This message was posted by Juli in Kona on AmayaUsers.com. PLEASE DO NOT REPLY VIA EMAIL. Instead, respond to the thread on the WEBSITE by clicking here: http://www.amayausers.com/boards/ultimatebb.php?/topic/7/18.html#000008 I have been doing hats on the Amaya XT, or rather visors. I have got it down pat now, but I did struggle with it for awhile. I had to give up 3 1/2" tall designs for hats and settle for 2.5" tall designs. Killed me to do that, but life has been much smoother since I settled for the shorter designs. And for the visors it is a max of 1.5". Hate that - what can you do in 1.5"? But it sews out nicely, every time. I haven't lost one cap or visor since I limited the height. When hooping always use stablizer - even with structured caps. I, however, do not use stabilizer with visors. The tendency with our funky cap hoops is to clamp it too tightly. When you tighten the clamp, it should not move the cap over more than about 1/8 to 3/16". If it moves more than that, I'd say that you are clamping too tightly. I do not like the idea of "pinching". I would like it to clamp on something solid, but it is "pinching" so I have to live with that. Just doesn't seem secure enough to me. Also, when you can hardly get the hoop off the station, you know you are clamping too tightly. So, I understand, the proper way to hoop is to put the stabilizer on. It just kind of floats there. Why aren't there little clips to temporarily hold it in place while you get the cap on? Oh, well! So, I kind of hold the the stablizer down with my 4th fingers while I carefully get the cap on more or less straight. Straighten out the sweat band, pulling it out all the way down the sides as far as it will allow. Center it - I just eyeball it, but the visors are hard to eyeball - no center seam. So, what I have done is put a piece of tape on one side only just where the side seam is. Then when hooping the visor, I try to line the seam up just down from the tape make, so that when I tighten the clamp and it pulls it a bit, the seam ends up right on the tape mark. And for caps you have to move it just a bit counter clockwise so it ends up centered. Now, with the stabilizer and cap on and lined up as well as possible, flip the strap over the cap and fit the teeth into the bill seam. Hook the latch on, but don't tighten it yet. To get it just right, loosen the 2 wing nuts on the left side and with your right hand smooth the strap to the left, towards the wing nuts, as tight as you can. This is what our training instructor would call "girl tight". No muscles, guys - just a little pressure to the left and then while holding it tight, tighten the wing nuts. Now close the clamp. It should pull the hat to the right just a bit and hopefully you have compensated for it by starting off with the hat slightly off cent to the left. If the center seam doesn't line up to your satisfaction, then you get to try again. The wing nut thing only has to be done with the first hat and should be good to go after that. Unless you change hat styles. Don't forget to ut the bill in the little clamp. If you don't do that, you'll be sorry! Just ask me how I know! That clamp, if up to the top, will hit the needle case when sewing. Now, take the hat of the station. My poor arthritic finger don't like this part at all. If it is too hard to pull off, it is probably too tight. Put it on the machine and don't forget to close all 3 clamps! Or you'll be sorry! If your design is taller than 2.5" you will definitely run the risk of pulling the cap out of the hoop. And I am talking about a regular pro cap. I don't even know what would happen with a low profile cap. I am afraid to even try. I always do a trace. The hat hoop is too variable to trust it to not hit the strap. And don't forget to set the presser foot up. My XT calls for a setting of 3 up, but the older models, I believe call for a setting of 8 (all the way up. I use the auto actifeed and that seems to work for me, but I know there will be those that disagree with that. You'll just have to experiment. The trouble comes mainly one the seems. If the hat is very stiff, you can put a steam iron n it for a few seconds. That will soften it up a bit and improve the sewing on the seam. The critical thing for me was limiting the height of my designs. I like big, so it just killed me to only go 2.5 inches! But I don't ruin many hats at all now. And clear off the table under the hoop. That thing swings back and forth and conceivably it could open the bottom clamp. Needles should be 80/12, but I use 75/11 and they do OK. I use a variegated thread on one of my designs and that takes a 80/12 needle. If you are getting a thread break at the same place every time, then it is your file, not the machine. Fix the design. If you set it up right you can go really fast! I am such a speed demon! That is why I choose the Amaya. Well, if I have missed anything, I am sure you'll ask. Juli in Kona =========================================================== The AmayaUsers Mailing List Website: http://www.amayausers.com Discussion Board: http://www.amayausers.com/boards Subscribe/Unsubscribe: http://www.amayausers.com/list ===========================================================