhesive type is.  Waxed thread in your machine will gunk things up just as bad.

If you need to hold the velcro in place while stitching, just use a few sewing pins.  Easy peasy.  The stitch spacing may need to be adjusted a bit to account for the bulk of the hook n loop.

Or just hand sew the velcro so that you have total control of each stitch, which is what I do.

[Thumper144]

Can’t get a stitch to stick…meaning the bottom stitch doesn’t lock into or catch the top stitch. I just get a straight line of thread on the bottom and the top. 
 

yeah….gotta hand stitch the little bit that I already started. 
 Need to buy some without adhesive. Gotta sew on a section 20ft long, hand stitch is out of question for that. 
 

thank you both!!

[Wizcrafts]

I sometimes run my top thread through liquid silicon in a little lube tube that's sold by industrial sewing machines dealers, on and off line. The one I have screws onto a top post, plus I think has a magnet on the base. It has a transparent flip open reservoir for the lube. The thread gets routed through the bottom that has little channels for the thread to run in. The entire reservoir, with its closed lid flops over so you can route the thread under it. There is a screw running down the center of the tube to regulate the flow.

Other hints when sewing on sticky Velcro:

1. Use titanium coated needles, like the Groz-Beckert Gebeder series. Use diamond points for leather and round points for cloth. Use one size larger than standard (e.g., use a #19 needle with #69 thread, or a #20 needle with #92 thread).
2. Increase the foot/feet pressure setting to hold down the Velcro as the loaded needle ascends on the upstroke. If the material lifts with the ascending needle, you'll get skipped stitches. A double toe foot usually holds the Velcro down better than a left toe foot.
3. Add some slack with the check spring disk position, throw, and spring force.
4. Move the hook closer to the needle. Do this in concert with adding slack in the check spring.
5. Try some extra large eye needles. Schmetz makes some that can still sew through adhesives with less clogging of the eye. They offer a high end model named Schmetz "GO", which has an oversize eye and is sold in boxes of 100 needles per size. I have good luck with the more easily obtainable Schmetz "Serv 7" needles that can be bought in a pack of 10 needles.
6. Finally, load a dauber with Goof Off and wipe it on the needle every couple of inches of sewing. This really works for me.
7. If you decide to try sew-on Velcro, apply Leather Tape from Wawak down the center, avoiding the sewing borders. The tape holds the Velcro in place as you carefully sew along the perimeter. I do this to patches I sew onto bikers' vests and jackets.

[Thumper144]

Wizcrafts , thank you soooo very much!!! Thieve are the tips that I needed. Will give them a try!